Travelers will find many lovely, accessible beaches on the North Shore and Cape Ann and, whether because of the view or the topography, each is unique. Nahant Beach and Lynn Beach, on Route 1A in Lynn join one another for a mile-long stretch. From Fisherman's Beach in Swampscott, also on Route 1A, you can watch lobstermen pulling their traps.
Parking is free on the street and there are restaurants nearby.
Devereux Beach in Marblehead offers views of the Boston skyline and Marblehead Neck, a snack bar and rest rooms. There is a charge for parking, History abounds at Salem's Winter Island, off Fort Avenue at the mouth of Salem Harbor. Here visitors will find and old, now abandoned Coast Guard base complete with old hangar and officers' quarters, and a Revolutionary-era fort. There are restrooms and a restaurant, a boat launch and launch service, and the harbormaster is headquartered here. Forest River Park, also on Salem Harbor, includes two beaches, a saltwater pool and Pioneer Village, an outdoor museum built to replicate the area's 16th-century settlements.