13 Must-Visit Coastal Towns In Massachusetts That Draw Crowds Every Summer

Every summer, the coastal towns of Massachusetts come alive with energy, drawing in visitors from near and far.

From the historic streets of Provincetown to the sandy stretches of Cape Cod, each little seaside spot brings its own unique vibe and activities.

In the Bay State, you can stroll through gorgeous harbor towns, explore quaint little shops, soak up the sun on serene beaches or take a scenic boat ride to explore hidden coves.

With plenty of things to do, places to eat, and natural beauty to take in, it’s no wonder these towns are packed with tourists each summer!

Truly, the charm of Massachusetts’ coastline is undeniable, and the beauty of these particular towns makes them must-see destinations for anyone already dreaming about their next summer escape!

1. Provincetown

Provincetown is where Cape Cod ends and your summer story begins, crowded in the best way with galleries, street performers, and sun glazed harbor views.

The town sits at the very north of Cape Cod, boasting a slim crescent of streets curled between windswept dunes and glittering bay.

Head straight for Race Point Beach and Herring Cove, where soft sand meets rolling Atlantic and sunsets paint the sky in sherbet stripes.

You can wander Commercial Street and feel like the whole world showed up, hopping between indie boutiques, ice cream windows, and studios where artists chat while paint dries.

Monument watchers can climb the Pilgrim Monument and absorb a panorama that makes lighthouses seem within arm’s reach.

And, if you crave nature, the Province Lands Bike Trail loops through dune country that feels astonishingly cinematic!

If you’re interested, whale watch boats leave MacMillan Pier all day.

Honestly, the excitement of a first spout never gets old!

Once your tummy starts to grumble, go grab a lobster roll to go and picnic on the breakwater as boats carve shimmering trails across the harbor.

Trust me: you won’t regret it!

At dusk, music drifts from patios and everyone strolls, people watching as twinkle lights blink on.

By the time the tide turns, you’ll already be planning tomorrow’s ferry, bike ride, and gallery hop.

Oh, and the next visit to Provincetown!

2. Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard feels like summer distilled, a ferry glide away yet a world apart with sandy coves, clapboard villages, and gently curving bike paths.

The island lies off Cape Cod in Dukes County, with ferry landings at Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs that deliver you straight into postcard territory.

Oak Bluffs will charm its way into your heart with pastel gingerbread cottages and a historic carousel that spins out pure nostalgia.

Edgartown brings crisp white captain’s homes, brick sidewalks, and the stately Edgartown Lighthouse standing sentinel over a calm beach.

You can find beach bliss at South Beach in Katama, where waves pound and kites soar, while Menemsha’s working harbor pairs sunsets with fishing boat silhouettes.

You can also check out the trails in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, which offer shady pedaling when the sun runs hot!

Don’t forget to check out the farm stands that sell berries warm from the field.

Here, morning lines form for boxes that never make it back to the car untouched!

By twilight, harbor towns glow and everyone heads for docks to watch masts sway and gulls drift home.

In Martha’s Vineyard, you will collect tiny rituals that turn a visit into an annual habit.

The island moves at an easy clip, so why not join the rhythm next summer?

3. Nantucket

Nantucket is a refined and windswept small island with big charisma and a shoreline that seems to never quit.

Nestled 30 miles out to sea, it is accessible by ferry or small plane, which makes the arrival feel like crossing into an older New England.

Cobblestone streets in Nantucket lead to grey shingled shops dressed in rose covered trellises.

History buffs can trace the island’s whaling past at the Whaling Museum and glimpse how fortunes rose with the tides.

You will find beach options for every mood, from family friendly Children’s Beach to wild, wave thumping Cisco and surf kissed Madaket sunsets.

Brant Point Lighthouse bookends arrivals with a bright white welcome that just begs for photos.

You can pedal the island by bike paths that curve past cranberry bogs, sandy lanes, and moorland swells, with bakery stops that make you linger longer than planned.

Siasconset, or Sconset, feels like a dream village, with bluff walks that peek into gardens and the ocean horizon.

In town, boutiques showcase coastal style heavy on linen, straw hats, and nautical stripes.

Evenings bring a gentle hush as harbor lights shimmer and the last ferries ghost across the Sound.

Nantucket is a place that edits life down to bikes, beaches, and simple pleasures!

You will leave with salty cuffs, polaroid worthy lighthouse shots, and a new respect for weathered shingles.

4. Newburyport

Newburyport blends seaport history with breezy summer energy.

Summer here is equal parts sand, history, and slow living by the tide.

You will find Newburyport on the Merrimack River in Newburyport, just before the water opens toward the Atlantic and Plum Island.

Brick lined streets and Federal era homes frame a downtown filled with indie shops and waterside dining.

Plum Island Beach stretches out with soft sand and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, where boardwalks lead to dunes and shorebird spotting.

The Custom House Maritime Museum stitches together shipbuilding tales.

Meanwhile, the Harborwalk sends you past marinas and river views.

Kayakers can slip along the tidal edges while families chase hermit crabs in warm shallows.

Afternoons here drift easily between window shopping and beach chilling, with coffee runs that turn into pastry detours.

