Connecticut's River Valley and Shoreline

Long Island Sound offers beach-goers a calm experience: very little waves and undertow for bathers, and big, sandy beaches like you find on the ocean. This part of Connecticut offers visitors the most beaches of any part of the state, including state parks and small community beaches set on little inlets and coves. Since the boating community is very active here, you will find plenty of easy opportunity to reach the region by boat, as well as by more traditional means.

South County Rhode Island

Where Long Island Sound ends and the Atlantic Coast begins in New England, South County is probably the region's best kept oceanfront secret. Swimmable water, high ocean waves and 17 sandy beaches await visitors. Those who prefer the entertainment of a busy summer spot will enjoy Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, with its boardwalk attractions, nightlife and numerous hotels. Smaller community beaches and state parks along the shoreline offer smaller crowds, picturesque sand dunes, and great opportunities for bird-watching.

Newport Rhode Island

Newport is so well known for its other attractions and historic sites, that the beaches there are often overlooked. Visitors will enjoy sand and surf along Narragansett Bay and directly on the Atlantic. Of particular note is Fort Adams State Park, which features a beach alongside a tourable 19th century fort.

Cape Cod and the Islands

Certainly the most popular of New England's tourism areas, millions of visitors every year brave the traffic to enjoy Cape Cod's beaches. The area actually offers a variety of choices: The peninsula that is Cape Cod, Massachusetts juts out like a hook into the Atlantic, with the bay side featuring calmer, more tranquil beaches, and the outer cape offering higher waves and often unswimmable currents. The islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are reachable only by ferry or air, and visitors find more rustic and remote beaches, and panoramic ocean views. The best known and most interesting beach, however, is the Cape Cod National Seashore in South Wellfleet: Over 40 miles of beaches, with huge sand dunes, spots for swimming, hiking and biking trails, and eco-programs for nature lovers of all ages.

New Hampshire's Seacoast

The most popular beach area north of Boston, the New Hampshire seacoast features dramatic ocean waves and cool water. Beaches vary in style: Hampton Beach is the area's commercial boardwalk, while smaller state parks offer less crowded oceanfront, and ample opportunities for bird-watching and observing nature.

South Coast Maine

The South Coast is home to Maine's sandy beaches. These long, beautiful beaches are accented by lighthouses, rock outcroppings, and dunes. Each towns' beach has its unique qualities. In Wells there is seven miles of flat, wide sand beach. Ogunquit's is about half as long but second to none for its beauty. The Yorks has Long Sands Beach to enjoy, and exploring the shoreline of the Kennebunks is a delight. For old-time beachside amusements don't forego Old Orchard Beach.

Midcoast Maine

Beaches dot the entire Maine coast, and Midcoast Maine serves as an elegant microcosm of the state: Charming New England fishing villages with small beaches. This far north, the vast sandy beaches are gone, replaced by the rocky coastline that has helped make Maine famous. The water is often too cold for swimming, although many beaches do make it available, and the abundant wildlife makes nature-watching a joy.

Northern Vermont

Northern Vermont is the home of Lake Champlain, New England's largest lake. The lake straddles the border between Vermont and New York, and all along its eastern shore-line, visitors will find state parks offering beaches and lake-front activities. On the Vermont side, the backdrop is marvelous: A view of New York's majestic Adirondack Mountains!

New Hampshire's Lakes Region

The most popular of New England's many glacial lake areas, Lake Winnipesaukee and its neighbors offer visitors cool, clean lake swimming, relaxing waterfronts in a variety of community beaches and state parks. Some are more commercial, others more remote, all set among quaint New England villages and picturesque rural countryside.