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ICYMI: 3 Tampa Bay Area Beaches Named Top In U.S.
Three beaches along Florida's west central coast earned top honors from TripAdvisor. One was named among the world's best.
TAMPA BAY, FL — Tampa Bay area residents don’t have to leave their own backyards to soak up the sun at some of the country’s best beaches. The region is home to three of America’s finest and one of the world’s top five beaches, according to TripAdvisor.
The website dedicated to all things travel just released its 2017 Travelers’ Choice Awards rankings for the best beaches in the country and the world. Siesta Key’s Siesta Beach scored honors on both rankings. The beach earned No. 1 honors in the country and was named the fifth best in the world.
St. Pete Beach came in third place in the U.S. rankings with Clearwater Beach just behind in fourth place.
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TripAdvisor’s rankings encompassed 343 beaches worldwide. The winners were selected “based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor from travelers around the world,” the company explained in an email to Patch. “The Travelers’ Choice Beaches award-winners were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period following last year’s awards.”
TripAdvisor’s has been publishing an annual beach rankings list for five years. The undertaking is meant to help those who are considering vacations, the company explained.
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"To inspire those planning a beach getaway, we've surfaced the world's best beaches from the millions of our traveler reviews," Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor said. "Traveling to a popular beach doesn't have to be expensive; TripAdvisor can help find the best prices for highly-rated hotels and has a variety of value options for those looking to get the most out of their money while visiting one of these amazing beach destinations."
Other Florida beaches that made the U.S. Top 10 rankings list include the Beach at Panama City, Hollywood Beach, Pensacola Beach and Saint Augustine Beach. Siesta Beach was the only Florida beach to make the worldwide list’s coveted Top 10.
To check out the full rankings, visit TripAdvisor online.
Photo of Siesta Beach courtesy of TripAdvisor
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