Siesta Beach Named to ‘World’s 50 Best Beaches’ List

After a catastrophic 2024 hurricane season, the beloved beach received international recognition for its white quartz sand, natural beauty, gentle slope, calm water and more.

By Megan McDonald May 12, 2025

Siesta Key Beach

Image: vmargineanu/Shutterstock.com

Siesta Beach is always No. 1 in our hearts—and, as of 2025, it’s also No. 42 on the list of World’s 50 Best Beaches.

The beloved beach—the only U.S. destination on the list—received high marks for its famous white quartz sand, which stays cool even on hot days; natural beauty; and gentle slope and calm water. Siesta Beach’s easy access to the Gulf and beachgoers’ chances of experiencing beautiful weather also earned it top marks.

“Our mission is to inspire travelers to go beyond the typical tourist hotspots and discover the kind of beach experiences they’ve always dreamed of—places that are truly breathtaking, peaceful, and unforgettable,” Tine Holst, co-founder of World’s 50 Best Beaches, said in a press release. (The No. 1 beach in the world for 2025? Cala Goloritzé in Italy.)

Now in its second year, the World’s 50 Best Beaches team worked with influencers and travel experts to create the list, compiling their votes for the top spots based on a set of criteria including uniqueness, the presence of wildlife, untouched natural beauty, crowdedness and more.

The honor is especially poignant on the heels of last year’s hurricane season, during which Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding on the area’s barrier islands and was followed less than two weeks later by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Siesta Key packing 120-mile-per-hour winds. Data analyzed by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit investigative newsroom, attributed $187 million in direct revenue losses to the storms, and Sarasota County officials identified 127 homes as destroyed due to Milton and Helene—although that doesn’t count people who experienced damage and decided to leave the area due to fear or future storms or the cost of repairs.

In addition the World’s 50 Best Beaches recognition, Siesta Beach was named the No. 1 best beach in the U.S. and the No. 4 best beach in the world by TripAdvisor in February. It’s also twice been named America’s Best Beach by coastal expert Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman and was featured in Time magazine’s “World’s 100 Greatest Places of 2021.”