What small northeast seaside towns to visit? (hotels, homes)

[gt87]

As the title suggest, what would you guys recommend for small northeast seaside towns to visit. Not looking to visit any of the touristy party type towns. Looking for small towns, quiet beaches, local restaurants/diners, etc. Lets say between Maine and Delaware. Wouldn't mind exploring one town for a few hours and then driving on to the next.

[ckhthankgod]

Hyannis MA on Cape Cod would be a good choice. Can take a ferry to either Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard from there too.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Beach/seaside towns that are nice but not too crowded overrun with tourists. The area around the the CT/RI state line come to mind. Stonington, CT is charming and Watch Hill/Westerly/Misquamicut Beach, RI have very attractive beaches.

Marblehead, MA has scenic rocky shores, a few beaches, and an impressive stock of old historic homes. Up the road the old fishing port of Gloucester is pretty interesting, and Rockport has a lot of art galleries, can get touristy, but it's worth a stop.

[masssachoicetts]

The best between your range are:

-Kennebunkport Maine
-Ogonquit Maine
-York Maine
-Portsmouth New Hampshire
-Rockport+Gloucester Massachusetts
-Marblehead Massachusetts
-Provincetown Massachusetts
-Anything on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket
-Newport Rhode Island
-Westerley and area, Rhode Island
-Mystic Connecticut
-Ocean City New Jersey
-Cape May Point New Jersey
-Lewes Delaware

My personal favorites out of the bunch are:
Ogonquit ME
Rockport/Gloucester MA
Newport RI

[missionhill]

A few additions to Massachoisetts's list...

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

The best between your range are:

-Belfast, Camden, Kennebunkport Maine
-Ogunquit Maine
-York Maine
-Portsmouth New Hampshire
-Newburyport, Rockport+Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts
-Marblehead, Salem, Plymouth, Massachusetts
-Provincetown Massachusetts (but he said not touristy party-type towns; instead, Chatham, Welfleet, Falmouth Mass)
-Anything on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket
-Newport Rhode Island
-Westerly and area, Rhode Island
-Mystic, Stonington, Essex, Connecticut
-Fire Island, Southampton, East Hampton, Long Island
-Ocean City New Jersey
-Cape May Point New Jersey
-Lewes Delaware

My personal favorites out of the bunch are:
Ogonquit ME
Rockport/Gloucester MA
Newport RI

[Mightyqueen801]

Cape May, NJ. Quaint, small town at the very tip of NJ, one of the first seaside resorts in the nation, predating the Civil War, restored Victorian hotels and B&Bs.

https://www.capemay.com/

[RaleighSentinel]

Cohasset, Massachusetts.

[Juicy J]

In addition to Newport RI, Narragansett and Jamestown (Ft witherill and Beavertail) are great choices (Narragansett can get crowded tho)

Block Island RI too is gorgeous

[GeoffD]

I haven't seen much named that I would consider small and not touristy.


The Cuttyhunk Ferry leaves at 9am and returns at 3pm. The crossing is about an hour so 5 hours on the island. Walk the island. Hang on a beach. A sandwich and chowder at the town dock. No cars. Only a few hotels. That would top my list.





Generally, you have to get pretty far downeast in Maine before the tourist density drops off.

[908Boi]

I've heard great things about Maine coastal towns.
Cape May and Wildwood NJ as well.