The Most Instagram-Friendly U.S. Beaches Ranked in New Study

Florida Rentals analyzed Instagram posts and hashtags to come up with the results.

Summer is right around the corner, and if you're not planning an international vacation this year, you can rest assured that the US has some gorgeous spots to visit as well. Take beaches, for example. With almost 100,000 miles of coastline and the proximity of part of it to the Caribbeans, the US has some beautiful beaches to offer.

If you're not really sure which one to pick, vacation rental marketplace Florida Rentals is here to help. In a recent study, the platform's team analyzed the number of Instagram hashtags for the most-visited beaches across the countries, and then compared the numbers with the length of each beach. That way, it found out which beaches had the highest number of hashtags per meter, and was able to come up with a ranking of the most beautiful beaches in the US, according to Instagram.

California's La Jolla Cove is the most Insta-friendly one, according to the ranking. Boasting 4,257 hashtags per meter, the San Diego destination is widely popular on the social media platform, and it flaunts a total of 366,068 hashtagged Instagram posts made about it.

Second prize went to Florida's iconic South Beach in Miami, with a whopping total of 8,027,955 hashtagged posts on Instagram and a hashtag-per-meter score of 2,037. Its second spot isn't surprising: South Beach has long been a top destination for both spring breakers around the US and travelers looking to both relax and party, and over the years, it has always found a way to change and improve.

California comes back again and snags the third spot with its Laguna Beach. Thanks to its many festivals in the area, including the Festival of the Arts, Kelpfest, and Pageant of the Masters, the beach destination is a top-runner on Instagram, where it is hashtagged in 3,161,606 posts.

Take a look at the top 10 most Instagram-friendly beaches in the US, according to the study, below:

1. La Jolla Cove, California – Total hashtags: 366,068 ; Hashtags per meter: 4,257
2. South Beach, Florida – Total hashtags: 8,027,955 ; Hashtags per meter: 2,037
3. Laguna Beach, California – Total hashtags: 3,161,606 ; Hashtags per meter: 1,319
4. Venice Beach, California – Total hashtags: 4,341,671 ; Hashtags per meter: 899
5. Sandy Beach, Hawaii – Total hashtags: 764,196 ; Hashtags per meter: 749
6. West Palm Beach, Florida – Total hashtags: 3,199,380 ; Hashtags per meter: 485
7. Manhattan Beach, California – Total hashtags: 1,614,293 ; Hashtags per meter: 478
8. Hermosa Beach, California – Total hashtags: 1,268,190 ; Hashtags per meter: 433
9. Sunset Beach, Hawaii – Total hashtags: 2,387,506 ; Hashtags per meter: 413
10. Delray Beach, Florida – Total hashtags: 1,599,923 ; Hashtags per meter: 321

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.