Best of Boston

Best Beach

2011 Best Beach

Crane Beach

Ipswich
"Majestic" hardly does justice to the landscape at Crane, where sand-swept hills roll sweetly to a pristine shore. To the north, Plum Island creates a [...] read more»
2006 Best Beach, Nantucket

Cisco

Nantucket
Nantucket is filled with righteous beaches, but there's something extra-special about Cisco and its shifting moods. On calm afternoons, surfers ride rolling waves for hours, [...] read more»
2006 Best Beach, Cape Cod

Coast Guard Beach

Eastham
Thoreau once walked the 40 miles of the Cape's pristine eastern coast and wrote a whole book on the experience. JFK, also a fan, ensured [...] read more»
2006 Best Beach, Martha's Vineyard

Wasque

Chappaquiddick Island
Getting to this secluded white-sand Chappaquiddick beach takes a three-minute ferry ride and a 3.5-mile drive. On top of that, you have to pay to [...] read more»
2004 Best Beach, North

Crane Beach

Ipswich
Seven miles of white sand edged with rolling dunes make this our favorite spot to plop down a beach chair, catch some rays, and read [...] read more»
2004 Best Beach, South

Horseneck Beach

Westport
When it comes to kicking back in the dunes, the first order of business is to make sure you find enough room to stretch out. [...] read more»
2004 Best Beach, Cape Cod

Truro Beach

Truro
This gorgeously untarnished world of sweeping dunes and fresh Atlantic air is about as idyllic as nature gets. That may seem to be true of [...] read more»
2003 Best Beach, North

Good Harbor

Gloucester
The only bad thing about Good Harbor is the small parking lot—which, if you're lucky enough to snag a spot, isn't such a bad thing. [...] read more»
2003 Best Beach, South

Duxbury Beach

Duxbury
Seven miles of white sand nudge up against the salt waters of the Atlantic on this, the South Shore's most utopian spot. The chaos (near [...] read more»
2002 Best Beach, North

Revere Beach Reservation

Revere
Born from the civic altruism that also created the Emerald Necklace, Revere Beach was the first public beach in America, and thanks to a centennial [...] read more»