Things to do / Travel Guide
Admittedly, it's counter-intuitive that the region most known for history, coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island, should be such a haven for outdoors sports and activities. Chalk it up to the same reason this region was originally settled almost 400 years ago: it borders a most beneficent sea, and the coastline is fractured by innumerable inlets, outlets, peninsulas, and more. Cape Cod alone offers 550 miles of coastline, while little Rhode Island offers another 400. Self-sufficient islands, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island, are placed like sentinels guarding the mainland.
Fishing in Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
For the fishing fanatic in you, the first thing you should know about the region is that Massachusetts and Rhode Island are world-renowned fishing hubs. Modern-day sport-fishing, from places like Cape Ann, Cape Cod, and the region's other islands, is just as celebrated. Stripers, bluefish, cod, haddock, marlin, tuna, and sharks all frequent these waters - making any excursion, either close to shore or farther away on a charter, action-packed.
The region is so crammed with strategic places from which to fish that just one visit will only yield the basic survey of main places. It takes Rhode Island locals years to get to know the state's many bays and islands, but you have the chance to ride on these expert's coattails in search of the best, the largest, the tastiest, catches. For starters, check out the options at Galilee, Jerusalem, Point Judith, Snug Harbor, or Watch Hill, where anglers can fish for striped bass, bluefish, and fluke. Farther offshore still, the catch includes shark, tuna, cod, and more.
Kayaking in Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Kayakers can also take advantage of the region's coast-scape. Land along the coast is so fissured that you can literally find yourself exploring an island within a pond within an island on the bay. For example, Edgarton Great Pond, on Martha's Vineyard, has 19 miles of coastline. And on either side, there are snug coves perfect for exploration. Another highlight to pique the interest of kayakers and paddlers are the sea cliffs zigzagging along the shore of Rhode Island's Fort Wetherill State Park.
The region's geology may remind you of an old cracked accordion. The attractions in these waters are the various land-and-sea formations, and also the large number of birds, such as swans, herons, vultures, pheasants, gulls, and woodpeckers.
Diving and Snorkeling in Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
From Cape Ann in the north to Block Island in the south, the diving and snorkeling possibilities are almost endless. With all the fishing going on for centuries in this water-beset region, there's plenty of fish to espy and plenty of shipwrecks to explore. On Cape Ann, you can make waves traveling to picturesque locations such as Cathedral Rocks, with its dramatic drop-off heading into the area's deepest dive. In Rhode Island the place to be is called the Dumplings. These diving points are all excellent for their many schools of fish.
Discover the dark ghosts of over a dozen wrecked ships in Boston Harbor and Cape Cod Bay, and that of a German submarine off Block Island. Other shipwrecks around Block Island are shallow enough to be investigated just by snorkel!
Surfing in Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
The surfing capital of New England is none other than Cape Cod, with Rhode Island coming in a close second. “Big names” include Highland Beach and Cahoon Hollow in Cape Cod, and Matunuck and Ruggles in Rhode Island. The sites range from the beginner-friendly to the exclusively professional; indeed, waves at Port Judith during storms are reputed to be as high as 15 feet!
Land-based Outdoor Activities in Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Though water sets the tone in this coastal region, there are lots of land-based outdoor activities as well. From downtown Boston to Cape Cod to downtown Newport, Rhode Island, and lots of coastline in between, the region is like one long track for bikes. Bike the Emerald Necklace in Boston, a string of some of the best urban parks in the country; the Cape Cod Rail Trail, which follows a scenic old train route; or the Newport Ramble, featuring some of the most opulent mansions this side of Oz.
Hikers will find plenty of places to take day hikes not far from Boston. Popular short walks may be found around Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, home and inspiration to author Henry David Thoreau. More difficult hikes can be found in the Blue Hills, south of Boston. Cape Cod National Seashore is one big, long beach hike. Though the beaches are quite popular with swimmers and sunbathers, there are large deserted stretches of dunes to hike and observe wildlife in for more active vacationers.
If you're the type that can't get enough golf, then coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island should be on your itinerary. There are a bunch of premier courses in the region, often set against sweeping views of bays and the Atlantic Ocean. Setting the standard are Farms Neck in Massachusetts and Newport National in Rhode Island. For such a packed region, the golf is wide open, a celebration of the landscaping of superior greens as much as of a good round.
Hot-Air Ballooning over Boston, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
The region's bays, passages, sounds, and the beautiful inland can all be explored from the air, as well. Adventure is the name of the game, and there's no better way to see the water play against the land than up in a hot-air balloon. Hot-air balloons can be chartered in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. From high up above is the best way to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the many mansions that dot the area around Newport; not to be missed!
All told, with more than 1,000 miles of coastline, coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island is the perfect vacation spot for lovers of the meeting point between earth and water. If this point sparks your imagination, then this region beckons.
Outdoor Recreation in Boston, Cape Cod, Newport, Connecticut, Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
Old Silver Beach - Falmouth, Massachusetts
Orrin Keyes Beach - Barnstable, Massachusetts
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