Boston Beaches and Waterfront

  Where to enjoy the beach and waterfront in Boston

Boston beaches provide wonderful escapes from the city.  Although Downtown Boston itself is a harbor, you can visit some gorgeous swimming beaches in Boston only a short distance from the central part of the city. 

Boston has 7 mainland beaches located in South Boston, Dorchester, and East Boston.  You can get to all of them fairly easily by "T" - Boston's subway. 

But Boston beaches are just a few of the many places where you can enjoy the waterfront in and near the city. 

With the Boston Harbor Islands and other waterfront areas nearby, you'll find plenty of spots to experience the beauty of the shore, go for a swim or walk, and soak up some sun.

And if the Islands aren't enough, you'll even find more spectacular beaches close enough to Boston for a quick day trip - or longer.

South Boston Beaches

As recently as the mid-1980s, pollution from sewage and other contaminants made these beaches unswimmable much of the time.  However, the massive Boston Harbor cleanup undertaken as part of the "Big Dig" project dramatically improved the water quality.  Today, these South Boston beaches are open over 90% of the time.

Four South Boston beaches look out onto Dorchester Bay.

Castle Island - once an actual island, but now connected to the mainland after a strait was filled in 1891 - anchors Pleasure Bay Beach, one of everyone's favorite Boston beaches.   It's also home to historic Fort Independence, open for exploration and tours during summer months.  More about Castle Island

L Street Beach and Bathhouse / Recreation Building

The L Street Beach, M Street Beach and Carson Beach adjoin each other, and are just a bit to the south of Pleasure Bay Beach, making up the longest uninterrupted stretch of beach in the Boston area - about 3 miles.  Lots of family-friendly amenities including a huge bathhouse make this a popular place in the summer. 

In the winter, the L Street Beach is where you'll find the annual January 1st swim by the "L Street Brownies," a group of local residents who plunge into the icy waters to raise money for charities.

Getting there by T:   To get to Carson Beach, take the Red Line to JFK/UMass, and walk along the waterfront north to the beach in about 10 - 15 minutes.  To get to the L and M Street Beaches, take the Red Line to Broadway Station and then a bus to City Point; beaches are just a short walk to the east.  Alternately, you can walk (about 15 minutes) from the Broadway Station.

Parking:  If you drive, you'll find ample free parking by the beach most of the time; sunny weekend days are the exception.

Map of South Boston Beaches and Castle Island (scroll to bottom of page)

Dorchester Beaches

Savin Hill Beach and Malibu Beach were two of the most popular Boston beaches until deteriorating in the 1960s.  Fortunately, re-sanding, nice landscaping, and other upgrades in recent years have restored their former glory.

Both of these beaches offer protected swimming areas.  Savin Hill Beach also has nearby ball fields and toddler playgrounds. Malibu Beach has a bathhouse.  The two beaches are located next to each other, so you won't necessarily know where one ends and the other begins.

Both of these beaches have lifeguards on duty during the summer.

Getting to both beaches by T:   Take the Red Line to Savin Hill.  Walk toward your right on Savin Hill Avenue, and turn right onto Denny Street.  You'll see the beaches at the end of the street.

Constitution Beach in East Boston

Located between Logan Airport and tracks for the T's Blue Line, Constitution Beach gets plenty of noise from passing planes and subway trains.  In addition, it's only about half a mile long and a favorite local spot, so it gets crowded. 

You definitely won't be imagining that you're on a secluded desert island. But if you're stuck at the airport for a few hours between flights on a sunny summer day, Constitution Beach's location near Logan suddenly becomes an asset.

Moreover, the beach has benefited from some nice upgrades during recent years - a new bathhouse, a big playground and picnic area, tennis and handball courts, sun shelters, and even foot showers.  Lifeguards stay on duty throughout the summer season.

As a bonus, Constitution Beach has great views.  If you come, be sure to bring your camera.

