Best Small Towns in New England for a Beach Vacation
"A historic coastal fortification offering tangible connections to the area's maritime and military past and serving as a scenic historic stop for visitors exploring the shoreline." - Amy Thomas
Amy Thomas
Amy Thomas is an award-winning writer, creative director, and food and travel journalist. She has written for publications such as The New York Times, New York Post, National Geographic Traveler, and Bust.
Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
Great place to take a walk! But not easy to find a parking spot.
Joseph S.
Google
Epic spot. Came here for sunset and was just blown away by the beauty. Would have been rad if I could have seen more of the historical site but alas it was late. Can’t wait to come back.
The Polite O.
Google
We went here as it's on the historical Marblehead self-guided tour. It's essentially a bunker at a high point overlooking the habour so don't have visions of a grand castle!
Luckily we managed to join a ranger for a quick walk and explanation of the 3 'rooms' there which gave us the history and background to the Fort, she was very good. Otherwise it's a great place to walk around and enjoy great views. There's a very small car park a short walk away, as you cannot drive up (it's a private road).
Angelique P.
Google
Stopped in for a little sunrise moment and it was beautiful! Very nice little walk and I saw lots of dogs!
OracLe
Google
This quaint fort is such a nice spot to visit for some quick history, distant views of 3 lighthouses, and a nice drive to get there. A guide, Michelle, gave us a quick tour and added some history. There are free to use binocular stations, signs and plaques with information, and the best part was the community use of it as kids ride their bikes and others jogged, making it a still actively used location.
Robert S.
Google
Nice quick visit. Tough to find parking. Found a spot on 2nd trip back. Worth the visit.
Dave R.
Google
This was a favorite for water views, as the location is spread out and offers free binocular machines. From one side, the Marblehead lighthouse is prominent and the other side has a view of the Fountain Park lookout by Old Burial Hill. In-between those, just take in the harbor views, wildlife, water and boats that make the scenery so worth the trip.
Lisa H.
Google
Very cold and drizzly the day we went, Small walk to get to the place as its built on a neck with private residences around. The fort has a park like setting newly remodeled with benches, walking path, dog friendly, great views, and bathrooms. Due to it being winter time the bathrooms were locked. The small brick building containing the bathrooms had very historical informative information regarding the fort and the surrounding area displayed within plaques on the outside wall. Great ocean views of Marblehead and it's surroundings too! Glad we went and explored the area.
Christina F.
Yelp
Nice little historic park. You will need to find parking down the street with a short walk up a small hill. The park is well maintained with a path that wraps around the fort. Beautiful views and the fort has been maintained with replica living quarters.
Jill O.
Yelp
This was a pleasant find on our morning walk. It's a pretty peaceful place with lovely ocean views. The fort itself is really interesting, with cool artifacts like cannons, a storage room, and even an old jail that gives you a glimpse into its history. There are plenty of benches and informative plaques scattered around, so you can take your time and learn along the way.
It's completely free to visit, which is a bonus, and the entire area is perfect for a leisurely walk.
Lia M.
Yelp
Fort Sewall is a small park and trail along the water in Marblehead. If you are a bit pressed for time and wanting to show someone around Marblehead, or looking for a quick stroll, it's perfect for that. You won't need much time here, but we took our coffees and walked along the path, just to get some movement and enjoy the water. There are some plaques to inform you of the history as well. It's not a must-see, but I've been twice recently, and it's a pleasant, enjoyable experience if you do visit.
Michele F.
Yelp
Great little spot to learn about history and get great views of Marblehead harbor.
I visited Fort Sewall on a recent trip to Marblehead and was impressed with the site. After walking up to the fort (there isn't parking at the fort), I was greeted with several plaques that shared the history of the fort and the importance of its location. There was also a gorgeous view of Marblehead harbor and the lighthouse. It's definitely worth a trip if you're in the area!
Crystal O.
Yelp
I decided that we should trek out to this fort from Salem for a break from spending in all the shops. It was quite the drive to get to this point over looking the Marblehead Harbor- the last bit looked to be a tiny alleyway that dumped you right at the waters edge on the road leading tot the fort. There is parking and a slight hill to walk up to reach the actual fort. It was cold and lightly raining all day- with the winds on the point we ended up with more than we bargained for and all were soaked! Good for a laugh- the actual fort was small and we couldn't go inside- which was sad since we could have used a break from the rain and gusts. The rocky coast line is gorgeous- even in the pelting rain. We enjoyed a few minutes at the peak before rushing back down the hill to the cars.
Sam S.
Yelp
Great view!!!
Plenty of seats to relax and enjoy looking at scenic Marblehead Harbor.
Read all about the history on the plaques near the entrance, hidden under a tree.
Note the map to the fort on a plaque as well.
Limited parking available; restrooms on site.
Karen 2.
Yelp
super chill vibes & lovely views. interesting fort to go check out. air is good. nice spot to eat food
Ellen M.
Yelp
Beautiful destination in Marblehead. Great place to spend an afternoon with the family. Pack a picnic lunch and bring a frisbee, or just relax on the many benches overlooking the harbor. Take in the history of this revolutionary way fort.
Mary I.
Yelp
Such a pretty place to come too. Beautiful views and plenty of benches. Good place to come to if you are in the area and looking for something to do!
Michael M.
Yelp
The thing about seeing a lot of nice sites in Marblehead and Marblehead Neck is figuring out where they are, how to get there and where to park. I tried to put Fort Sewall Lane in my Garmin and it had the address but couldn't route there so I put in The Barnacle Restaurant and just continued along Front St. You can't actually drive onto Fort Sewall Lane - you can park on the bridge on the right-hand-side of the road if there is space or you can park in the parking lot on the left side about 100 feet before Fort Sewall Lane. Then you walk across the street, up to Fort Sewall Lane and then up to the fort area.
You can walk around a loop that goes around the fort buildings. There is a lower level and an upper level to the buildings with the upper levels visible from the part closer to the ocean. The benches are in the upper part and face the ocean. You can get a very nice view of the harbor from the South side of the upper area.
There are bathrooms in the lower area.
There are also cutouts if you want to go lower onto the rocks and you can actually make your way down to the water though it looks dangerous to do so.