New England
Photographs of the 25 Best Beach Towns in New England
How do you go about choosing the twenty-five best beach towns in New England? It wasn’t easy, but we can guarantee that regardless of your personal criteria, there’s a beach town for you on our list. Using fourteen criteria, ranging from the availability of beach food to accessibility of town amenities to lodging for all […]
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 25 2015|
#6: Edgartown, Massachusetts.
Photo Credit: Istockphoto/ThinkstockHow do you go about choosing the twenty-five best beach towns in New England? It wasn’t easy, but we can guarantee that regardless of your personal criteria, there’s a beach town for you on our list.
Using fourteen criteria, ranging from the availability of beach food to accessibility of town amenities to lodging for all budgets, we found the 25 Best Beach Towns in New England. Whether you’re looking for waves to ride, long sandy stretches or lots of family activities, there’s a beach town for you on our list.1. Ogunquit, Maine
Photo Credit : Elena Elissee/Shutterstock
2. Provincetown, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : Christopher Seufert Photography/Getty
3. Nantucket, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : MD/Nantucketstock.com J. Greg Hinson
4. Newport, Rhode Island
Photo Credit : Lombardi, Butch
5. Old Harbor, Block Island, Rhode Island
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6. Edgartown, Massachusetts
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7. Kennebunkport, Maine
Photo Credit : Edella/Shutterstock.com
8. Rockport, Massachusetts
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9. Chatham, Massachusetts
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10. Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Photo Credit : Kathy Marciante/Courtesy of South County
11. York Beach, Maine
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12. (Tied) Wellfleet, Massachusetts
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12. (Tied) Falmouth, Massachusetts
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13. Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : Ruth Schneider/Veer
14. Narragansett, Rhode Island
Photo Credit : Stone, Laura
15. (Tied) Orleans, Massachusetts
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15. (Tied) Newburyport, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : DeGeorge, Suzanne
16. Ipswich, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : Stone, David
17. (Tied) Madison, Connecticut
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17. (Tied) Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Photo Credit : Chee-Onn Leong/Shutterstock
18. (Tied) Little Compton, Rhode Island
Photo Credit : Lombardi, Butch
18. (Tied) Plymouth, Massachusetts
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19. Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Photo Credit : Sean Donahue Photo/Shutterstock.com
20. Hull, Massachusetts
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21. Brewster, Massachusetts
Photo Credit : Alloy Photography/Veer
This area is where we lived for most of our lives <3
Someone was sleeping at the switch on this one. Dennis, MA has better beaches than most of your list.
This is my favorite beach – Footbridge – in Ogunquit, ME.
Leave your bike at home when visiting Narragansett. Not bike friendly. The town is set up for cars and for parking cars in the shoulders of most of the roads. I went on vacation and could not believe there were no places for bikes to ride. Speeding and the amount of cars in the town was enough to deter me from ever going back. If you want good riding go to the cape. Just my thoughts.
I love Hampton because I worked there the summer after I graduated from high school. My son works there now. Wonderful memories
Grew up going to Watch Hill and Narragansett, year round. The area still holds a special place in my heart. Add Block Island to the triangle and there is no better place. I prefer it over the Cape, personally.
Still love Old Orchard Beach as well. Planning a trip there this summer, cannot wait to share it with my children and family
I grew up on Watch Hill beach (year round) and its the home of my soul. I wish it was kept more of a secret! People don’t know their beach manners, the unwritten code of seating and personal decorum. We’re getting resentful here. Never used to be this way. If you can’t mind your manners, sit on top of other people, talk loudly on your phone and yell to your children across the beach then go to Misquamicutt!
I have lived in RI my entire life, but I prefer either going to Cape Cod, Old Orchard Beach or York Beach to RI beaches. They are over crowded and there are so many rude and ignorant people there all the time. We spend a lot of time on the Cape, all year round. We’ve been going to the Cape for New Year’s Eve for the past 2 years and have already started to make plans to go again this year. We were fortunate enough to get First Night Chatham buttons for this year and it was the best First Night I have ever been to. It was well organized and there was plenty to do for the entire family