Sandwiched between two of New England's better-known cities, Salisbury rarely gets top billing — which is exactly its appeal. Just 40 miles north of Boston Logan Airport, this old beach town on the Merrimack River mouth packs nearly four miles of sand, hundreds of acres of marsh and estuary, and a boardwalk strip that has kept visitors coming since the 1860s.
The centrepiece is Salisbury Beach State Reservation, a summer favourite with soft East Coast sand and rolling dunes. It doubles as a designated Massachusetts Wildlife Viewing Site, so look up from the seashells now and then: purple sandpipers, herons and gulls patrol the marshes. If you want to stay overnight, the reservation's campground has close to 500 sites — fall asleep to the waves without paying hotel prices. Day trippers have it easy too, with ample parking at $3 to $7 an hour between May 1 and October 15, or you can skip the fees altogether by booking a beachside room like the well-rated Shoreline Oceanfront Rooms & Suites.
The boardwalk has a pleasingly retro streak. A wooden walkway runs past the historic arcade, restaurants and bars, and the Salisbury Beach Carousel has been spinning riders on hand-carved horses since 1909. Music history runs deep here too — the town once hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong to James Brown and Aerosmith.
Then there's the seafood, arguably the real reason to come. Lena's Seafood has been frying fish for over 50 years — its housemade batter covers haddock, clams, shrimp and flounder, all cooked to order. Newer arrival Taste Buds serves baskets of fried haddock or scallops with fries and coleslaw. Seaglass Restaurant and Lounge pairs big ocean-facing windows and a generous bar with a lobster roll that has earned social media praise, best ordered alongside its signature Cranberry Bog Margarita. Self-catering? David's Fish Market sells the fresh catch for your own grill.
Leave room for the shops. By the Sea Gifts does ocean-themed jewellery and art, Wildflow Surf Co. covers boards and beach gear, and the Salisbury Discount House has been selling cheap toys, slippers and souvenir tees since 1950. Colourful clapboard cottages complete the classic New England look.
Salisbury also makes a smart base for a coastal road trip. Hampton Beach in New Hampshire is a ten-minute drive north, and Old Orchard Beach in Maine is about an hour further — so you can string together several of New England's best boardwalk towns in one trip. For travellers flying into Boston who want beach town charm without Cape Cod traffic or the crowds of Maine's headline spots, this under-the-radar corner of Massachusetts is an easy, affordable win.
