This Beach Was Named the Cleanest on the U.S. East Coast

Florida's Delray Beach is the only East Coast beach to earn Blue Flag designation.

A beach getaway always sounds like a lovely idea. The soft crashing of the waves, the gentle sea breeze, and the warm sand beneath your toes is without question an inviting scene. But if you're having trouble figuring out which beach you should jet off to next, we've got a suggestion for you: Delray Beach in Florida, which happens to be one of the cleanest beaches in the world.

In 2023, Delray Beach earned the prestigious Blue Flag, a designation awarded to beaches, marianas, and tourism boats that qualify via "a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria," which must be met and maintained to keep the flag. The beach earned the designation again in 2024, making it just one of two beaches in the U.S. to earn the flag — and the only one to sport it along the East Coast. 

“With the Atlantic Ocean at our doorstep, Delray Beach is proud to have a beautiful, world-class beach to call our own,” Shelly Petrolia, Delray's mayor, said in 2023. “I am especially grateful for the dedicated individuals who have put so much effort into ensuring that our natural beach is safe, accessible, and that beachgoers are educated about our conservation initiatives.”

Along the 1.5-mile stretch of beach, travelers can find plenty of space to lay out on the golden sand to sunbathe, swim under the watchful eye of local lifeguards, or head to one of its two recreational areas for a game of paddleball, go kite flying, or toss around a frisbee.

And if you don't want to bring anything at all to the beach that's OK, too. Oceanside Beach Service is happy to rent you chairs, umbrellas, or even a cabana for the day. The beach also has four beach-ready wheelchairs available for anyone who needs additional assistance.

As for the other American beach to make the cut, that honor goes to Westward Beach in Malibu, California. However, if you're really looking to be spoiled with choice when it comes to Blue Flag beaches, you may want to think about going to Spain, which is home to a whopping 639 Blue Flag beaches, the most of any country on Earth. 

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