The 11 best beaches and island experiences in New England

Covering many beautiful miles throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, the beaches of New England are a major draw to the region for obvious reasons.

Known for rocky, windswept and sandy vistas complemented by charming villages and towns, New England's best beaches and coastlines offer visitors a chance to soak up the region’s history, visit lighthouses and indulge in a spot of luxury.

1. Monhegan, Maine

Best for escaping the crowds and reconnecting with nature

A great place to unwind and preferably spend the night, Monhegan doesn’t have much in the way of big attractions. For some visitors, this is exactly the point of coming. Monhegan is a fabulous place to disconnect and enjoy a digital detox: there are no TVs, no cars and no shopping, save for a few small convenience stores. Even the library is typically left unlocked. 

There is a network of trails around the island (about 9 miles total), which take you through forests and along cliff tops with stunning views. Pick up a map from the ferry dock when you arrive. A highlight is the Cliff Trail, a 4.4-mile loop that circles the entire island. If you have kids in tow, head to the Lobster Cove Trail, a 0.3-mile out-and-back walk that has lots of rocks to climb and the ruins of a small shipwreck. 

Detour: Mainers love their breweries, and Monhegan is no exception. Stop by Monhegan Brewing Company (open seasonally) to enjoy a citrusy Kölsch, a light milk stout or a malty, hoppy double IPA. 

2. Sconset Bluff Walk, Nantucket, Massachusetts

Best for cliffside mansions and heavenly views

Nantucket Town epitomizes tranquility and calm, but travel 7 miles east and you’ll discover a fairytale-ish coastal village of 17th-century homes that dances to an even slower beat. Tiny Siasconset (affectionately called ‘Sconset) consists of just a handful of quaint shops. The Bluff Walk’s narrow dirt path meanders along the edge of mighty bluffs – with ferocious Atlantic waves crashing 90 feet below – dissecting backyards and gardens of multi-million-dollar estates. 

The trail’s about a mile long, culminating on Baxter Rd. Although it once reached Sankaty Head Lighthouse, erosion necessitated an earlier ending. However, it’s worth an extra half-mile hike north along Baxter (turn right from the path) to admire this 1850-era, photogenic lighthouse. The lighthouse is open for free tours; hours and dates vary. 

Local tip: The Jethro Coffin House, Nantucket’s oldest home on its original foundation, was built in 1686 – almost a century before the United States was born. It’s open for tours from June to October; admission is free.

3. Katama Beach, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

Best for young people

Katama Beach, also known as South Beach, is located on the south shore of upscale Martha's Vineyard, and it's a bonafide charmer. Kept in a natural state, this barrier island beach is one of the most popular beaches in the area, with three sweet miles of sand. The rugged surf on the Atlantic side of the island will please surfers, but many swimmers and families prefer the protected, wave-free salt ponds on the inland shore.

Flying kites and playing beach games are popular ways to pass time on the beach, which is popular with a younger crowd and is kept famously clean by beachgoers. There's plenty of free public parking around the beach and a bike path connects Katama with the nearby settlement of Edgartown, if you fancy a potter to cozy inns, chef-driven restaurants and local farms shops.

Planning tip: Download the TrailsMV app for an overview of Martha’s Vineyard’s public conservation lands, including 220 miles of pristine – and visually stunning – trails. 

4. Herring Cove Beach Beach 4, Massachusetts

Best for exploring on by foot, bike or rollerskates 

Bike, hike or rollerskate the paved, 5.45-mile Province Lands Trail for stunning views of Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean through pine forests, sandy dunes and marshy bogs. Set between the scenic Race Point Lighthouse (offering guest accommodations in the Keeper’s House) and the loop back to the visitor center, Herring Cove Beach offers a 1.1-mile spur down to rocky shores. 

On a clear day, you can see Plymouth Highlands across the bay. Huge right whales are often spotted close to land here during spring and summer migration. Providing another access point to the trail, Herring Cove has plentiful (paid) parking, a seasonal concession stand, outdoor showers and restrooms.

5. Block Island, Rhode Island

Best for pristine beaches

A small island with 17 miles of public beaches wrapped around its edge, Block Island is everything you could want from a beach vacation. With craggy bluffs that drop into the ocean, this lush, dramatic spot feels remote but is surrounded by shops, restaurants and hotels. 

A self-guided bike tour is a popular route that will loop you around Block Island’s varied terrain with stops at beaches, lighthouses and lookouts. At Mohegan Bluffs, you can climb down (then back up!) 141 steps for dramatic views of the clay cliffs. For some additional stops on the self-guided loop, check out Surf Beach for snorkeling and Mansion Beach for a quiet stroll on white sand.

Local tip: Keep it simple by leaving your car in Point Judith. Lots are within walking distance of the ferry, charging $5-15 for the day.

6. Lighthouse Beach, Chatham, Massachusetts

Best for history buffs and wildlife viewing

Located halfway along its length, in the Lower Cape, Chatham represents the geographic elbow on Cape Cod’s curled-arm formation. The Cape’s only town bordered by water on three sides, this once-quiet town is now a popular summer tourist destination. 

