HONOLULU (AP) — Cruising along the west side of Hawaii s Big Island, the landscape is dominated by ancient volcanic flows and jagged shorelines. Then you get to Hapuna Beach.
When Dr. Beach names you a winner, you don’t get to play again, and that’s why Florida only has two beaches on his annual Top 10 list for the best beaches in the U.S.
Cape Cod Beach Among Top 10 In US, Says 'Dr. Beach' - Barnstable-Hyannis, MA - Coast Guard Beach was the only New England beach to make the rankings and one of just two in the Northeast.
Hapuna Beach State Park was ranked the best beach in the U.S. in Leatherman s review of sandy shorelines for 2021.
Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, hopes his 30th annual list will encourage people to get out and leave the past year of pandemic struggles in the rearview mirror.
He acknowledged that people will have to pay extra to get tested for COVID-19 before coming to the islands. “Hawaii is a really special place, and so I think it’s worth it, he said.
Kandi Miranda, who owns Manuela Malasada Company and runs a food truck near Hapuna Beach State Park, was born and raised on the Big Island. She was able to stay open for locals throughout the pandemic and is optimistic about the return of visitors.
Caleb Jones
In this April 21, 2020, photo, a woman walks on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. Stephen Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, has been drafting a list of the best beaches in the U.S. under the alias Dr. Beach since 1991. This year he has named Kahanamoku Beach, on the west end of Waikiki Beach and in view of the iconic Diamondhead volcano in the distance, the sixth-best beach in the country. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones) May 26, 2021 - 10:53 PM
HONOLULU (AP) â Cruising along the west side of Hawaii s Big Island, the landscape is dominated by ancient volcanic flows and jagged shorelines. Then you get to Hapuna Beach.