Lifestyle | Florida The Nation's Best Beach? Florida's Caladesi Island is at the top of a professor's annual list By John Johnson Posted May 22, 2008 7:40 PM CDT Copied The main beach at Caladesi Island State Park, a barrier island along the Gulf of Mexico, on Florida's West Coast is seen on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 in Dunedin, Fla. (AP Photo/Craig Litten) With its fine, white sand and relative seclusion, Florida's Caladesi Island—on the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa Bay—is the nation's best beach, says a Florida professor who issues annual rankings. This year's runners-up, from the AP: Hanalei Beach, Hawaii Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York Coronado Beach in San Diego Main Beach in East Hampton, New York Hamoa Beach, Hawaii Cape Hatteras, North Carolina Cape Florida State Park near Miami Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, South Carolina Read These Next Trumps ends trade talks with Canada. Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. Report an error