America’s Best Little Beach Towns

Tucked between popular Monterey, Pebble Beach, and Carmel, this quiet town is more famous for its butterflies and stray deer than its tourists. You won’t find a true swimming beach—Pacific Grove is more about huge waves crashing into rocks—but it’s great for tide-pooling, kayaking, and serious surfing.

Stay: Despite its tiny size, Pacific Grove has more B&Bs than any other coastal town between San Francisco and L.A. The granddaddy is the decadently Victorian Seven Gables Inn, which overlooks the water and offers daily wine and cheese tastings.

Eat: Passionfish was the first “green” restaurant in Monterey County, and you can enjoy your sustainable seafood and organic vegetables—such as sea scallops with caper-raisin-walnut relish or asparagus fries—while watching downtown life walk by outside.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

Lubec is all the way Down East, right near the border with New Brunswick, Canada. Its assets include an elegant Victorian/Greek Revival–style downtown, 97 miles of shoreline, two lighthouses, and easy access to the former Roosevelt summer home on Campobello Island, which is now an international park.

Stay: The Peacock House Bed & Breakfast, installed in an 1860 Federal-style residence, has ocean views, an eclectic library, and manicured gardens.

Eat: Stop by the Water Street Tavern for hearty bowls of haddock chowder, lobster “mac n cheese,” and views of the bay islands.

—Tom Austin

This Edenic escape on the Gulf of Mexico is a real slice of Old Florida, with a much-photographed lighthouse watching over Gasparilla Island State Park, tree-lined streets without traffic lights, and long, quiet beaches touched by gentle surf.

Stay: The Gasparilla Inn, a member of the Historic Hotels of America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is the classic resort and comes complete with a golf course. It’s closed during the hottest months, though; the best alternative is its sister property, the Innlet, which features a waterside restaurant and a relaxed vibe.

Eat: A funky Florida spot with character, Temptation—think murals of leaping tarpon and a neon martini sign—serves local grouper, pompano, and soft-shell crabs.

—Tom Austin

This small, serene island just off the Virginia coast is the gateway to the 37-mile-long Assateague Island National Seashore—a nature refuge that’s home to wild ponies, herons, woodpeckers, and foxes. It’s accessible to boaters and via car over the Route 175 bridge.

Stay: A Victorian-era home has been turned into Miss Molly’s Inn, a seven-room B&B that offers high tea in the afternoons.

Eat: The Chincoteague Diner is a welcome destination after a long day on the beach. Fill up on baskets of fried seafood (flounder, scallops, shrimp) or barbequed baby back ribs.

—Tom Austin

With its antiques shops and picturesque hiking trails, Gearhart—just north of the renowned, more-bustling Cannon Beach—is an in-the-know haven for Portland hipsters like Paige Powell and Gus Van Sant. In the evenings, people drive onto the hard-packed sand for wine and stargazing parties.

Stay: The 12 attached cottages of the Gearhart Ocean Inn, constructed in 1941, are an easy walk to the beach, and the owners will furnish a “clam gun” for scooping up clams from the sand.

Eat: The nicely refined Pacific Way Bakery & Café serves top-notch muffins and coffee in the morning, and later a menu that includes bay shrimp, designer pizzas, and flawless crab cakes. —Tom Austin

Thrill-seekers flock to the Giant Dipper roller coaster at the Beach Boardwalk amusement park, but Santa Cruz has a surfeit of other attractions: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, surfers at Pleasure Point (and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum), and frolicsome seals at Natural Bridges State Beach.

Stay: At the Casablanca Inn, most rooms have ocean views (and a handful have fireplaces, for when those NoCal nights get chilly). The restaurant looks out on the awesome expanse of the Pacific.

—Tom Austin

Sunset Beach is the world capital of surfing, but in summer, all the wave-riding frenzy ebbs, and this town on the North Shore of Oahu becomes resolutely and wonderfully idle.

Stay: The oceanfront Ke Iki Beach Bungalows, a quick drive from the commercial district along the Kamehameha Highway, are all about easy atmosphere, to the sounds of the North Shore’s endless surf.

Eat: Ted’s Bakery, down the road from the mythical Pipeline, is a casual center of surfer life known for bento-box lunches, garlic shrimp, and mahimahi sandwiches. Finish it off with a slice of decadent Haupia chocolate pie.

—Tom Austin

An all-American classic—saltwater taffy and ice cream on the boardwalk, days of baking in the sun on Dewey Beach—with a lively art gallery scene. In the evenings, visitors dance at places like the Rusty Rudder or Shag, or just stroll the boardwalk.

