The Atlantic crashes on a coastline strewn with quaint harbours, windswept beaches, glorious dunes and romantic lighthouses. Explore Cape Cod National Seashore, bike past cranberry bogs on the Rail Trail or saunter around Sandwich, the Cape's oldest town. Many areas are full of architectural and culinary gems - weathered shingles, whaling captains' mansions, chowder shacks and upmarket dining delights. Don't miss Woods Hole Oceanquest, famed Martha's Vineyard or charmingly lively Provincetown.

This pleasant, walkable town right at the elbow of Cape Cod is a classic New England vacation spot. Bringing kids? Check out calm beaches like Cockle Cove Beach and Harding’s Beach. If you’re looking for stunning scenery, however, try Chatham Lighthouse Beach. Its tides can be strong (heed the posted warnings), but it’s one of the most beautiful beaches on the Cape.

Yes, getting there is a bit of a project. But vacationers have been braving the ferry for years, and this tiny island off Cape Cod remains one of the most popular and picturesque destinations in New England. Among the island's towns, you're sure to find the Vineyard that's right for you. With stately Greek revival houses dating back to the whaling era of the early 19th century, Edgartown is a seaside village of boutique shopping and pristine harbour views. For more of a "beach town" feel, Oak Bluffs has the Flying Horses carousel, an arcade and an easy walk to the beach, plus the history and charm of the "gingerbread" houses in the Methodist campgrounds. Vineyard Haven offers visitors a blend of both. For a real retreat, Chilmark/Aquinnah is the place to get away from it all. In the off-season, the island is quieter and far less crowded, but the shore is always beautiful. Whenever you visit, leave your car behind! Cabs are plentiful and greet the incoming ferries to help you reach your destination. Most visitors prefer to explore the island on a bicycle, scooter or tourist-friendly public buses.

Visit Provincetown and have a blast enjoying some of Cape Cod’s best beaches (Race Point Beach and Herring Cove Beach are favorites of TripAdvisor travelers). Plenty of cool boutiques, restaurants and art galleries give this town a fun and funky vibe. It’s an exceptionally LGBT-friendly destination as well. One tip: if it’s high season, take the ferry or a quick flight from Boston (unless you enjoy spending hours sitting in traffic).

Here in the heart of Rhode Island’s “Classic Coast,” you can choose your own adventure. Soak in miles of spectacular coastal scenery, study authentic Colonial and Gilded Age architecture, saunter along the wharves of the bustling waterfront, and sink your toes into the sand of stunning beaches. You can be inspired at the legendary mansions, be energized by the vibrant nightlife, and savor local flavour at our many celebrated restaurants, wineries and breweries.

You've got to walk the Freedom Trail the first time you visit Boston. That's just a given. Make sure you step off the line on the pavement, though, and explore some of Boston's fine museums (try the Gardner—art masterpieces displayed in their collector's mansion) and old neighbourhoods (like the North End, where you can get the best cannoli this side of Italy). You can't claim to have experienced real Boston culture, though, unless you've watched a Red Sox game from the bleachers.

With four of the state's most popular beaches, Narragansett is a favorite summer destination of Rhode Island residents. Scarborough State Beach alone has 2,325 feet of sandy beach frontage. Once a wealthy community rivaling nearby Newport, the rich history of Narragansett is still visible. The Towers, spanning Ocean Drive, is the only remaining section of a luxurious casino built in 1883. Having survived numerous fires and vicious nor'easters, The Towers is the town's most enduring landmark.

Cape Ann, just 30 miles from Boston Logan Airport, includes four communities: Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. The picturesque area that spans the coastline was founded by Pilgrims in 1623 who named it after England's Queen Anne. Today, it's home to fishermen and artists, merchants and writers.

With its beaches of soft sand or smooth pebbles, sylvan hiking paths and historic lighthouses, Rockport may be the perfect place to sit down and compose that magnum opus, write your novel or paint your master work. The waters surrounding Cape Ann beckon scuba divers, kayakers and sailors to explore the bay. Watch for whales or puffins on one of many charters; hike through the wilds of Halibut Point or along the breathtaking Headlands. Find inspiration in the glades and bluffs of Cape Ann.

The landscape that inspired Anne of Green Gables entices legions of lovers to Canada’s smallest province. Peaceful P.E.I. is a slow paced haven, full of distinctively Maritime delights. Red sandstone cliffs rise above gentle beaches. Lonely lighthouses dot rocky bluffs. Deserted trails beckon for romantic roaming.

Cuba's top beach destination sits on a 13-mile-long peninsula with powder soft sands lapped by waters of the Kawama Channel. Resort hotels teem along the shore that U.S. celebrities and gangsters, including Capone, discovered in the 1920s. Clubs and bars provide mojitos and merriment, after long days baking on the beach, golfing, diving or deep sea fishing. Rent a scooter or hop aboard an open-air tourist train or bus to see more of this stunning spot. Caves, keys and virgin forest add to the area's allure.

U.S. citizens still need to jump through a few hoops to visit Cuba, but as visitors from around the world know, this island offers some amazing opportunities for cultural exchange. Havana is a mix of old-world architecture and of-the-moment culture. Head out of the capital city to the small town of Trinidad to see more Spanish colonial architecture. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fantastic home base for a visit to the Valley of the Sugar Mills, a pocket of land that formerly served as the centre of Cuba’s sugar industry.

Home to palm-lined beaches, tranquil coral reefs, and several top-tier hotels, it’s no wonder why Bavaro is one of the Dominican Republic’s most popular destinations. This resort hub combines convenience and Caribbean culture with an impressive range of activities across its expansive coastline.

Refer to Vancouver Island as Victoria Island and risk a chorus of eye-rolls from the otherwise-friendly locals. Yes, Victoria is the main city on the island, but there are many distinct flavours to its logging and fishing settlements. Food and wine enthusiasts flock to the Comox Valley farm region, while the more outdoorsy types get their fix along the remote, forested beaches of North Vancouver Island. Visit the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Clayoquot Sound and you’ll return full of cocktail-party factoids.