Getting there by T:   Take the Blue Line T to Orient Heights station.  Walk a short distance down Bennington Street to the beach.

Revere Beach

During the winter, 2 mile-long Revere Beach, north of Boston but easily accessible by T, is an idyllic stretch of sand looking east across the Atlantic. 

In the summer, as many as 100,000 visitors on nice days turn it into a prime people-watching spot. 

A public bathhouse, Victorian-style pavilions, and plenty of food vendors add to the carnival-like atmosphere.  If you enjoy crowds and lots of music from competing radios, Revere Beach can be a lot of fun.  It also has the distinction of being the oldest public beach in the United States.

If you prefer to avoid big crowds, go to Revere Beach early in the morning or after 6:00 in the evening.  The views are spectacular, plus you'll have the beach to yourself except for a few dog walkers and photographers.

For 5 days every July, the New England Sand Sculpting Festival brings visitors from all over the world to watch master sand sculptors turn their individual allotments of 10 tons of sand into elaborate although ephemeral pieces of art as they compete for thousands in prize money.  Food and musical entertainment add to the fun.  See the Boston Event Calendar for July for details.

Getting there by T:  Take the Blue Line to Wonderland Station.  Walk a couple of blocks east to the beach.  If in doubt, just follow the scent of suntan lotion.

The Boston waterfront

Picture of Downtown Boston and waterfront, photographed from HarborWalk in Boston's North End

Harborwalk is a series of existing and planned paths winding along 47 miles of coastal waterfront in a number of Boston neighborhoods - Downtown, the North End, South Boston, Dorchester, East Boston, and Charlestown. 

Approximately 75% of Harborwalk's paths are now complete.

To access Harborwalk from the North End, Boston's Downtown Waterfront, or the South Boston Waterfront, simply walk toward the water. 

You're sure to spot the blue Harborwalk signs.  You can walk along the water in most areas now, although in a few places you still have to make small detours. 

The Esplanade is the long, linear park that runs along the Boston side of the Charles River.  Until the late 1800s, slaughterhouses, warehouses, and wharves lined the Charles. 

Its transformation into a park began in 1880, when a small 10-acre plot near the mouth of the river became a recreational area for low income children in the West End designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.

The success of this first small park led to the eventual acquisition by the City of another 17 miles of riverbanks along both sides of the river.  In 1910, a new dam at the mouth of the river provided a way to control water levels and prevent flooding. 

Almost as important to the future of the parks, although perhaps not so good from an ecological perspective, damming the river meant that the marshy mudflats along it could be drained and filled. 

Today, this lovely tree-lined park is a favorite place to walk, jog, picnic, and enjoy views of the ever-changing river.

Getting to the Esplanade by T:  Take the Red Line to the Charles / MGH station. Exit the station on the left side, and cross carefully over Cambridge Street and then Charles Street.  You'll see a pedestrian footbridge over Storrow Drive.  Alternately, take the Green Line to the Arlington Station.  Walk north on Arlington Street to the Arthur Fieldler footbridge across Storrow Drive. 

Which Boston beaches are the best vacation spots?

Boston beaches are perfect day trips. 

But when Bostonians want a real beach holiday, we don't normally head to Boston beaches - we travel to nearby Cape Cod. 

If you're visiting Boston, consider making a side trip to the Cape to enjoy some of New England's best beaches.

The Cape, a large hook-shaped peninsula just south of Boston, boasts almost 660 miles of coastline.  With around 60 public beaches, many more private beaches, and lots of other pristine land protected from development, the Cape offers you plenty of gorgeous spots to enjoy the water.  Plus, you'll also find lots of nice hotels and resorts, excellent restaurants, and other activities.

More information about planning a trip to the Cape:  When we're heading to the Cape, we go to Best of Cape Cod to plan the perfect visit.  It's a great guide to all the best things that Cape Cod offers, including beaches, resorts, boating, restaurants, activities and more.   When you check it out, you'll discover why everyone loves the Cape.