Florida's Siesta Beach ranked No. 1

SARASOTA, Fla., May 27 (UPI) -- Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla., has been ranked the best beach in the United States by coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, widely known as "Dr. Beach."

Every year Leatherman ranks the Top 10 beaches in America judging by 50 criteria such as how wide the beach is at low tide, whether it is made of cobbles or powdery coral, how soft the sand is, the number of sunny days, air and water temperature, water color, waves, currents and other factors, he says on his Web site.

Siesta Beach came out on top for 2011 leading the way in all of Dr. Beach's criteria.

"It has the finest and whitest sand in the world, and I cannot argue with this claim; the powdery sand is nearly pure quartz crystal. The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers. This beach park is complete with showers and bathrooms, snack bars, grills, picnic tables, shade trees, and a large parking area, which does fill up on summer weekends," Leatherman said.

Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, put three Sunshine State beaches in his Top 10 list, which changes every year.

It is unclear why the rankings change so significantly since beaches rarely change their composition unless they are hit by massive storms or hurricanes.

Coronado Beach in San Diego is No. 2, followed by Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii; Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y.; Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of N.C.; St. George Island State Park, Fla.; Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.; Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.; Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii; and Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.