Top 5 U.S. destinations for winter sun

As autumn approaches many travellers are already planning for some much needed winter sun and dreaming of the perfect beach destination.

With thousands of miles of coastline, the U.S. has a wide choice of beaches to cater for every taste, and a road trip holiday is the perfect way to explore some of the best. To provide a little inspiration, Hertz has compiled its favourite most natural and untouched beaches in the U.S. to visit this winter, selected from Dr Beach’s Top 10 USA’s Beaches*.

Hertz’s top recommendation would be to do the ‘Florida triple’. Starting in Sarasota, enjoy the beautiful white sands of Siesta Key Beach. Drive up the Gulf Coast to Clearwater to get the ferry from Honeymoon State Park to Caladesi Island to swim in the warm, clear waters and kayak through the mangroves. Follow the coast to Florida’s northwest coast and lose yourself in the huge sand dunes in Grayton Beach State Park.

Hertz Top Natural Beaches

1. Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, Florida

2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin / Clearwater, Florida

3. Grayton Beach State Park, Florida

4. Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii

5. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

Siesta Key Beach Sarasota, Florida

The beautiful clean sands of this wide, sweeping beach mean that sand collectors from all round the world come here to add to their collections. The warm, calm waters make it perfect for swimming and paddling for all ages.

Caledesi Island State Park, Florida

Take a ferry to Caledesi Island for the chance to swim in its gentle warm waters. You can also rent kayaks and canoes to explore the nearby mangroves, which have a great deal of exotic bird-life to discover.

Grayton Beach State Park, Florida Panhandle

At Grayton Beach State Park, you’ll find Florida at its most natural, with untouched beaches, towering sand dunes, swaying sea oats and 2000 acres of coastal forest to explore.

Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui, Hawaii

The beach is protected by two rocky outcrops, first formed by ancient lava flows, calming the seas and making for a fun place to swim. Sandy at the shoreline, the beach gradually slopes to a rocky bottom, perfect for snorkelling, you can rent gear at the beach.

Coronado Beach, San Diego, California

One of the most popular in the state, Coronado Beach combines subtropical vegetation with a warm Californian climate to create a beach that offers great swimming in calm and warm waters.

Who's Dr. Beach?

*Dr Beach, otherwise known as Dr Stephen P. Leatherman, Director of the Laboratory of Coastal Research at Florida International University, visits beaches all over the country every year, marking according to 50 different criteria including the size of beach, water temperature and beach safety right through to the number of pests like flies or wasps. Hertz has selected six out of the top 10, as four are not suitable for winter sun.

For more information on the other beaches on Dr Beach’s Top 10 visit HERTZ

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