Last Updated on April 12, 2023
New research has revealed the most Instagrammable beaches in the US, with California’s La Jolla Cove coming out on top.
The study by vacation rental marketplace FloridaRentals.com analyzed the number of Instagram hashtags for the most visited beaches in the US. It compared this with each beach’s length to see which beaches had the highest number of hashtags per meter.
California’s La Jolla Cove takes the crown as the most Instagrammable beach in the US, with a whopping 4,257 hashtags per meter. The beach has had 366,068 hashtagged Instagram posts made about it, and with it having the smallest length in the top ten of just 86 meters, the San Diego beach takes the number one spot in the list. The area is a top destination for beachgoers and a hotspot for divers, snorkelers, and swimmers.
Coming in second place is South Beach, located in Florida. It comes in with a hashtags per meter score of 2,037, thanks to a length of 3,942 and a total of 8,027,955 hashtagged posts on Instagram. South Beach has a world-famous beach scene and has undergone numerous artificial and natural changes over the years.
Third place goes to one of five California beaches on the list – Laguna Beach. The study found the beach to have 1,319 hashtags per meter, thanks to a total of 3,161,606 hashtagged Instagram posts and a length of 2,397 meters. Many festivals are held in the area, such as the Festival of the Arts, Kelpfest, and Pageant of the Masters.
Venice Beach is fourth on the list, with the Los Angeles beach having a hashtags per meter score of 899. There are 4,341,671 hashtagged posts for the beach on Instagram, with a length of 4,828 meters. It’s the most popular tourist attraction in Los Angeles and the second most in Southern California, behind only Disneyland.
Hawai’i’s Sandy Beach, located on the south shore of O’ahu, completes the top five. With 764,196 hashtagged posts in total, and its shorter length of 1,020 meters, it comes in with a hashtags per meter score of 749. It’s notorious for its bodyboarding and surfing opportunities due to the large and consistent waves which form on the shoreline.
| Rank | Beach | Hashtags | Length (m) | Hashtags per metre |
| 1 | La Jolla Cove, California | 366,068 | 86 | 4,257 |
| 2 | South Beach, Florida | 8,027,955 | 3,942 | 2,037 |
| 3 | Laguna Beach, California | 3,161,606 | 2,397 | 1,319 |
| 4 | Venice Beach, California | 4,341,671 | 4,828 | 899 |
| 5 | Sandy Beach, Hawaii | 764,196 | 1,020 | 749 |
| 6 | Manhattan Beach, California | 1,614,293 | 3,379 | 478 |
| 7 | Hermosa Beach, California | 1,268,190 | 2,929 | 433 |
| 8 | Sunset Beach, Hawaii | 2,387,506 | 5,777 | 413 |
| 9 | Delray Beach, Florida | 1,599,923 | 4,988 | 321 |
| 10 | Waikiki Beach, Hawaii | 947,708 | 3,218 | 295 |
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Florida Rentals said: “With only three states featuring in the top ten, it’s clear which states are the top choices for beachgoers in the US. You’d have to go as far as 15th in the study to find Virginia Beach, the highest-ranking entry not in California, Florida, or Hawai’i. It’s also fascinating to see how some tiny beaches can garner such strong popularity, especially regarding social media.”
This study was conducted by Florida Rentals, which offers Florida vacation homes with no service or booking fees in the most popular locations in the Sunshine State.