Perfect for those seeking beach getaways in a stunning, natural environment, outdoor activities range from nature hikes and bicycle trails to swimming, surfing and other water sports. Climb a 19th-century lighthouse credited with saving innumerable souls, bask in the rays at Lighthouse Beach, beachcomb for treasures, enjoy upscale shopping in trendy village shops or watch seals swarm fishing boats unloading their daily catch at Chatham Fish Pier. 

7. Lake Champlain, Vermont

Best for fresh-water island hopping

The Champlain Islands make a pleasant day trip from Burlington, Vermont and offer an alternative to the New England Coast. Start at Sand Bar State Park, 20 minutes north of the city, where you can enjoy fine lake views or swim in the calm waters off the park’s sandy beach. From here, cross the causeway to Grand Isle, where US-2 bears north towards the 1783-vintage Hyde Log Cabin, one of the earliest such structures still standing in the USA. 

Next stop is Hero’s Welcome on North Hero Island, where you can grab a sandwich and eat at tables overlooking the waterfront. After lunch, detour west to Isle La Motte, where French explorer Samuel de Champlain cruised through in 1609, (now marked by St Anne’s Shrine). Loop back to Burlington via the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. Just shy of the Québec border, this pristine 6642-acre tract at the delta of the Missisquoi River provides an important resting place for migratory waterfowl along the Atlantic Flyway. 

Local tip: For a low-key, low-cost, get-away-from-it-all family camping vacation, head to Burton Island State Park. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, ferries run to the island daily from Kill Kare State Park, 45 minutes north of Burlington. Spread out along the island’s shoreline is a series of lean-tos and campsites, most with full-on views of Lake Champlain.

8. Ogunquit, Maine

Best for a classic beach day

The Abenaki came up with the word Ogunquit, which means “beautiful place by the sea.” A sublime stretch of family-friendly coastline, Ogunquit Beach stretches for 3.5 miles, with the ocean waves on one side and the warm waters of the tidal Ogunquit River to the west. Backed by dunes, the soft sands make the perfect spot for a long walk, particularly around sunrise, when the beach takes on a golden hue. Later in the day, the sands grow crowded with a lot of people, with sandcastle building, kite-flying and all manner of other activities on and off the water. You can find a quieter parcel of sand at Footbridge Beach, named after the small footbridge that leads onto this stretch of shore about a mile north of Ogunquit Beach’s main access on Beach Street.

9. Rockland, Maine

Best for unique museums and coastal rambling on a vintage windjammer

With a large fishing fleet and a proud year-round population, Rockland has a vibrancy lacking in some other midcoast towns. Main St is a window into the city’s sociocultural diversity, with a jumble of working-class diners, bohemian cafes and high-end restaurants alongside galleries and storefronts – not to mention two outstanding art museums. Settled in 1769, Rockland was once an important shipbuilding center and a transportation hub for goods moving up and down the coast, highlighted by the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. Today, tall-masted sailing ships still fill the harbor as Rockland is a center for Maine’s busy windjammer cruises (along with Camden). 

10. Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Best for hiking at the beach

Once a beautiful little seafarers’ village on a wide blue bay, Boothbay Harbor is now an extremely popular tourist resort in the summer, when its narrow and winding streets are packed with visitors. Still, there’s good reason to join the holiday masses in this picturesque place. Overlooking a pretty waterfront, large, well-kept Victorian houses crown the town’s many knolls, and a wooden footbridge ambles across the harbor. 

With 20 different parcels of land scattered across the peninsula, the options can be a little daunting. A good place to start is Ovens Mouth Preserve, where you can make a hilly, 3.5-mile loop around two scenic peninsulas – with a quaint 93-ft pedestrian bridge linking them. The Porter Preserve has a 0.9-mile white loop trail that takes you through old-growth forest and past a scenic cove. Another top choice is the joint Linekin and Burley Preserves, with a 2.4-mile loop taking in forest ponds, rocky ledges and a windy stretch of waterfront.

11. Sand Beach, Bar Harbor, Maine

Best for jumping off to New England’s only national park

Gateway to Acadia National Park is the waterfront town of Bar Harbor. Elegant bed & breakfasts, inviting restaurants, taverns and boutiques are scattered around town – particularly along Main St and Cottage St. One of Acadia’s most surprising features is the beautiful Sand Beach, tucked between mountains on the east side of Mount Desert Island. The beach is around 300m long and attracts sunbathers, strollers and a few intrepid souls willing to brave the cool water temperatures for a dip. 

Afterward, take a 0.6-mile walk down Ocean Path (paralleling the Park Loop Road) for a look at the Thunder Hole, a narrow channel on the rocky shoreline where water rushes in, sometimes creating a thunderous splash. Jutting out to sea on the eastern side of Sand Beach is the forested headland known as Great Head. A 1-mile trail loops around the promontory, providing spectacular views of the coastline and the pounding surf hitting against the rocks below. It’s a fairly easy hike through the forest and then out along the exposed rock face.

Local tip: Avoid the hassle of driving by parking your car in Bar Harbor and using the free shuttle system. Most lines converge on the Village Green. Shuttles run from late June to mid-October.

This article was adapted from the New England guidebook.