You will love the way the river catches late light, sending gold ripples against docked sailboats.

In Market Square, musicians busk and dogs nap under cafe tables like they own the place.

Come evening, stroll to waterfront parks where breezes cool and the lighthouse winks across the channel from Plum Island’s northern tip.

Overall, this is the kind of town that makes day trippers promise to return with extra beach towels and time to wander.

5. Chatham

Chatham is the Cape’s elegant elbow, where sea breezes meet window flower boxes and the lighthouse stands photogenic in every season.

It essentially packs every classic Cape note into one beautiful chord, and it plays all summer long.

The town anchors the elbow of Cape Cod, wrapped by Atlantic views and Monomoy waters.

Main Street invites an unhurried amble past bookstores, ice cream counters, and nautical shops that feel timeless.

Chatham Lighthouse Beach sets a sweeping stage, with sand bars shifting as seals pop up like punctuation in the surf.

You will find boat watching addictive at the fish pier, where the day’s catch arrives and gulls gossip overhead.

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge offers nature trails and a sense of coastal wilderness just beyond town polish.

Settle into an afternoon rhythm of beach, boutique, and bakery, then wander to Stage Harbor for a gentle shoreline walk.

The Atwood Museum threads local history through sea captain lore and vintage maps.

Families that come here tend to love the calm of Oyster Pond Beach, a sun warmed spot perfect for small splashers and lazy floats.

As twilight slides in, the lighthouse blinks and everything softens to Cape pastel.

You will swear the air smells like salt and sweet corn, and maybe it does.

6. Rockport

Rockport feels like a watercolor come to life, with bright boats and an iconic red fishing shack that artists never tire of painting.

The Essex County town hugs Cape Ann, some 40 miles northeast of the city of Boston!

Galleries here are plentiful, spilling onto sidewalks with plein air easels set against the tide.

If you go, you will happily drift from painting to pottery and feel like you’ve been sent back in time!

Front Beach and Back Beach offer easy dips close to town, while the breakwater invites a slow balancing walk above the water.

Halibut Point State Park sits just up the road with wave lashed granite ledges and ocean views that stretch toward Maine.

Tide pools reveal tiny universes, and quarry stone tells stories of a labor-filled past.

Picnic spots perch above the surf that thunders even on quiet days.

By late day, Bearskin Neck glows, gulls wheel overhead, and lobster boats chug home as if on cue.

You will leave with sandy sandals and a phone full of blue sky shots anchored by red Motif.

Overall, Rockport makes slowing down feel like the whole point of summer.

7. Ipswich

Another Essex County gem is Ipswich, which delivers coastal calm with a side of history and one of the best beaches in the state.

Set on the North Shore, the town stretches from a classic New England center to salt marsh and barrier dunes.

Crane Beach is the headliner here!

It’s wide and wind-brushed with boardwalks that protect fragile dune grasses.

At Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, the great lawn slopes dreamily toward the sea, a perfect place for picnics and lawn games.

You will find salt marsh views at every turn, especially along Argilla Road as it snakes toward the beach at high tide.

Downtown, clapboard houses wear First Period history like a badge, and farm stands stack corn by the basket.

Hikers, you will love Greenwood Farm and the Ipswich River trails, where herons stalk and the air hums with insects!

Low tide reveals sandbars ideal for long wanders and splashy kid adventures.

If patient enough, shell seekers will be rewarded after storms, when the beach resets like a fresh canvas.

As the day cools, the light over the marsh softens and ospreys circle their platforms like practiced pilots.

When it’s (sadly) time to go, I promise you will leave Ipswich with salt-dried skin and a new respect for dune etiquette.

8. Gloucester

Gloucester balances gritty harbor life with gorgeous beaches.

This is a working town that knows how to welcome summer crowds.

But it also packs pure New England coastal energy with salt under its nails!

It anchors Cape Ann, where fleets unload at dawn and surfers chase evening swells at Good Harbor.

The Fishermen’s Memorial watches over the boulevard, acting as a reminder that these waters shape every story told.

Good Harbor Beach delivers soft sand and a tidal island you can walk to at low tide, while Wingaersheek offers calmer waters perfect for families.

You will find art at the Rocky Neck Art Colony, studios tucked into wharves that breathe creativity.

Schooner cruises raise canvas and slip past Ten Pound Island as gulls trail like confetti.

The Cape Ann Museum layers fishing lore with luminous seascapes and granite industry history.

In town, seafood shacks bustle, and the scent of frying batter signals dinner time without a clock.

Stretches of the Back Shore serve up dramatic wave watching even on bluebird days.

Sunsets splash the harbor with molten colors, and it feels right to end the day on a bench sharing fries and stories.

You will leave sandy and smiling, pockets full of beach glass and plans to return for the next sunny spell.

9. Duxbury

Duxbury is understated coastal grace, a place where a long barrier beach and classic homes frame life by the tide.

You will find it south of Boston, in Plymouth County, strung along the bay with the wooden Powder Point Bridge leading to open sand.

This is the kind of place where your shoulders drop the second you park and breathe in salt air.

