This Small Massachusetts Town Is a More Affordable Version of Cape Cod—With All the Same Coastal Charm

When Westport, Massachusetts, was named one of America’s top “bougie on a budget” destinations by MarketBeat, it came as no surprise to locals like Molly Armando, a real estate agent who grew up in the area. “It is a truly special place, offering a slower pace, incredible natural beauty, and a lifestyle that celebrates both the land and the sea,” she tells Travel + Leisure.

Westport lies at the heart of the Farm Coast, a newer term that captures the bucolic character of the rural coastline between Little Compton, Rhode Island, and Dartmouth, Massachusetts. An hour’s drive south of Boston and only 30 minutes southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Westport embodies the most beloved aspects of New England, minus the crowds and steep price tags. 

Strolling Westport’s historic seaport, with its colonial-era cottages and their weathered gray shingles, you’d swear you were on Cape Cod or Nantucket. Like the Cape and the islands, Westport’s beaches and wetlands are protected from development; you can stroll for miles with little sign of civilization. Venture a bit inland and the scenery changes to the kind of pastoral farmland more associated with western New England—fields scattered with timber-framed barns and crisscrossed by low stone walls that have stood for generations. 

Westport’s fishing and farming traditions have blossomed into a thriving local food scene, from roadside farm stands selling seasonal produce to some of New England’s finest farm- and ocean-to-table restaurants. Here’s how to get a taste of this small town for yourself.

Where to Stay

The Harbor Inn Acoaxet

The Harbor Inn began as a farm in the late 1700s and retains the feel of a colonial farmstead. Choose from 11 rooms and one suite, each with its own personality and period details, like gabled ceilings and antique dressers. It’s a quick walk down to the beach, but you can also opt to hop on one of the inn’s bikes.

TownePlace Suites by Marriott Westport

Opened in 2020, TownePlace Suites by Marriott Westport is spacious and modern, with all the amenities you’d expect from a major hotel chain: an indoor pool, a fitness center, and a complimentary breakfast buffet. The studio and one-bedroom suites have fully equipped kitchens, so you can whip up a delicious dinner with all your farm stand finds.

Harmony Home Farm

Just over the state line in Little Compton, Rhode Island, this working farm rents a private bedroom in the farmhouse and a cozy but fully equipped cottage. The inn’s four-legged hosts, including pony Silverado and Munchins the Nigerian dwarf goat, wait at the fence to greet you when you step off the back porch.

Horseneck Beach State Reservation

Located just behind the dunes from the beach, this campground offers electric and nonelectric sites with picnic tables and fire pits. Other amenities include a comfort station with flushing toilets and hot showers, an RV dumping station, a playground, and basketball and volleyball courts.

Short-term Rentals

Most visitors to Westport opt to stay in private homes available for rent through sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. “Staying in a local home lets you experience Westport the way residents do,” says Armando. “Mornings filled with salt air, evenings spent watching the sunset, and the kind of privacy and peace that make the Farm Coast lifestyle so special.” Choose from properties like this spacious post-and-beam loft at Brithaven Farm, or an oceanfront beach house with room for the whole family.

Best Things to Do

Visit Horseneck Beach State Reservation.

Two miles of soft sand, grassy dunes, and crashing surf, Horseneck Beach is a highlight of any trip to the Farm Coast, but the 600-acre reservation has even more to explore: marshlands teaming with wildlife; Gooseberry Island, beloved by photographers for its dramatic rocky shoreline; and the 19th-century Horseneck Point Life-Saving Station.

Paddle the Westport River.

Glide through the peaceful salt marshes and hidden coves of the east and west branches of the Westport River, where you can observe snowy egrets, ospreys, and other wildlife in their natural habitat. Rent a kayak, canoe, or SUP from Osprey Sea & Surf Adventures, a company that also offers guided sunset, moonlight, and fall foliage paddling excursions.

Have a beer (or just hang out) at Buzzards Bay Brewing.

It’s a bar in a barn on a farm—and so much more. Kick back by the Buzzards Bay Brewing fire pit with a flight of their signature brews on tap, like the Westporter and Horseneck Haze IPA. “Those sprawling hills! The openness! It’s just really pretty scenery,” says Armando. “It’s not like you have to drink. You can just go there and relax.” In the warmer months, the brewery hosts food carts, live music, and entertainment.

Take a self-guided slow food tour of Westport’s family farms.

“There are so many farm stands, and it’s all fresh food because the farms are right there,” says Armando. “You could live off of the vegetables the whole summer.” Laurie Hepworth, publisher of Edible Southeastern Massachusetts, particularly recommends Orr’s Family Farm. “The farm stand feels like an extension of the fields themselves,” she says. “You’re surrounded by the work of the land even as you shop, which makes every purchase feel deeply connected to the farm.” In July, pick your own blueberries at Berry Hill Farm, and gather your own sunflower and dahlia bouquets at Walt’s Farm in August and September.

