Everyone loves a Cape Cod summer or a the pure bliss of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. But if you’re craving something new or just want to escape the summer crowds of New England’s main summer attractions, these beach towns near Boston live up to the hype, without the crowds.
Solitaire Bliss recently analyzed lesser-known beach towns, rating them for the quality of the town and businesses, leisure and recreation options, dining, affordability, and family-friendliness.
Top 10 underrated beach towns near Boston
Four New England beach towns ranked among the top 10 most underrated in the nation.
Westerly, Rhode Island, home to the village of Watch Hill, ranked at number 7. The town is just a short train ride from South Station and right on the Connecticut and Rhode Island border.
Coming in at number 6 is Rye, New Hampshire. The town is just 1 hour north of Boston, a bit higher up than the more popular Hampton Beach. Rye boasts 8 miles of coastline, home to Jenness State Beach and Wallis Sands State Beach, plus two state parks.
Scituate ranked number 3 among America’s most underrated beach towns.
Scituate is another South Shore town, home to the famous Scituate Lighthouse an Minot Beach.
South Kingstown, Rhode Island took home the second spot in the list, right after Treasure Island, Florida. This Rhode Island town is just a short drive from the ferry to Block Island, the “Malibu of New England.”
Other underrated beach towns in New England
A few other New England towns ranked among the top 20. In total, these are the most underrated beach towns in New England according to Solitaire Bliss:
- South Kingstown, RI (2)
- Scituate, MA (3)
- Rye, NH (6)
- Westerly, RI (7)
- Wells, ME (11)
- Charlestown, RI (17)
- Old Saybrook, CT (18)
