The Best Beaches In The World Ratings Criteria
I use the following checklist when reviewing beaches:
Sand:
Lots of Garbage 1 2 3 4 5 No Garbage
Lots of Natural Debris 1 2 3 4 5 No Natural Debris
Rocky 1 2 3 4 5 Soft
Water:
Lots of Garbage 1 2 3 4 5 No Garbage
Smells Bad 1 2 3 4 5 Smells Clean, Salty, Fresh
Looks Dirty 1 2 3 4 5 Looks Clean, Clear
Lots of Vegetation 1 2 3 4 5 No Vegetation
Amenities:
No Restrooms 1 2 3 4 5 Restrooms at the Beach
No Showers 1 2 3 4 5 Showers at the Beach
No Parking 1 2 3 4 5 Parking at the Beach
No Food 1 2 3 4 5 Food at the Beach
No Drinks 1 2 3 4 5 Drinks at the Beach
No Equipment Rentals 1 2 3 4 5 Lots of Equipment Rentals
*Beachfront Activities:
No Activities 1 2 3 4 5 Lots of Activities
* Beachfront activities refers to activities on the beach itself or accessible from the beach. It includes rentals and lessons that can be launched or start directly from the beach. It doesn’t include trips or tours that you can book at the beach, but don’t originate at that beach.
After completing the checklist, the individual numbers are added and the total is divided by 14. Because only whole numbers between 1 and 5 are used for ratings, the sum is rounded to the nearest whole number to determine a beach’s final rating.
To many joyful beach experiences!
— Lisa Dworkin
Photo courtesy of Lisa Dworkin