Dr. Beach's 8th-ranked beach in 2006 is Coronado Beach, in San Diego.
Coronado Beach is not only a fine family-friendly beach, it's also the site of the famously photogenic Victorian-era Del Coronado Hotel, above.
On this popular California beach, you might see SEALs running, swimmers, bodysurfers, boogie boarders, sand sculptors, tide poolers, and/or whale watchers (Dec. through Feb.) One section is an off-leash area called, guess what, Dog Beach. Read more about Coronado Beach.
*photos courtesy of Florida International University web site.
