Fort DeSoto named No. 1 beach by TripAdvisor

Fort De Soto Park's North Beach has been named the top beach in the United States by TripAdvisor, the Web site that touts itself as the world's largest online travel community.

TripAdvisor called the beach "a portrait of tranquility, with a spectacular combination of soft, white sand, calm and clear water and a laid-back atmosphere.''

The survey of TripAdvisor members and staffers included three other Florida beaches in their Top Ten: St. Andrew's State Park in Panama City, South Beach in Miami and Pensacola Beach.

Fort De Soto also was honored in 2005 as the nation's #1 beach by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach.

A Day in the Life of Fort DeSoto Beach

TampaBay.com Beach Guide: Beach news, events and restaurant reviews

- Steve Huettel, Times staff writer

Comments

[Vincent]

Good for the Bay Area

[windy]

What crap. Thats the worse beach I have ever seen. If this is the best...we are in bad bad shape!

[American]

It's a nice place to go but I wouldn't say it is the best. Great recognition for the bay area but if anyone comes to visit just for this beach they may be disappointed.

[Billy Bob]

Terrific spot to "get away from it all".
With gas prices going stratospheric this is a great way to relax on a budget.

[True Beach Girl]

Obviously Dr. Beach hasn't been to Lover's Key State Park south of Ft. Meyers Beach. Absolute heaven with a bird estuary and silence of few tourists.

[TNT]

You look at the total picture and it's hard to beat.
- Good sand and water
- Plenty of consistently available parking (take note, Siesta!)
- Good bathrooms
- Dog beach!
- Eco trails
- Historical landmark / tour
- Etc, etc.

What other beach has all of this?
Siesta? San Blas? Gasp Is.? (and please, don't even think the east coast ash tray is comparable)

Lover's Key, MAYBE.

DeSoto may not be the best at everything, but it has about all you could ask for in a public park. We love it!

[HP]

what about Pass-a Grille?

"What crap. Thats the worse beach I have ever seen. If this is the best...we are in bad bad shape!" - Windy

Yeah, you obviously haven't been to many beaches. Worse than a million people packed onto Clearwater Beach? Worse than oil soaked, bloating rats washing up on the Texas beaches? Dude, you're so wrong on this one - Fort Desoto is awesome.

[pablo]

i see the eventual commercialization at ft. desoto and the beach. they need to leave it as bare bones as possible and do not add any more ammenities. they need to charg more to keep the scum out of the park. no more small businesses either. keep it simpl e stupid. it's part of the allure.

[Paul]

Yup, its crap, stay away from Ft. Desoto. Don't go there, you're spot on right! ahh, the thought of even less people at beautiful Ft. Desoto is a nice thing indeed... those who go there know its beauty and will only benefit by those who espouse 'its crap' staying away :) enjoy the beach

[jim]

lets build high price condos and sell them to investors at over-inflated prices. oh sorry i am thinking of the rest of florida.....

[Alex]

I've been to Clearwater, Siesta Key and Fort Desoto. Siesta key is my favorite, but the parking is atrocious. That's why we usually go to Fort Desoto, which is a close second in my book. Great beach and no headaches with parking.

[concerned]

If the DOT has it's way,the beach will stay pristine due to the huge tolls that are proposed :no one will be able to afford to visit Ft.De Soto any more!!

Excellent! Now let's build condos on it!

[Amanda]

I love Fort DeSoto and what's so nice about the park is how close it is to civilization but how far away it makes you feel! Maybe this will help pay for the new drawbridge

[Jason]

My wife and I got married on the beach at Fort DeSoto and it was gorgeous. We had our wedding pics taken during the sunset and people think it was a back drop not a real pic. Absolutely gorgeous beach.

[shango wango]

Interesting rating but I have to argue that the beach and community would be better served as a refuge for St. Pete's homeless. Drive a big school bus around St. Petersburg and pick them all up and drop them off at Ft. DeSoto. Everyone in this city has made it very clear that we should all sacrifice our luxuries to deal with the economically unfortunate. If they all live in exile at Ft. DeSoto, only the scum hippies that enjoy such a dump of a beach will be sad - but then again they can't complain in the first place because they want the homeless to sleep on the steps of city hall and the park benches.

This way, I get to watch my baseball game in a first class open air stadium and the patchouli stank get walk barefoot in the park and shed a tear for all the poor alcoholics forced to live on the "Best Beach in America".

Tell us about the blast in Illinois I have family there.

[S. Night]

Fort Desoto used to be even more beautiful. It is becoming less attractive due to development and adding of so-called "amenities". I think it would be better to save money and preserve beauty by leaving it alone!

[Kenneth]

"only the scum hippies that enjoy such a dump of a beach will be sad"

Way to post about a place you've obviously never been to shango. Calling Ft. Desoto a "dump of a beach" is like calling the Don Cesar a roach trap of a hotel.

How sad is it that some people make negative comments just to get attention? I used to do that myself - when I was 9.

[Kenneth]

"only the scum hippies that enjoy such a dump of a beach will be sad"

Way to post about a place you've obviously never been to shango. Calling Ft. Desoto a "dump of a beach" is like calling the Don Cesar a roach trap of a hotel.

How sad is it that some people make negative comments just to get attention? I used to do that myself - when I was 9.

[George]

That's my favorite beach in the area to go because it's so peaceful, beautiful and so far away from everything.

It's like escaping to another world, but don't have leave the world.

[Andrew]

I lived in Pass A Grille but when I wanted to lay out on the beach I drove to Fort DeSoto. Quiet, clean, those are my memories of it. I hope they keep it that way.

[Richard]

i have never commented on any issue i've seen in a publication, but i had to say something..i won't offer a response to those who enjoy sharing sarcastic and self gratifying remarks..that gives the writer an easy opportunity to think adults take notice..my parents built a house in tierra verde 25 years ago..my father, after living in, and traveling in florida for years,believed he found a quiet and beautiful area to enjoy their "golden years".as years went by and the inevitable "over" development took place.mom and dad always had the north beach where they would walk together,during the week,when it was quiet.my parents were difficult to please,usually finding fault with the things that younger folks don't notice.but they loved their beach,and continued to enjoy the walks until mom couldn't physically do it..she died about 3 months later.dad followed her about 10 months after that.despite federal law, their ashes were laid at the north beach.ft.desoto is what it is to those who know how to appreciate what they have, before everything changes.i'd like to think that they're proud of their beach

[Jeff]

Ft Desoto is nice but west central/south fl beache's are pale in comparison to the sugar white sands of the emerald coast up in the panhandle. Ft Pickens,Navarre, and Pensacola's national seashores are the best. Redneck Riviera and all! ;oD

[Kevin]

These ratings are always some sham promo material. I've been to Hawaii, Australia, the Red Sea, etc. and no beaches in the world can compare to the Gulf Islands Natl Seashore from Pensacola to Destin.

DeSoto is the best in this area but the sand isn't white and the sea and shell life just aren't the same. DeSoto does have less jellies though.