You could probably guess how much I love New England since this is the third post about it. While I lived in Boston, we were only in the city during the weekdays. We loved being able to take advantage of the weekends and travel all over New England. The small, quaint beach towns were my favorite, and I’ll always remember them. They made me fall in love with travel, with adventure, with stepping outside my comfort zone – I’m so thankful for the imprint these places left on my life.
There’s so many beach towns on the NE coast I could name, but these are some of my favorites!
Newburyport // Mass.
There’s nothing like the cobblestone streets of Newburyport and the beautiful view of the ocean to make a beautiful weekend. The thing I remember most about Newburyport is just walking around, shop to shop, and exploring the history of the city. Highly recommended and a good first stop on your east coast adventure!
Kennebunkport // Maine
The shores of Kennebunkport are where I learned to surf. We spent two full days just riding the waves and taking advantage of the perfect beach in Kennebunkport. If you’re looking for a good beach that’s not too loud or busy, but where you can still hit some killer waves, try Kennebunk Beach! (Also, George H. W. Bush lives here, so that’s pretty neat).
Portsmouth // New Hampshire
While a more historic, quieter town, Portsmouth is such a beautiful town to walk around and explore. We loved having dinner right on the water – I’d recommend the Martingale Wharf or Old Ferry Landing in a heartbeat!
Ipswitch + Crane Beach // Mass.
The hype about Crane Beach is so real and the crowds are so worth it. The sand was a nearly-white color, making us feel like we were in the Florida Keys, and the grassy areas reminded me of the Cape. One of the best beaches in New England!
Pro tip: get there early! We showed up super early and got a spot on the beach (which is essential because it reaching max capacity super early – we were told to get there before 10 a.m. to get a parking spot).
Gloucester and Rockport // Mass.
You know how Massachusetts has a swoop on the bottom where Cape Cod is? It also has a very small jut in the northeast corner of the state – and honestly, it’s one of my favorite areas. Gloucester and Rockport were two towns we visited one weekend. Rockport is one that I would have loved to spend more time in – I loved the infamous red shack and the town’s fishing culture. It was small, but so quaint and cute! Gloucester is really close to Hammond Castle, where we spent one afternoon ooing and ahhing at the view from this medieval structure.
While I love traveling to well-known cities or doing the tourist thing, I really enjoyed seeing these small towns in all their glory. I’d definitely recommend going to at least one of these cute beach towns when you’re adventuring on the east coast.
Rachel Enerson 