Top 7 Seacoast Day Trips
The Seacoast is a premier New England vacation destination offering a wide variety of activities for all ages – nightly concerts, whale watching, nightlife, arcades, restaurants, fireworks, surfing and more. From the vacation towns of Newburyport, Salisbury, Hampton Beach and Seabrook, you’re just a short drive away from other top New England destinations. We’ve compiled our top day trips below. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment! You may book your own Seacoast vacation at one of our beautiful properties here!
(1) NEWBURYPORT, MA
Travel & Leisure Magazine praises Newburyport as “one of the best laid-back beach towns in the Northeast”. First settled in 1635, Newburyport has a long and rich history. Located on the southern bank of the Merrimack River where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean, downtown Newburyport is quaint, picturesque, walkable and has many top-rated restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. We recommend The Grog for pub food, Michael's Harborside for seafood on their open-air deck, The Poynt for small plates and cocktails and The DECK for casual waterfront dining and drinks. Be sure to visit Plum Island, only 3 miles away for it’s unique beaches and beautiful sunsets. And while you’re there, visit Bob’s Lobster for award-winning lobster rolls and golden-fried seafood and chowder.
(2) PORTSMOUTH, NH
Settled in 1623, Portsmouth claims to be the nation’s third-oldest city, sitting near the mouth of the short, wide Piscataqua River dividing New Hampshire and Maine. Similar to Newburyport, it’s the perfect walking town filled with shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Our top restaurant recommendations include Row 34 for oysters and seafood, Martingale Wharf for its brunch and waterfront seating, Jumping Jay’s Fish Café for refined seafood with creative sauces, and The Black Trumpet Bistro & Wine Bar (be sure to make reservations here well in advance).
(3) KITTERY, ME
Settled in 1632, Kittery is the the oldest town in Maine. Located on the northern side of the Piscataqua River, across from Portsmouth, NH, it is the home of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (the nation’s oldest continuously serving Navy yard), Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point and part of the Isles of Shoals. The town is a tourist destination known for its many discount retail outlet stores and restaurants. Our top restaurant recommendations are Robert’s Maine Grille for fresh seafood and When Pigs Fly Restaurant & Pizzeria for gourmet wood-fired pizza, pasta, small plates and beer on tap.
(4) YORK, ME
First settled by Europeans in 1624, York is now a well-known summer resort town. It is home to three 18-hole golf clubs, four sandy beaches and Mount Agamenticus. During summer months, residents and tourists crowd Short Sands Beach as well as Long Sands Beach, more than a mile of sand stretching between York Beach and York Harbor. If you visit York, you must check the Cape Neddick Light, A.K.A Nubble Lighthouse, one of the most beautiful lighthouses in New England. It is the perfect photo opportunity and while there, be sure to grab a bite to eat at Fox’s Lobster House.
(5) BOSTON, MA
Boston, settled in 1630, is the capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England. It is home to 50+ universities and esteemed institutions like Symphony Hall and the Museum of Fine Arts. Faneuil Hall still anchors the city’s hold on music, art and history. Check out the nation’s oldest public park, the 50-acre Boston Common, enjoy Italian dining in Boston’s North End, stroll down Newbury Street for great shopping and head into the heart of Back Bay.
(6) PORTLAND, ME
Settled in 1632, Portland is the most populous city in Maine, with a population of 67,067 as of 2017. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population. Portland has a bit of a Brooklyn hipster vibe to it and is often buzzed-about for it’s exciting collection of restaurants, bars and breweries. It is a lobster-lover’s paradise, where waterfront industry, a dynamic local art scene and the smell of the Atlantic Ocean make for one of the East Coast’s finest escapes. If you're a beer aficionado, you must visit some of Portland's best breweries, like Allagash Brewery, Bissell Brothers Brewing Co., Rising Tide Brewing Co. and Maine Mead Works, to name a few. Our #1 restaurant suggestions are Duckfat and Eventide Oyster Co.
(7) DRIVE THE SCENIC ROUTE 1A NORTH
Route 1A hugs the coastline directly after you cross into the NH border, offering unobstructed views of the ocean. It’s a pleasant drive with beach towns and million-dollar beach houses lining the entire coastline until Odiorne State Park in Rye. The drive offers several must-stop picturesque locations including Fox Hill Point, Rye Harbor, Sawyers Beach, Jenness State Beach and Petey’s Summertime Seafood, which is one of the most popular seafood restaurants along the Seacoast, for good reason. As you continue north of Rye, consider taking Route 1B into New Castle for the most dramatic approach into Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME.