The beaches of New England are not year round tropical paradises. The beach season here is almost completely summer seasonal. As a result, there are few large Massachusetts beach resorts that line the sands the way you find in places like Hawaii and the Caribbean. In general, beach resorts in Massachusetts are not only smaller but also more subdued—more comparable to intimate bed and breakfast inns than to tropical resorts. However, there are a large number of elegant Massachusetts beach properties that both offer every amenity you require as well as a range of activities and facilities that take full advantage of the state’s natural resources.

On the South Shore beaches, look to the areas around towns like Hull and New Bedford to find an oceanfront resort in Massachusetts. But don’t forget smaller, more obscure towns that are not near popular public beaches because they have their own idyllic stretch of private beach. The Clarion Nantasket Beach Resort and Spa (pictured) is an example. The public part of Nantasket Beach can be quite crowded during the high summer season. The Clarion is located just across from a less visited part of this beach. It offers a full-service spa and fitness center, fine dining, facilities for special events like weddings, and concierge service. This oceanfront resort in Massachusetts is also quite close to Boston.

The Cape Cod beaches offer the most numerous number of Massachusetts beach resorts since the peninsula is a fairly broad strip of land, and Cape Cod is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the state. This area is both near the ocean as well as possesses enough land for facilities like Massachusetts golf and country clubs. The Red Jacket Resort group has five full-service Massachusetts beach resorts around the towns of South and North Yarmouth, and even has resorts in the beautiful While Mountains of Conway, New Hampshire.

Massachusetts Map

One of the beach resorts in Massachusetts that is closer to the Cape Cod National Seashore and provides more of the bed and breakfast inn experience is the Winstead Inn in the town of Harwich. Situated in two historic homes and offering accommodations in only eight rooms and suites, this lovely property is set right on a private beach and within walking distance of the shopping and dining in the nearby village. A tasty Continental breakfast is included in the room rate, and concierge service will assist you with booking tours, fishing charters, and golf reservations.

The lively Provincetown community at the far tip of Cape Cod also has some bed and breakfast type inns, as do several properties on the Nantucket Island beaches. One of the finest Nantucket beach resorts in Massachusetts is the respected Wauwinet. Located on miles of its own private beach, it offers free transportation around the island and concierge service to assist you with tours and other activities. It has one of the best restaurants on the island as well as tennis courts, a fleet of bicycles, kayaks, sail boats, fishing gear, and even cooking lessons.