This West Coast Beach Was Just Ranked 'Best Beach in America'

TripAdvisor has released its 2026 Travelers Choice Award winners. These awards aim to celebrate both destinations and businesses that offer an amazing experience. These places are chosen through a 12-month period where ratings and reviews are collected, and within multiple categories, the ones that come out on top are given a Travelers Choice Award.

The Best of the Best Award is the highest honor given, with the winners being in the top 1% of listings on TripAdvisor. For the Best of the Best Beaches in the United States, La Jolla Cove came out on top. This beach is located in San Diego, California, and currently has a 4.6 star rating with close to 14,000 reviews.

Related: TripAdvisors’ Travelers’ Choice Awards Will Have You Updating Your 2026 Bucket List

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Now, La Jolla Cove isn’t just like any other beach. The beach is surrounded by sandstone cliffs, which makes the waters very calm. This makes it an ideal beach to snorkel, kayak, paddle board, dive and more. If you head to the beach during low tide, you’ll get to experience crystal clear tide pools that customers rave about. If you’re not too into expending so much energy at the beach, there’s lots to see as you relax there as well.

La Jolla Cove is known for its large colonies of sea lions and harbor seals that are often seen hanging out near the waters edge, and are used to people taking in their activities day to day. Reviewers have shared experiences where they go to see the animals playing in the water, lounging on rocks, and interacting with each other. It’s better than any experience that you’d get in a zoo–as you get to witness the animals in their natural habitat.

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The water is said to be a colorful mixture of deep blue and turquoise, creating a beautiful landscape to look at as you relax. Many reviewers suggest coming to the beach for either sunrise or sunset, as this area tends to have the most beautiful views for both. Plus, if you get hungry after an early morning or late beach stay, there are a ton of restaurants within walking distance from the beach.

Related: This Is the Ultimate 80-Degree-and-Sunny Winter Escape—And It’s Not Florida

Sources:

• Trip Advisor
• Trip Advisor/travelersChoice
• Trip Advisor La Jolla Review