Plum Island Center Beach
Newbury, MA
Plum Island Center Beach is the busiest stretch of the barrier island, in the Newbury section, and the one with the most going on behind it. Restaurants, ice cream, and small shops sit within a few minutes of the sand. The beach itself runs long and straight with dunes to one side, a good place for a walk between meals.
Beach, food, and an easy walk in one place is hard to beat on this coast, though summer weekend parking turns into a real hunt.
How we score beachesFree three hour parking exists along Sunset Drive, but read the signs closely because non-resident street parking is restricted elsewhere on the island. If the private lots look pricey, this is the workaround.
Parking near the center is mostly in private lots that charge by the day, with prices that vary by day and time. Sunset Drive has free parking with a three hour limit.
Short paths lead from the road over the dune to the sand, and the lots sit directly across from the main beach entrance.
Dogs are allowed on the beach year round, but from May 15 through September 15 only before 8:30 am and after 5:30 pm.
July and August bring the warmest water the Gulf of Maine offers, still on the cool side. Shoulder seasons are much quieter and the beach is walkable most of the year.
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