Stroll the Westport Point Historic District.

Westport Point, situated at the confluence of the east and west branches of the Westport River, was once a center of the fishing and whaling industry. Stroll down Main Road and admire houses representing every era of Westport’s long colonial and maritime history, from Cape Cod cottages and colonial saltboxes to showy Greek Revival sea captains’ homes. “It’s very quaint New England,” says Armando.

Best Shopping

Weatherlow Farms

This boutique farm store is stocked with colorful produce and cut flowers, pasture-raised meats, and artfully displayed pantry products such as maple syrup, fruit preserves, handcrafted apothecary items, goat milk soap, and candles. But what stood out most to Hepworth when she featured the farm in Edible Southeastern Massachusetts was the pride and satisfaction the entire team took in their work. “It was clear they weren’t just growing food and flowers,” she says. “They were cultivating something deeply meaningful for themselves and the community.”

Westport Farmers Market

If you don’t have time to hit all the farms, or you simply want to stock up on Farm Coast specialties all in one place, the Westport Farmers Market takes place every Saturday (from the end of May through mid-October) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex.

Lees Market

If you need to pick up some staples to outfit the kitchen of your Airbnb, Lees Market is the place to go. Rub shoulders with locals in this small but well-stocked grocery store with a selection of regional specialty products. ”It feels like a locally owned version of Whole Foods,” says Hepworth.

Partners Village Store and Kitchen

“Partners is a charming bookstore and gift shop with a cafe that features local ingredients,” says Hepworth. Pick up a one-of-a-kind gift or souvenir (like a handcrafted bowl from Salt Marsh Pottery), relax on the porch with a new book, and treat yourself to their next-level soup and sandwiches.

Jeffrey Westport

After decades in the fashion industry, Westport native Jeffrey Cayer returned home to open a high-end women’s clothing boutique in historic Westport Point. Here, you’ll find a curated selection of playful but sophisticated outfits for any occasion.“It’s just fun, coastal fashion,” says Armando.

Best Restaurants

Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery

Sip sparkling wine as you gaze out over acres of rolling grape arbors tended by four generations of the Russell family—they also own Buzzards Bay Brewing—at Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery. Nibble on a Farm Coast charcuterie board featuring artisanal cheese, truffled white beans, and locally roasted cashews. The on-site Farmer’s Feast food truck also offers farm-fresh salads and toasty brick-oven paninis.

The Back Eddy

The waterfront views alone are worth a trip—and The Back Eddy has the food to back it up. It has seafood favorites like fish and chips and clam chowder, as well as creative specialties like spicy deviled eggs “from hell.”

Perry’s Bakery

Opened in 1950, this mom-and-pop bakery has been a local favorite for generations. “I used to go there with my dad to get cinnamon sticks,” says Armando. “They are the most incredible things I’ve ever had.” Perry’s also serves coffee, breakfast sandwiches, cakes, muffins, and original concoctions like peanut butter fresh cream and chocolate Long Johns.

Westport Sea Farms

Westport Sea Farms raises and harvests its oysters on site, serving them on the docks of historic Westport Point. You can even take a tour of the oyster beds. The lobster rolls are just as good—even better when washed down with a local ale from Buzzards Bay Brewing.

Bittersweet Farm Restaurant and Tavern

Surrounded by 29 acres of sprawling pastureland, Bittersweet Farm serves upscale American comfort food with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Cozy up to the brick fireplace and indulge in house specialities like pretzel sticks with warm beer cheese, sriracha aioli, and pub mustard, and pan-seared New Bedford scallops with Mozambique risotto.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Westport is May through October. May is when the farmers markets kick off for the season, and farm stands fill up with strawberries and other early produce. Mid-summer has the best beach weather, especially for swimming and water sports, with comfortable but refreshing water temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s.

By early September, the air turns crisp, and the annual spectacle that is New England fall gets underway. Apples ripen, pumpkins dot the fields, and leaves flush every shade of red, orange, and yellow. The Farm Coast is one of the top places to experience the season, with the corn maze at Buzzards Bay Brewing and fresh-pressed apple cider from Noquochoke Orchards.

How to Get There

Westport is only a 30-minute drive from the Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Warwick, which earned the top spot as T+L readers’ favorite U.S. airport in the 2025 World’s Best Awards. While bigger and more congested, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) offers more direct flights to more cities. From BOS, you can take public transit to connect to the MBTA Commuter Rail. Travelers can then choose to take that to either Fall River or New Bedford, both of which are a short drive from Westport.

How to Get Around

You’ll want to rent a car (or drive your own) as it’s the best way to explore the scenic back roads and visit the farms and vineyards at your leisure. Uber and other ride-sharing services are available, but wait times may be longer than in urban areas. You can pick up a car from most major rental agencies at PVD or BOS. To avoid Boston’s infamous traffic, take a bus or commuter train to New Bedford, one town over from Westport, where there are several car rental agencies just a quick Uber ride from the station.