Ocean City Beach Named One Of Top Spots In U.S.

OCEAN CITY, MD — Folks from all over Maryland and neighboring states head to Ocean City to stroll the boardwalk and splash on the beach come summer. The Eastern Shore city is home to one of America’s finest 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. Ocean City's beach landed at No. 10, nudging out some hot spots in Florida, Hawaii and California.

Siesta Key’s Siesta Beach in Florida earned No. 1 honors in the country, followed by Ka'anapali Beach at Lahaina, Hawaii, in the No. 2 spot, St. Pete Beach in Florida in third place, Clearwater Beach Florida just behind in fourth place and Panama City Beach in Florida rounding out the top five.

A recent Ocean City fan from Columbia posted on the website: "Been going to OC for 30 years. Biggest and best beach on east coast. Every kind of accommodation you can imagine, from expensive to cheap. Lot of amusement parks and rides galore. Ocean Downs Casino about 20-30minutes from Inlet. Delaware state line about 50-60 minutes from Inlet for Oulet shopping w/no taxes. OC has it all."

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And a visitor from Pennsylvania reviewed: "Excellent beach, very clean. Boardwalk is nice, lots of shops and food. Dough roller hot dogs are a must!"

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 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.

"To inspire those planning a beach getaway, we've surfaced the world's best beaches from the millions of our traveler reviews," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "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 beaches that made the U.S. Top 10 rankings list include Hollywood Beach, Pensacola Beach and Saint Augustine Beach, all in Florida, and Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Honolulu, Hawaii.

To check out the full rankings, visit TripAdvisor online.

»Photo of Ocean City, MD, beach courtesy of city website