This beach in Georgia ranks as one of nation’s best — again. Here’s why people love it

Simone Jasper

Travelers can’t stop raving about one Georgia beach — and now it’s earned national recognition for a second straight year.

Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island ranks No. 3 on a list of the best places to spend time on the sand, according to results published Tuesday, Feb. 28.

To create the list of top U.S. beach destinations, the travel review website Tripadvisor said it studied comments that vacationers left throughout 2022. It then considered the “quality and quantity of reviews and ratings” to determine the winning locations, which earned Travelers’ Choice Awards.

So, what makes Driftwood Beach stand out? On Tripadvisor, visitors raved about the sand dotted with twisted trees, making for a unique but eerie experience. Others praised the landscape for being an ideal backdrop to watch the sunset or take photos.

“The beach has been described by Tripadvisor reviewers as ‘other worldly’ thanks to the ancient driftwood monuments that line the coast. One trend we are seeing this year is more than just white sand beaches topping the charts,” a spokesperson for the travel website told McClatchy News in an email, adding that cliff-strewn and cooler-climate destinations also received acclaim on its worldwide lists.

The results come as Driftwood Beach is making its mark on vacationers. Before earning the No. 3 spot, the destination landed at No. 6 on last year’s Tripadvisor list.

“In 2021, Driftwood ranked No. 11 in the U.S. and in 2020, the beach ranked No. 19, so the beach is on the up and up for travelers in recent years,” the Tripadvisor spokesperson wrote.

Driftwood Beach earned recognition for a second year in a row. Photo provided by Lea Garbett
Driftwood Beach earned recognition for a second year in a row. Photo provided by Lea Garbett

This time around, the nation’s top-ranking beach was Ka’anapali Beach in Hawaii. Rounding out the top five:

  • Siesta Beach in Florida at No. 2

  • Hanalei Beach in Hawaii at No. 4

  • Ho’okipa Beach Park in Hawaii at No. 5

In addition to naming the best beaches in the country, Tripadvisor also recognized worldwide favorites. On that list, Driftwood Beach came in the No. 12 spot, and Baia do Sancho in Brazil received the highest honor.

Driftwood Beach, which earned more than four out of five stars on Tripadvisor, is roughly 95 miles south of Savannah. It was the only beach in Georgia to rank in the top 10 on Tripadvisor’s list.

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