9 Perfect Destinations for a Long Weekend on the Atlantic Coast

From New England to Florida, the Atlantic Coast compresses centuries of history, working harbors, and barrier beaches into towns small enough to absorb in just three days. In Portsmouth, the sound of church bells cuts across brick streets rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1802. In Ocracoke, the weekend begins with a ferry across Pamlico Sound and ends on an undeveloped shoreline inside Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Hampton concentrates its energy along a 1.3-mile strip of sand and a ballroom that has booked touring acts for decades. These are not sprawling coastal regions; they are contained Atlantic enclaves where beaches, museums, seafood counters, and maritime history sit within reach of each other, allowing a Friday arrival and Monday departure to feel complete.

Key West, Florida

Key West works for a long weekend because most major attractions sit within a two-by-four-mile island footprint at the southern edge of the Florida Keys, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. Duval Street runs straight through Old Town and concentrates bars, music venues, and restaurants into a few blocks. DJ’s Clam Shack turns out conch fritters and lobster rolls, while spots like The Roost handle the cocktails within walking distance of Old Town hotels.

Key West also offers documented literary and maritime history, including the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, which preserves the 1851 house that Hemingway lived and wrote during the 1930s. Nearby, the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens holds first-edition Audubon works inside an 1849 home, and the Key West Museum of Art & History occupies the island’s former 1891 Customs House. Public shoreline access is another central draw. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park combines swimming and snorkeling with pre-Civil War-era fortifications. Not too far away are Rest Beach and the popular Smathers Beach. Lodging here ranges from the adults-only Almond Tree Inn to the boutique waterfront hotel, The Capitana Key West.

Bethany Beach, Delaware

Bethany Beach fits travelers who want an Atlantic weekend built around swimming, walking, and short distances, not crowds or oversized attractions. If it’s the latter you’re after, nearby Rehoboth Beach is the stronger choice as it also sits along Delaware’s southern Atlantic coast. The smaller scale of Bethany Beach means everything is more or less walkable. If you stay at Bethany Beach Ocean Suites, you’re right on the town’s namesake beach and the oceanfront boardwalk that measures just under half a mile.

You can wander over to Sandy Pony Donuts & Acai Bowls or Sunshine Crepes, and the famous Chief Little Owl is less than two blocks away. The 24-foot-tall cedar carving by Peter Wolf Toth depicts former Nanticoke Chief Little Owl and marks Bethany’s place within the Trail of Whispering Giants series. Beyond the carving is Bethany Beach Central Park and the Dinker-Irvin Museum. A few minutes inland, the Bethany Beach Nature Center pulls the focus away from the surf and into marshland. The Baldwin Trail loops through wetlands where egrets, turtles, and tidal grasses replace beach traffic, offering a completely different landscape without leaving town limits.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Book a room at Martin Hill Inn, and you will be three blocks from Market Square in Portsmouth. That’s close enough to hear the bells of North Church’s 1854 steeple cutting through downtown, which is separated from Maine by the Piscataqua River with the Atlantic just southeast.

From the inn, brick sidewalks lead into a historic core rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1802, lined with Federal-era storefronts and narrow lanes. In the Puddle Dock neighborhood, Strawbery Banke Museum covers 10 acres and includes nearly 40 preserved buildings; it is open from late April through early November. Prescott Park sits a few minutes away along the riverfront, with formal gardens and an open lawn. There is also a strong food scene, including The Press Room, River House, Elephantine Bakery, and Surf Portsmouth.

Ocracoke, North Carolina

Ocracoke Island, at the southern tip of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, starts with a ferry ride across Hatteras Inlet that immediately separates it from the mainland traffic. Stay at Ocracoke Harbour Inn, a short walk from the village and small harbor at Silver Lake. Miles of Atlantic coastline extend within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, where beaches remain unbuilt and virtually empty, perfect for walking, shell collecting, sunbathing, or surfing. Nature trails at Hammock Hills and Springer’s Point Preserve traverse maritime forests, salt marshes, and small secluded beaches, offering birdwatching and sunset views along protected shoreline. The village itself has a dense concentration of casual and refined dining, including Howard’s Pub, Dajio, and SmacNally’s. This North Carolina island town has a remarkable WWII history, once sheltered Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard, and is home to the Ocracoke Banker Ponies. Here, visitors can see a herd of these wild creatures that have lived on the island since the 1730s.

Rockport, Massachusetts

Rockport’s restaurant scene can easily fill a long weekend, with spots throughout downtown from Front Beach to Bearskin Neck. A stay at The Cove at Rockport keeps you close to the action. Head down Main Street, and you’ll find Brothers Brew for morning coffee, Brackett’s Oceanview for seafood beside historic granite walls, and Feather & Wedge for cod with harissa or pho with braised pork.

