Delray Beach’s award-winning coast is in the running for USA Today’s Best Beach in Florida—and there’s only three more days to vote.
The leaderboard for the 10Best contest was closed to add suspense, so it’s not clear who we’re up against. Beach bums can vote once per day until noon on Monday, May 20—help Delray Municipal Beach get to the top spot and vote here.
We might be biased, but we’re not surprised by the news. The 2-mile stretch of beach is known for its rolling waves, paddleboarding, proximity to bars and restaurants, colorful lifeguard towers, and the peaceful Atlantic Dunes Park, where visitors can wander the nature trail, ride bicycles, or rent a pavilion for gatherings. According to the city, the beach draws 3.2 million visitors a year.
Plus, Delray Municipal Beach keeps accessibility top of mind. Besides the mandated handicapped parking, the city also offers access mats to make traversing the sand easier for those who use wheelchairs, and free beach wheelchairs and surf chairs are also available for use.
The USA Today 10Best contest comes at the heels of the Village by the Sea winning the Blue Flag Award for the second year in a row. There are Blue Flag Award beaches in 51 countries, and Delray Beach is just one of two in the U.S. to win since we started participating in 2021. The other American beach is Westward Beach in California.
In order to be considered, beaches, marinas and tourism boats must follow environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria. This year, the Blue Flag was raised in a special ceremony on May 8 and will fly until April 30, 2025. It being our second year with the award, we’re confident we’ll go for year three.
