Plymouth, MA
Waterfront charm and a step back in time! Off-season is the perfect time to visit Plymouth. While it attracts visitors year-round for its rich history and vibrant waterfront downtown, it’s a much more manageable visit off-season. And with the vibrant colors of the leaves against the dark blue of the water, it is a perfect Fall getaway – you have the relaxing water experience at Nelson Park beach or Long Beach a short drive from town, lots of waterfront walkways, a charming New England style downtown with restaurants and culture, and many opportunities to explore colonial landmarks of Plymouth’s history.
What we love is it is a very walkable town. And history is everywhere! Even if you don’t have the time to commit to a museum visit, walk around and explore, there’s so many free historic landmarks and beautiful old buildings, you’ll experience a feeling of the historic significance this town of our early forefathers!
Note – you’ll see the spelling of “Plimoth”. It is the original spelling used by Governor William Bradford within his history of the colony, “Of Plymouth Plantation”. The museums and historical landmarks continue with the original spelling.
There are 2 beach choices close to Plymouth – Nelson Memorial Park and Long Beach. Nelson Park Beach is right in town, just north of the waterfront, and about a mile to Plymouth Rock. It has picnic tables, and a small beach. It’s just enough to get your beach “fix” – by the water, and a walk in the sand, and over the rocks. From here, you can walk along the waterfront, on the paved trails, down to Plymouth Memorial Park, where the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock are located.
Long Beach is 2.5 miles south of downtown, an 8 minute drive on 3A. It is a 3 miles long peninsula. On a recent trip, we started our morning visit here, first picking up coffee and delicious pastries at Keegan’s. We were there in November, and it was brisk along the water with the sea breeze, but the sun felt warm! After our power walk, we headed to Nelson Park, where it was warmer, and sat in our chairs reading the Sunday paper. From there we walked down to the Plymouth Rock, and the historical district, then meandered through Court street to find hot drinks and dinner.
Note – we highly recommend to start your day at the Plymouth Visitor Information Center. It is a gem of information, and the staff are super friendly and helpful! It will help you plan your day.
Off-Season: Tips to know
Grab your beach bag…. let’s go!
First Coffee
Many options are all along Court and Water Streets. Here’s a few of our favorites:
- Keegans’ Kreations – can’t resist the croissants!
- Gunther’s Tooties Bagels – the best selection of bagels
- Kiskadee Coffee
Lunch
As this is a more tourist type area, there’s many local lunch spots to choose to dine in or get take-out! (and not as many local markets) . More fun than packing the cooler!
- Plimoth General Store & Eatery
- Water Street offers several great choices for casual and outdoor dining on the waterfront. Try Carmen’s Cafe Nicole and Vitamin Sea Brewery
Downtown Waterfront Beach
- Nelson Memorial Park, at low tide, there’s more sandy area for beach walks. Pretty spot for a sunrise!
- Long Beach – limited parking in-season, so take advantage of off-season availability
After the beach… explore Plymouth
Hungry?
Cafe’s and Restaurants are situated all along Court Street and the downtown waterfront area, and all in between. Reservations are a must during summer months, and for some popular spots off-season as well. Water Street is the busiest, so we recommend to explore the Court Street area.
Waterfront: East Bay Grille is a large very popular restaurant – for good reason, with an expansive menu, and always excellent service! Request a window seat! And in warmer water, sit out in the outdoor dining area. This is a go-to for us to meet friends or to gather with family in the area – it’s a welcoming atmosphere for groups and you never feel rushed! Plan ahead – reservations are always recommended here. I
Fun Things To Do
History: As you walk around Plymouth, history is everywhere! The Historic District, contains many of the lamdmarks, including the Plymouth Rock, and Museums. At the corner of Water & North Street, there’s a map of the historic district. The Plimoth Patuxet Museum is a living history museum that tells the story of the Pilgrims as well as the native Wamponaog people – well worth a visit!
Did you know? The Mayflower actually first touched land in Provincetown Harbor, on November 21, 1620. In December, the Pilgrims sailed up the coast and settled in Plymouth.
Get out on the Water!
- Whale Watching – Captain John Boats
- Boat Tours of the harbour offers
- Fast Ferry (1 1/2 hours) to Provincetown is a fun day trip! Captain John Boats
Special Events
There are many special events year round in Plymouth. Here’s a list of some popular ones:
- 4th of July: Independence Day is a big celebration for “Hometome America” . There’s an early morning 5K road race followed by the annual 4th of July Parade throughout historic Downtown. The festivities continue with food trucks on the Plymouth Waterfront, a free seaside concert by the Plymouth Philharmonic orchestra and a fireworks display over Plymouth Harbor
- Plymouth Waterfront Festival: typically held the last Saturday in August
- Thanksgiving Festival