Dock Square concentrates bakeries, casual seafood spots like The Fish Shack Bar & Restaurant, and small retailers. Bearskin Neck has an even larger array of restaurants, such as Roy Moore Lobster Company, Bean & Leaf Café, Not Your Ordinary Bistro, Little Sister Rockport, 7th Wave Restaurant, and My Place by the Sea. Motif No. 1, the iconic red fishing shack on Bradley Wharf, marks the Neck’s tip and is one of the most photographed spots in town. Rockport is also known for its galleries, including Gallery Montanaro, Folly Cove Fine Art, MosherArt Gallery, and Elynn Kroger Gallery, which line Main Street and Bearskin Neck. North of town, Halibut Point State Park offers trails and views over the Atlantic.

Westerly, Rhode Island

If you stay at the Ocean House in the Watch Hill neighborhood of Westerly, you will be close to Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island estate. A long weekend in this Atlantic Coast town is not centered on celebrity tourism, but on accessing the barrier beaches and preserved shoreline that define the area. Ocean House is mere minutes away from Napatree Point, a long barrier beach that separates Little Narragansett Bay from the open ocean and is frequently used by dog walkers, strollers, and beachgoers. East Beach is also nearby, a long stretch of sand flanked by the ocean and gorgeous private properties. Inland, you’ll find downtown Westerly with its smaller inns such as Margin Street Inn, as well as Wilcox Park and restaurants including High Hope Tavern, Ella's Food & Drink, and Ten Sandwiches along Bay Street.

St. Augustine, Florida

The saltwater San Sebastián and Matanzas Rivers frame one of the oldest cities in the United States. Across the river is the St. Augustine Inlet, which opens to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Staying at the centrally located Villa 1565 Hotel keeps the entire St. Augustine historic district and waterfront within a few blocks.

The city’s Spanish Colonial streetscapes are dense with preserved sites, starting with Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the 17th-century coquina fortress facing the bay, and continuing a few blocks south at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, whose façade dominates the skyline of the historic district. St. George Street runs straight through the center as a pedestrian corridor, linking the Oldest Wooden School House, the Peña-Peck House, and a steady stream of small courtyards and colonial-era buildings. At night, the Prohibition Kitchen and No Name Bar remain active in the evening, and in the day, Aviles Street is home to various art galleries to meander through. Fort Mose Historic State Park is just beyond downtown and can easily be incorporated into a long weekend itinerary.

Beaufort, North Carolina

For a long weekend in Beaufort, North Carolina, start by checking into the Beaufort Hotel, two miles from downtown, with waterfront views across Taylor Creek to Carrot Island. Downtown also has a variety of places to stay, including Ann Street Inn (circa 1832) and the Angel’s Share Inn (1856), which put visitors within steps of Front Street’s historic district. Beaufort Historic Site features ten buildings to explore, including a jail, homes, an apothecary, a courthouse, and the Old Burying Ground, with guided tours and nighttime ghost tours highlighting colonial burials. The Rachel Carson Reserve sits close to downtown and includes Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal, and Horse Island. It hosts over 200 bird species, feral horses introduced in the 1940s, dolphins, sea turtles, and river otters along salt marshes and cordgrass flats.

Hampton, New Hampshire

If you stay at the Hampton House Hotel on Ocean Boulevard, the Atlantic is directly across the road, with the main strip of Hampton Beach at your feet. This is New Hampshire’s most concentrated stretch of shoreline, a 1.3-mile sandy beach bordered by arcades, surf shops, and neon storefronts that stay active well after dark, allowing visitors to structure a three-day stay around the beachfront corridor.

The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, open since 1899, still books national touring acts inside its historic venue, while free concerts and events run all summer at the Seashell Stage along the boardwalk. A few steps away, the Blue Ocean Discovery Center features live touch tanks and exhibits focused on Gulf of Maine marine life. Hampton Beach State Park extends south toward the Hampton Harbor Inlet, with lifeguarded swimming areas, saltwater fishing, RV camping with full hookups, and seasonal whale watch and fishing charters departing from the harbor. While it doesn’t land on a long weekend with a national holiday, travelers can schedule a visit around the middle of September to enjoy the popular Hampton Beach Seafood Festival.

Planning Your Atlantic Coast Long Weekend

These towns show the Atlantic Coast in its many forms: barrier beaches in Rhode Island, colonial street grids in Florida, ferry-access islands in North Carolina, and granite fishing harbors in Massachusetts. IIn each town, the shoreline and historic center sit close to where you’ll likely stay. A Friday arrival can carry you from Westerly’s Napatree Point to the Ocean House, or from Portsmouth’s Strawbery Banke Museum to The Press Room for a cocktail, with three days enough to move between them without rushing.