5 Walkable US Beach Towns Where You Can Skip The CarRead More:
https://www.islands.com/2081307/5-walkable-us-beach-towns-where-you-can-and-skip-the-car/
Approximately 2.5 hours from San Francisco,
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often overlooked but loaded with charm, brands itself as "a storybook kind of place." Full of boutiques, restaurants, bars, and art galleries, travelers who want to indulge in leisurely activities such as shopping, wine tasting, or art viewing will feel right in their element here.
Provincetown is the oldest continuous art community in America, with over 100 years of history. So when you walk around Provincetown, remember that writers, poets, artists, and other creative minds have wandered these very same streets in search of inspiration. It won't come as a surprise that the art galleries, museums, and other creative spaces are a big part of Provincetown and deserve to be included in any itinerary. The destination also stands out for its foodie offerings: You'll quickly find that Provincetown excels in offering comforting snacks and dishes. Lobster rolls are a must-try here, as are shrimp and oysters.
One of the Outer Banks' least-visited islands,
Ocracoke is a small but lively village in North Carolina on an island by the same name. It's the only Outer Banks community that isn't directly connected to Highway 12 — unless you count the ferry. Here, walkability isn't a feature; it's a lifestyle. You can walk around this beachside community for about a mile in almost any direction.
Key West offers just about everything you could want from a Florida vacation: sandy beaches, snorkeling opportunities, and a lively nightlife. Head to Smathers Beach for sunbathing and water activities, with jet skis available for rental. History buffs will enjoy walking around Old Town, a neighborhood dotted with 19th-century homes.
Oregon may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think of walkable beach towns, but there are hidden gems along the Pacific Coast, and
Cannon Beach is one of them. This tiny village runs parallel to a beautiful stretch of Pacific-facing beach where you can marvel at the iconic 235-foot-tall Haystack Rock.
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The primary criteria for this list were walkability, specifically the short or accessible distances between the beaches and attractions and the town's major hot spots, be it hotels and resorts or charming main street areas. Towns featured on this list had to include a variety of places to stay, places to eat, and other attractions that would keep visitors coming back for more.
Websites like Walk Score and anecdotal accounts on forums like Reddit and review websites such as AllTrails helped confirm that destinations were, in fact, pedestrian-friendly. The second most important criterion was accessibility from the nearest airport. Public transportation or public buses, to allow for a completely car-free trip, were preferred, though some exceptions were made for spots where the walkability was so great that it was worth a longer travel day.
