Dr. Beach who puts out a top ten list every year (he goes on Today Show etc). And every year its different !! So, the moral is take these lists with a grain of salt and enjoy them for introducing us to beaches and resorts that we've either never heard of--- or had the pleasure to visit.

The top ten ratings are very subjective. What makes a great beach for one person, doesn't make it a great beach for another person. I agree that Monaco's beach looks like my version of hell on earth, but seeing how crowded it was with rich SOBs, it's obviously quite a few people's idea of paradise.

ezron: Dr. Beach uses actual data to create his rankings, based on water quality, sand quality and several other criteria. But if you look at his lists, it's primarily the same group of beaches which are in the top 10 year in and year out.

sap115: I've been to the various beaches of Nice, Cannes and Monaco and they are the most overrated beaches I've ever been to. Regardless of the crowding or company. The selection for a best beach list was purely due to the city behind the beach, I'm quite sure.