The Cape and Islands are world renowned for their beaches. With over 600 miles of gorgeous sandy coastline, you are always within an easy walk, bike or drive of a beautiful beach. What's more, the beaches are both abundant and diverse in nature: from the calm, sandy flats of Cape Cod Bay to the more exciting surf along the Atlantic-facing beaches of the eastern Cape and southern shores of the Islands. There are great options for everyone from timid toddlers to thrill-seeking teens.

Cape Cod

While its hard to pick out the "best" beaches on Cape Cod, Sandy Neck on Cape Cod Bay in Barnstable usually appears on vacationers' lists of favorites. A coastal barrier beach approximately six miles long, it varies in width from 200 yards to a half mile, and is perfect for long, leisurely walks. It is surrounded by the 3,000-acre Great Marsh, the most extensive conservation area outside of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Beyond Sandy Neck Beach, the entire shoreline of Cape Cod Bay offers shallow, sandy waters, great for the little ones and fascinating to walk when the tide is out. Due to the colder Labrador currents from the north, the water temperatures are slightly cooler than in other areas but still average in the upper 60's and lower 70's in the height of the summer.

Stretching along the "forearm" of the Cape from Provincetown to Chatham along the Atlantic Coast, the Cape Cod National Seashore was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The Seashore comprises 43,608 acres, 40 miles of sandy beaches, self-guiding nature trails, and a variety of picnic areas and scenic overlooks. Stop at the Salt Pond Visitor Center for a film about how Cape Cod was created during the ice age. The beaches of the National Seashore, including Cahoon Hollow, Marconi, Coast Guard and Nauset, offer dramatic sand dunes, gentle breezes, and the excitement of higher surf.

The body of water between the Cape and the Islands is known as Nantucket Sound (towards the east) and the Vineyard Sound (towards the west). The waters of both Sounds are warmer than either Cape Cod Bay or the open Atlantic Ocean, benefitting from the Gulf Stream and their relatively shallow, shoal-filled depths. Temperatures in the Sounds can reach as high as the upper 70's in the height of the summer season. Thus, the beaches along the southern coast of the Cape and northern ones of the Islands are exceedingly popular for those seeking minimal surf and warmer temperatures.

If you have teens in tow, head for Craigville Beach on Nantucket Sound in Centerville. This is a popular beach for young people and offers beach sports, such as volleyball, as well as nearby pizza and ice cream shops. Full facilities are provided, including showers. Other Sound-facing beaches include Hardings in Chatham, Red River in Harwich, Smugglers and Sea Gull in Yarmouth, Veterans and Kalmus in Hyannis, South Cape in Mashpee, and Falmouth Heights and Surf Drive in Falmouth.

Buzzards Bay, the large body of water between the west coast of the Cape and the coastal towns of Eastern Massachusetts, offers over 300 miles of scenic coastline and many beautiful beaches and warm water. The largest and most popular of the beaches along the eastern coast is Old Silver in Falmouth. On the western coast, Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport is a very popular 2-mile long beach.

The South Shore offers many lovely beaches, including Duxbury, Humarock, Whitehorse Beach in Plymouth, and Scusset in Sagamore Beach.

Martha's Vineyard

On the island of Martha's Vineyard, the beaches on the northern and eastern sides face Nantucket and the Vineyard Sound, so, again, the water is shallow and warm with gentle surf. The beaches to the south are open to the Atlantic Ocean, so the surf tends to be rougher and the temperatures just slightly cooler than beaches facing the Sounds.

Among the most popular beaches on the Island for young families are Owen Park in Vineyard Haven, Eastville, Jetty and Inkwell in Oak Bluffs, State Beach, which runs between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, and Fuller Street and Lighthouse Beaches in Edgartown. East Beach runs along the eastern shore of Chappaquiddick Island (off Edgartown) and is part of the Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge and Wasque Reservation, offering 14 miles of beachfront facing Nantucket Sound.

With three miles of barrier beach along the open Atlantic, South Beach is perhaps the best-known and most popular beach on the Vineyard. Although the water temperature is slightly cooler than the north- and east-facing beaches, the surf can be fun and exciting and is particularly attractive to young adults. A protected salt pond on the other side of the beach also offers a safer, calmer alternative to younger kids. South Beach has lifeguards, restrooms, and changing areas during the summer season.

You can see some fantastic scenery by visiting Moshop Beach in Aquinnah, rated by Travel Channel as one of the top ten walking beaches in the country. The soft white sand and views of the colorful Aquinnah Cliffs make for a perfect day of relaxation.

And finally, the west-facing beaches of Lobsterville and Menemsha in Aquinnah/Menemsha, and Lambert's Cove and Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Haven offer gentle surf and often include spectacular views over the Vineyard Sound with the Elizabeth Islands in the distance.

Nantucket

Nantucket Island offers both harbor, Sound and ocean beaches. The protected waters of the harbor beaches are favorites of families with small children. Like the Vineyard, the north shore beaches are protected by Nantucket Sound, whereas the south and east shore beaches are open to the ocean, with larger waves and stronger currents.

Children's or Harbor Beach is located right in the heart of Nantucket Town. Offering a park, bandstand, playground, restrooms with showers, food and lifeguards, it is very popular with young families. Just a short distance to the north is Jetties Beach, which is also a favorite for families with kids and even offers tennis courts and a skateboard park. Dionis Beach is located in a more remote section of the Island, along the northern shore facing Nantucket Sound, and it is also very popular with families.

For the more adventurous, there are a number of beaches along the southern shore of the Island facing the Atlantic Ocean that offer very soft sands and strong surf. These beaches include Madaket at the far western end of the Island, and Cisco, Miacomet, and Surfside to the south.

Located in the northeastern part of the Island, the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge offers 16 miles of beachfront and includes the historic Great Point Lighthouse. Siasconset Beach, which runs along the southeastern, Atlantic-facing shore, tends to have greater surf and a strong undertow but has lifeguards and restrooms during the summer season. It's a terrific spot to catch a sunrise.

View our complete listing of all Cape and Islands salt and freshwater beaches.

• Upper Cape Cod
• Mid Cape Cod
• Lower Cape Cod
• Outer Cape Cod
• Nantucket
• Martha's Vineyard