The rhythm here starts with morning walks on Duxbury Beach and ends with sunset drives across the causeway.

Families spread out near the pavilion while birders scan dunes for terns and plovers that nest in protected zones.

The bay side stays gentle, great for paddling and kid friendly splash sessions, while the ocean side rolls with steady surf.

History threads through town at the Nathaniel Winsor Jr. House and old shipbuilding sites.

You can grab picnic staples at local markets, too, then find a quiet strip of sand and let the day stretch with the tide.

In Duxbury, you will notice how the light slides across the marsh, turning grasses from bright green to bronze by late afternoon.

Powder Point Bridge becomes a scenic runway for joggers and photographers chasing reflections.

When the sky blushes, boats settle on their moorings and the wind softens to a hush.

10. Eastham

Eastham feels like the gateway to Wild Cape, where the National Seashore takes over and the Atlantic shows its muscles.

The town sits on the Outer Cape, spreading from bayside flats to ocean dunes.

Coast Guard Beach is the legend, with a historic station, chilly water, and waves that keep boogie boards buzzing.

On the bayside, First Encounter Beach delivers tide flats that stretch forever, perfect for sunset walks and warm water wading.

If you’re an avid cyclist, you will love the Nauset Bike Trail, threading pines and kettle ponds toward Salt Pond Visitor Center!

Rangers point out shorebirds, and the museum sketches how glaciers sculpted this sand swept world.

Lobster trap buoys decorate fences, while small markets stack blueberry pies next to beach coolers and sunscreen.

Boardwalks over fragile dunes remind you that every footprint matters in this protected landscape.

Families can settle into an easy routine of ocean mornings and bay evenings, with naps happening whenever the breeze says so.

When evening drops, the bayside turns mirror smooth and skies throw watercolor back at you.

Once it’s time to go back home, you will drive home sandy, salty, and a little sun stunned in the happiest way.

11. Falmouth

Falmouth is a crowd pleaser with bike paths, beaches, and ferry fueled energy that keeps the shoreline lively.

You will find it on the Upper Cape, stretched along Vineyard Sound with views toward the island.

The Shining Sea Bikeway glides from Woods Hole to North Falmouth, hugging salt marsh and sparkling coves.

Nobska Light crowns a bluff with a panorama worth the detour, and nearby Surf Drive Beach offers easy swimming and long shelling walks.

In Woods Hole, marine labs buzz and the aquarium charms kids with touch tanks and sea turtle lore.

Ferries come and go like a heartbeat, sending passengers off with gull escorts and big smiles.

Downtown Falmouth mixes bookstores, cafes, and a village green that hosts summer concerts under swaying elms.

You will find calm waters at Old Silver Beach, where late day sun warms the shallows to bath temperature.

Hungry?

In Falmouth, sandwiches from local delis taste better on the sand, which is science or maybe just summer magic!

Once you’re in Falmouth, though, you’ll see how easy it is to turn one or two beach days into three or more.

Maybe even a whole week!

After all, who could resist a place where the sun, breeze, and motion are all stitched together by the ocean?

12. Salem

Salem is famous for its witch trials, sure, but in summer the harbor steals the show with tall ship masts and long wharf walks.

Set on the North Shore, the city’s waterfront centers around Derby Wharf and the Friendship of Salem.

The maritime story unfolds at the Maritime National Historic Site, where brick warehouses face the sea breeze.

Derby Wharf Light punctuates a half mile stroll that feels made for sunset, with views across to Marblehead and boats slicing the channel.

You will find small urban beaches and splashy kid fun at nearby Salem Willows, a classic seaside arcade park with leafy picnicking.

Downtown blends museums with indie shops that stock everything from spell books to seaside decor.

Harbor tours circle lighthouses and islands while kayaks trace the shoreline like highlighter ink.

The Peabody Essex Museum adds world class art to your itinerary when clouds roll in.

Seafood shacks, ice cream windows, and park benches make lingering easy between excursions.

As evening arrives, string lights glow and buskers add rhythm to cobblestone corners.

You will leave with a camera full of ship rigging and lighthouse silhouettes, not just witch hats, believe me!

13. Hull

Hull delivers instant beach day vibes with a shoreline that seems to go on forever and waves that keep boogie boards busy.

The narrow peninsula sits on the South Shore, curling around Boston Harbor with Nantasket Beach as its star!

In Hull, a broad promenade makes strolling easy and the Paragon Carousel spins nostalgia into the salt air.

When the tide cooperates, the sand is firm for long barefoot walks and kite flyers carve color across the sky.

You will find calmer corners near the north end and tide pools that delight kids and patient shell seekers.

Food stands serve boardwalk classics and picnic benches tuck into breezy nooks just off the beach.

History lingers at Fort Revere Park on Telegraph Hill, where bunkers and overlooks survey the shipping lanes.

Lifeguards and amenities keep things simple for families juggling chairs, umbrellas, and sunscreen.

By late afternoon, the light turns honeyed and the surf relaxes just enough for a last float.

You will pack up sandy and satisfied, already plotting the next visit.

Because you will. Want to visit again, I mean! Trust me on this one.