Stay: The Hotel Rehoboth, a plush boutique lodging, has a welcoming fireplace and a mod cottage-furnishings store off the lobby.

Eat: Eden, a high-end restaurant that often lives up to its name, features such dishes as a lobster and crab tower and a coffee-hazelnut rubbed pork tenderloin. —Tom Austin

A beach staple of the Midwest, this strip along Lake Michigan—encompassing the towns of Hart, Mears, and Pentwater—has no shortage of massive sand dunes, beach buggies, and farmers’ markets along with over-the-top July 4th fireworks.

Stay: A simple affair overlooking the lake and a spread of sand, Dunes Waterfront Resort is not a bad way to get lost on a summer weekend.

Eat: That Place Restaurant, a 1950s and ‘60s theme joint with posters of James Dean and Elvis, is, well, the place to get a hamburger and shake.

—Tom Austin

This is nature Texas-style, big and ready to roll, with an enormous flock of whooping cranes in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, stunning beaches along nearby Matagorda Island, and a 1,000-year-old oak known simply as “the Big Tree.”

Stay: A funky little place with classic beach lodgings, the Fulton Beach Bungalows overlook Aransas Bay.

Eat: Steve Lew’s BBQ Kitchen will take you way down home, with pulled pork and Texas-style sausage.

—Tom Austin

Gulf Shores is near miles of splendid beaches along Bon Secour National Wildlife refuge and is a mainstay of the American seafood industry. Apart from the National Shrimp Festival every fall, the beaches are known for the strange occurrence of “jubilees,” random nights when crabs, fish, and shrimp flop up on the beach and make for easy pickings.

Stay: Magnolia Springs Bed and Breakfast is a charmer with stained glass in the den, elaborate woodwork in the great hall, and hearty three-course breakfasts.

Eat: Set in a circa 1897 building surrounded by Spanish moss and live oak trees, the Wash House Restaurant serves fried oyster lettuce wraps and beef spring rolls.

—Tom Austin

If the days seem brighter in this Central Coast town, just north of Pismo Beach—well, they are. Avila’s bay location gives it less fog than its neighboring towns, making it all the better for strolling its boardwalk pier and taking a dip in the waters. You’re also a short hop from Paso Robles and wine country.

Stay: The nautical-theme Avila Beach Lighthouse Suites may not be old—the whole pier area was rebuilt after an oil spill in the 1990s—but it’s old-school, with Ping-Pong, putting greens, and a life-size chessboard.

Eat: Start your day with churro-style French toast or the Machaca—eggs with beef barbacoa, queso fresco, beans, and hash browns—at the local favorite, the Old Custom House.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

The county seat of the San Juan Islands offers the perfect beach getaway if you like shade (tall pines), cool summers (highs in the 70s), and getting active. Rent a moped to scoot around the gallery-filled downtown, paddle a kayak around the waters, or take a whale-watching cruise to check out the local orcas.

Stay: A short walk from the ferry, the 23-room Friday Harbor House combines Zen stylings with in-room fireplaces and views of water and island pines.

Eat: Formerly named The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry Café, the family-owned and concisely renamed The Place offers fresh local seafood—such as roasted oysters from neighboring Orcas Island—and great views of the coming-and-going Washington State ferries.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

This former lumber town on the shores of both Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo River has been a Chicago artist magnet since the 19th century, giving it the nickname the Art Coast of Michigan. Come and sketch the crazy-high sand dunes—the most popular being Mount Baldhead, a calf-burning 282 steps high—or ride the hand-operated chain ferry, the only one of its kind left in North America.

Stay: Even if the beds at The Wickwood Inn are wrapped in chintz and romance, you definitely want to come down for breakfast. This 11-room B&B is run by successful cookbook author Julee Rosso, whose credits include The New Basics.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

This Victorian town has long been impervious to any of those—let’s just say, not-so-quaint—stereotypes associated with the Jersey Shore. In its pedestrian-friendly downtown, you can rent bicycles, nibble on fudge and taffy, or shop for all manner of precious items, from antiques to high-end cat toys.

Stay: It’s chockablock with adorable Victorian B&Bs, but Cape May also has a beautifully renovated grande dame hotel. The 1816 Congress Hall—where John Philip Sousa once conducted concerts on the lawn—now offers beach cabanas, yoga classes, and free Wi-Fi.

