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Thirty miles (48 km) north of Boston, the granite brow of Cape Ann juts defiantly into the Atlantic – a rugged landscape of precipitous cliffs and deeply cleft harbors. In Gloucester, the cape’s main harbor, a waterfront plaque memorializes the 10,000 local fishermen who have perished at sea since 1623, and the Cape Ann Historical Association Museum (27 Pleasant St) displays some of the world’s finest maritime paintings. The picturesque harborfront of adjacent Rockport is an artists’ enclave and is lined with galleries and sweet shops.

The Upper Cape is tranquil and low-key. Watch the boats glide through Cape Cod Canal or take the Shining Sea bikeway from Falmouth village to Woods Hole. If it’s beaches you’re after, Sandwich’s Sandy Neck has huge dunes and excellent bird-watching, but Falmouth’s Surf Drive is best for swimmers and Old Silver Beach is tops for sunset views.

The Mid Cape tends to be congested, especially in the town of Hyannis. But the north shore can be peaceful, with amazing wildlife and stunning views, especially from Gray’s Beach in Yarmouth. Warmer water and sandy strands line the south side of Mid Cape, with especially good swimming in Harwich and Dennisport. There’s also excellent canoeing and kayaking on the Bass River.

Here you’ll find some of the area’s best beaches. The 40-mile (64-km) National Seashore offers great surfing at Coast Guard and Nauset Light, and the beaches of Marconi, Head of the Meadow, and Race Point all have dramatic dunes and great ocean swimming. The artist colonies of Wellfleet and Truro are worth a visit as is Provincetown, a fishing village turned gay resort.

Ferries to the 100 sq mile- (160 sq km-) island stop at Vineyard Haven. From here it’s a short drive to old-fashioned Oak Bluffs with its gingerbread cottages and historic carousel. Venture south to Edgartown and the magnificent 19th-century homes of the rich whaling captains. The nearby 3-mile (4.8-km) Katama Beach is also a magnet for sun worshipers. On the southwest of the island, Menemsha remains a picturesque fishing village and Gay Head’s cliffs offer dramatic hiking.

Nantucket’s Whaling Museum tells the tale of the Quaker whalers who made Nantucket prosperous in the 19th century. The island has shed its Quaker past and now boasts trophy beach houses and million-dollar yachts. For sports, there’s kayaking, casting for striped bass from Surfside Beach, or cycling to the former fishing village of Sconset with its rose-covered clifftop cottages.

Crane Beach in Ipswich is one of New England’s most scenic beaches, with more than 4 miles (6.5 km) of white sand, warm water, and outstanding bird-watching. Also on the Crane Estate, you can visit Castle Hill mansion and its lovely Italianate gardens.

In the 19th century, Newburyport was a prosperous seaport. The grand three-story mansions along the High Street present a virtual case study in Federal architecture, while boutiques and antiques shops line downtown Merrimac, Water, and State streets. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on the adjacent Plum Island is one of the US’s top bird-watching sanctuaries.

Established in 1896, Revere Beach was the first public beach in the US. Thanks to a centennial restoration, it’s also one of the best, with nearly 3 miles (4.5 km) of clean white sand and clear blue water.

The New Hampshire coast just south of Portsmouth has extensive sandy beaches. Wallis Sands State Park is ideal for swimming but the best of the rocky overlooks is Rye’s Ragged Point picnic area. The honky-tonk social scene, however, is at Hampton Beach. Odiorne Point State Park in Rye has picnic areas and extensive walking trails.