Coopers Beach in Southampton tops list of best beaches nationwide

For Toni Concepcion, it's the white sands and gentle summerlike breezes that call her to Southampton’s Coopers Beach when the weather warms up.

"The temperature is just different here," Concepcion said.

When it gets too hot in town, the East Hampton resident said, relief can be found at Coopers, with its long stretch of towel- and umbrella-ready beachfront.

"It always works out," she said of Coopers' welcoming summer weather, "and the cafe at the beach always [has] great food, always fresh. It's really nice."

It turns out, Stephen P. Leatherman, a Florida-based university researcher and beach and sand devotee who turned that love into part of his life's work, agrees.

Leatherman, the director of the laboratory for coastal research at Florida International University, puts Coopers Beach at the top of his 2025 list of the best beaches in the United States.

Main Beach in East Hampton took fifth place in the rankings.

But it was the tranquility, safety and an out-of-town vibe, to go long with soft, quartz sand, that earned Coopers Beach its No. 1 ranking.

"When you go out to the Hamptons, it's sort of like going out into the countryside compared to Manhattan. You got beautiful small towns there, but the beach itself is really pristine," Leatherman said, adding that it was "very safe" with "great lifeguards."

Coopers Beach traded places with last year's best beach, Hawaii’s Duke Kahanamoku Beach on Oahu, known worldwide for its view of the volcanic landmark Diamond Head, and proximity to Waikiki's shops, nightclubs and restaurants.

"There’s no pollution there," he said of the Southampton beach. "The water is crystal clear and clean."

Since 1991, Leatherman has named his top 10 beaches using 50 criteria, including "water and sand quality as well as safety and management," he said in a 2024 news release on the rankings.

"I thought maybe Miami or somewhere like that," said Great Neck resident Victoria Delgado, when told of the latest rankings as she sat on a lounge chair at Coopers Beach with a book.

Even so, Delgado said, she comes to Coopers because she likes its "calm, meditative" feel earlier in the day.

The Southampton beach is not without its flaws, Leatherman said. The sand at Coopers is grainier than he'd like and the $50 daily parking rate is pricey.

He encouraged people to take advantage of free alternatives to get to Coopers, including Circuit, formerly known as Hampton Free Ride, a free electric shuttle service that takes users to places across Southampton.

Southampton Village Mayor William Manger Jr. said he had another Long Island beach in mind when considering the best.

"Coopers Beach is nice," Manger acknowledged. "I think Fire Island had nicer beaches, though."