Eat: Ebbitt Room at the Virginia Hotel may be the epitome of Cape May’s fabulously decadent, high-priced dining options—tuna tartare with fennel and honeycrisp apple, Magret duck breast—but for excellent fare that’s actually economical, don’t miss the gourmet sandwiches and chocolate bread pudding at downtown’s Depot Market Café, next to the old train station.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

This island community, just a half hour from Savannah, offers beach lovers plenty of white sand as well as tours to see the resident dolphins. History buffs will dig the two military forts—one involved in a Civil War battle—while kitsch lovers will want to mark their calendars to come back in the fall for the annual, weekend-long Pirate Fest.

Stay: The Mermaid Cottages are made up of 50 crayon-colored former fishing bungalows decked out with screened-in porches.

Eat: The Crab Shack claims to be the place “where the elite eat in their bare feet.” Even if you come in shoes, you can eat piles of great seafood on foil-lined platters.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

Sitting at the sharp elbow of Cape Cod’s bent arm, the 16-square-mile Chatham has kept a lot of its old-school beach town charm by being conveniently off the beaten path. While its downtown boutiques lean toward the chichi, the folks here still know how to earn their keep; this is one of the few commercial fishing towns left on the Cape.

Stay: As the first luxury hotel on Cape Cod—launched in 1914 by a Boston stockbroker—Chatham Bars Inn still lives up to its street cred, decked out with Frette linens and sweeping Atlantic views. Take guided walks on the beach or at the nearby wildlife refuge, or play some croquet on the lawn.

Eat: For the classic lobster roll, head to the Chatham Pier Fish Market—formerly known as Nickerson’s Fish and Lobster, originally named after the town’s founder.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

Known for having the prettiest beach in southern Maine, the Native American–named Ogunquit translates, conveniently enough, to “beautiful place by the sea.” Ogunquit is also known as the birthplace, in the 1930s, of summer stock theater, and the Ogunquit Playhouse is still thriving today. If Stefanie Powers inSunset Boulevard isn’t your speed, hike the 1.5-mile Marginal Way, the town’s dramatic coastal trail.

Stay: For the best ocean views in the area, stay at the Cliff House Resort & Spa, where every room has a balcony and most face the Atlantic.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

How could a place named Duck not be charming? Seven miles north of Kitty Hawk, this Outer Banks town offers beaches that are fairly uncrowded—and why? With no public beaches, you have to be staying here to access either the sand or water sports.

Stay: In a town with just three lodging options, Duck’s one B&B—Advice 5 ¢, a Bed & Breakfast—takes cozy to a new level, offering just four rooms and a short walk to the beach.

Eat: At the 88-room Sanderling Resort and Spa, the main resort in town, Kimball’s Kitchen—a AAA Four-Diamond Award winner—gives entrées such as Carolina blue crab and Kusshi oysters a French twist.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

This northwestern Florida beach town was once a turpentine mecca, back when you needed the distilled sap to build ships. Today, it prides itself on its hiking and biking trails, as well as its Caribbean-style artists’ colony.

Stay: Architect David Rockwell designed the airy-looking WaterColor Inn & Resort, where you get free use of bicycles, fishing gear, and kayaks that you can paddle around its on-site dune lake.

—Katrina Brown Hunt

More old Florida than new, this lazy, low-key town on the central west coast of the Sunshine State is blissfully free of party-down revelers and velvet-rope VIP rooms. Instead, souvenir shops and surf shacks surround the main drag, Gulf Boulevard, and cutoffs and flip-flops are dress code of choice.

Stay: The Don CeSar, a pink lady of a resort that dominates the prime location on the sand dunes, delivers barefoot luxury with all the amenities—spa, beachfront pools, and wide open Gulf views.

Eat: Reserve one of the eight tables at award-winning Fetishes and treat yourself to a French feast: mini steak au poivre, redfish with lobster sauce, and flambé desserts including bananas foster.

—Adrien Glover

No longer a mafia enclave (The Godfather was set here), this beach town on Long Island’s southern shore is still fit for a don. It’s close enough for a day trip from Manhattan (and just 15 minutes from JFK airport), but you’ll feel a world away sunning on its sandy stretch, which goes for miles.

Stay: Relax for the weekend at the sleek 143-room Allegria Hotel & Spa. Don’t miss tasting Long Island wines at the Atlantica restaurant.

Eat: Gino’s of Long Beach is a favorite local pizzeria just steps from the LIRR train station. Grab a quick slice of Sicilian before hitting the beach. You’ll probably want to stop on your way out of town too.

—Lyndsey Matthews