Professional Camera View of America's 17 Best Beach Towns, Laid-back Vibes And Stunning Coastal Views

Ogunquit, Maine

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The Algonquin translation for Ogunquit is "beautiful place by the sea," and the town more than lives up to its moniker. Ogunquit's wide, white-sand beaches are far from the typical rocky Maine shoreline. For a taste of classic coastal Maine, walk the clifftop Marginal Way, which boasts incredible sights and sounds of the pounding Atlantic. Explore the cute town on foot or courtesy of a summer trolley and check out its theaters, art galleries, antique shops, lobster shacks, wine bars, and breakfast cafes — and don't leave without ordering a big stack of fluffy Maine blueberry pancakes!

Cape May, New Jersey

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Set on the southernmost edge of New Jersey, Cape May is a perfect destination for beach lovers with a penchant for history and architecture. The town is filled to the brim with textbook Victorians — cottages, hotels, summer homes — and the vibe is appropriately vintage. Stroll the brick sidewalks (or take a horse-drawn carriage tour) to see colorful gingerbread architecture and poke in the mom-and-pop shops for saltwater taffy and local finds. Even if you don't stay at The Chalfonte Hotel, the town's oldest hotel, plan a fried-chicken dinner on the wraparound porch with live music.