By Lookout Staff

February 20, 2025 -- Santa Monica State Beach is no longer among the top ten on Tripadvisor's annual list of 25 best U.S. beaches, which was released by the popular travel site this week.

Santa Monica Beach ranked 18th among the "Best of the Best" U.S. Beaches, falling from the 7th spot it held last year, after receiving 6,764 reviews averaging four and a half stars.

Santa Monica State Beach (Courtesy Tripadvisor)

The review mirrored last's year's, saying that "Santa Monica State Beach has it all: Sandy shores for sunbathing, waves for surfing, and even an amusement park."

Visitors can "spend the afternoon by the water, then stroll the boardwalk or go for a bike ride. For views, head to the pier where you can ride the ferris wheel and see the beach from above."

This year, the perks didn't seem enough make it to the top ten, where La Jolla Cove in San Diego was the only California beach, ranking number 4.

The top beach in the country was Siesta Beach in Siesta Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida, which was noted for its "white sand" and "clear water."

Siesta Beach, which ranked 4th in Trip Advisor's list of the World's top beaches this year, was one of nine Florida beaches to make the top 25, followed by Hawaii, which had eight beaches on the list.

The top rankings are awarded each year to destinations that "receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period," according to the site.

Of the 8 million listings posted on the site, fewer than 1 percent "achieve this milestone."

For the full list, click here