5 States With the Most Beautiful Beaches in the US

2. California

Insider Monkey Score: 26

From the world-famous classics to the lesser-known gems, there are few things that exemplify the spirit of California as precisely as its beaches. From Malibu to Carmel-by-the-Sea, these sun-drenched strips of sand stretching along the Pacific Coast are what put the gold in the Golden State. Coronado Beach is consistently voted one of America’s finest beaches by The Travel Channel, Dr. Beach, and many others

Since 2001, California has invested $100 million in Clean Beaches Initiative grants to fund local projects that reduce bacterial contamination along the coast.