Two OC Beaches Rank Among Nation's Best Beaches

NEWPORT BEACH, CA - Users of the travel website TripAdvisor.com have high praise for Orange County’s coastline.

TripAdvisor.com rated Newport Beach as having the 16th-best beach in the U.S. in a survey released this week. Another Orange County seashore making the national list was 22nd-ranked Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach, noted for its “nice beach (and) great restaurant.”

The site’s annual Travelers’ Choice Awards for beaches were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor, gathered over a 12-month period.

According to the website, Newport Beach is known for being “safe, clean and convenient.”

“We know travelers around the globe love sun and sand vacations, so we’ve tapped the TripAdvisor community to help us identify the world’s best beaches,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for the website. “The 2016 Travelers’ Choice Beaches award-winners will inspire many to book their next getaway, knowing that these beautiful spots are the very best from the TripAdvisor global community.”

The top five U.S. beaches compiled by TripAdvisor were Clearwater Beach in Florida; Lanikai Beach in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii; Siesta Beach, Siesta Key, Florida; Saint Pete Beach, Florida; and Wai’anapanapa State Park, Hana, Maui, Hawaii. La Jolla Shores in San Diego was ranked eighth nationally.

TripAdvisor said the top five beaches in the world are Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; Playa Paraiso, Cayo Largo, Cuba; Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles; and Cayo de Agua, Los Roques National Park, Venezuela.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS: Did TripAdvisor.com users get it right?

City News Service; Photo: Wikimedia Commons