New Hampshire Seacoast, Beaches, Historic Towns And Culture
New Hampshire has the shortest coastline in the United States, at 18 miles long. However small, visit the Seacoast region and you will be delighted with its blend of beautiful coastline with multiple sandy beaches, quaint small towns and the historic city of Portsmouth for culture, shopping, and fine dining.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show
My husband and I had a home in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire for almost 25 years and we spent many happy hours driving along its back roads and its eighteen miles of shoreline, enjoying its small towns and the historic city of Portsmouth.
One of our favorite rides was driving from our home down to the coast and then meandering from Rye to New Castle and then on to Portsmouth. We called this our “A Tour” and did this drive with family and friends when they came to visit us in New England.
A leisurely drive along the Scenic Coastal Route overlooks the sandy beaches and rocky shores and while it doesn’t take long to drive, you will want to stop all along the way. There are picture perfect water views to be had around every bend, multiple beaches to wander, gracious old seaside estates, weather beaten cottages, shops and numerous restaurants along the way.
The town of Rye has the longest part of coastline stretching for a total of eight miles and attracts both tourists and local beach lovers. Rye is known for its Wallis Sands State Beach and Odiorne Point State Park, which houses the Seacoast Science Center.
The town of Hampton Beach is one of the biggest and most popular summer destinations with an old time family feel. You can walk the lively boardwalk, eat a lobster roll overlooking the sea, or lounge on the wide sandy beach and enjoy the salty air. There is a band shell with free concerts and weekly fireworks and the Casino Ballroom hosts top national entertainers.
The town of New Castle has been called one of the 10 prettiest coastal towns in New England. If you drive through the city of Portsmouth, and across a few bridges, you will arrive in New Castle, a quiet little island town with views across the water to Maine. Less than a square mile, it is New Hampshire’s only island town. With its natural beauty, narrow winding streets lined with antique colonial homes, a ruined fort and a restored lighthouse, it is well worth a visit.
New Hampshire’s oldest seaside resort, Wentworth By The Sea Hotel adds charm to the small town. It first opened in June of 1874 and it is one of the last surviving grand hotels in the state and the only one located on the seacoast. The Wentworth quickly became a favorite destination for socialites, film stars and New England high society. President Theodore Roosevelt stayed at the Wentworth in 1905 to broker the Treaty of Portsmouth, an agreement that ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned him the Nobel Prize for Peace.
The city of Portsmouth is a historic port city and is rated as New Hampshire’s most walkable city. Cobblestoned streets and brick sidewalks line the pleasant downtown. The beautiful North Church sits on Market Square and is surrounded by charming shops, with something for everyone from thrift shops to high end boutiques selling everything from souvenirs to handcrafted items made locally.
The city’s historic waterfront area is utterly charming with stunning views overlooking the harbor. The lovely waterfront Prescott Park, home to Prescott Park Gardens, has a beautiful flower garden surrounded by native trees and two water fountains, perfect for taking photos. The waterfront area is also full of restaurants, some of which are the most talked about in the state.
Not far from Market Square is Strawbery Banke Museum. It is a terrific living history museum that shouldn’t be missed. It is located at the site of Portsmouth’s original settlement in 1630. The museum operates nearly 40 period homes, covering 400 years of local history. You can walk through the furnished historic houses and period gardens and learn about life from costumed role players.
You might also want to take a cruise around the harbor on a boat called a gundalow. Built at Strawbery Banke Museum using traditional techniques, the gundalow Piscataqua takes passengers on a voyage while giving them the history of local landmarks including Portsmouth Harbor Light and Fort Constitution.
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New Hampshire is often be overlooked as a travel destination. Many people fly into Boston and then drive straight through the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire without stopping on their way to Maine. Having had a home in New Hampshire for many years, I can say that you definitely should spend a few days along the state’s scenic seacoast.
It all looks beautiful, Karen, and unsurprisingly given the location, many of the places have towns with the same name in UK – Portsmouth, Rye, etc.
Thanks for showing us the beautiful coast of New Hampshire. Your photos are stunning. I love the opening images of the houses and boats reflecting in the water.
It’s so nice to see all these photos of my old neighborhood. Your post does make me miss the area and I’m glad I will be going back there in the fall. Even though I technically lived in Maine (Kittery), we spent much of our time in New Hampshire. In fact, Mark worked many years as the education director for Strawbery Banke.
I love your “tour” of coastal New Hampshire. It is absolutely beautiful!
It looks stunningly beautiful!
It’s always fun to take 1A and leisurely make one’s way up the coast, no matter how small! However, I don’t do this on a busy weekend in July!
What a beautiful place!
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Karen, the New Hampshire coastline looks beautiful and has much to offer. We have never been to New Hampshire, but your photos and commentary make me want to plan a trip immediately. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the tour of the New Hampshire Seacoast Region Karen, it looks like a wonderful place to be in the summertime!
Jenna
Looks like a great location to visit especially with your excellent pics. Our only visit to NH was several years ago in the Bartlett area.
Love my state!
What a beautiful place to call home. I’m sure there are parts you miss about living in that area, but winter not being one of them. Thank you for the lovely tour.
Beautiful coastline – both nature and villages and towns – actually quite reminding me of Nova Scotia. I’d like to visit these places one day!
After reading this I want to jump in a plane, visit my girlfriend and drive with her through all the towns you told us about. Everything looks beautiful.
I love those buildings and i love lighthouses!! This looks wonderful!
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Your lovely photos are like picture postcards Karen. It looks beautiful there. 😃
Home. You did it proud.
Such beautiful photos! I need to go.
For only 18 miles of coast, they have some gorgeous destinations! Always love your informative travel post. (Healthy World Cuisine )
I’ve never been to the NH seacoast but after seeing your post, I think I would like to discover it. It’s lovely, isn’t it? And your photos show it to best advantage!
What lovely times you had there, Karen. You could take me touring any time 🤗🩷
I was lucky enough to have visited NH on each of my US trips; last year we drove along the coast and visited Fuller Gardens, a wonderful mix of rose garden, dahlia garden, Japanese garden and succulent greenhouse. Amazing.
Such beautiful photos of the New Hampshire coast. I love the first few pictures of the houses and boats and their reflections.
Once again, thank you for your gorgeous pictures, my friend.
Thanks for sharing – I have NH on my travel bucket list – love a good water cruise and a great walkable place to explore too! Happy Exploring – Happy Day – Enjoy!
I can certainly relate to those meandering, scenic drives because we have several options we enjoy on the Costa del Sol.
After doing the drive from Milwaukee to Seattle and back, we are much bigger on road trips. So the East coast may well come up. We did drive out to Vermont quite a few years ago…
Your details about Portsmouth’s historic downtown, the picturesque drives along the coast, and the quaint towns like New Castle with its island charm really capture the essence of what makes this region special. It’s a great reminder to travelers to slow down and savor the coastal beauty of New Hampshire.
Wow what a showstopping place, Karen! I never really thought about NH being a special place to visit but goodness was I wrong. I’m definitely going to put these places on my bucket list. It seems like the perfect place to relax and unwind. Sending you hugs, CoCo
Such a wonderful place to visit! So many place names from the UK too 🙂