Overview
The South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching south and east from Boston along the coast of Cape Cod Bay toward Cape Cod.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Mar and Oct. (climate data from nearby Braintree)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EWB New Bedford Regional Airport, New Bedford — 25 mi away. Directions
- BOS Boston Logan International Airport, Boston — 28 mi away (major hub). Directions
The Pilgrim Highway or MA-3, is a major highway serving the South Shore. Route MA-24 borders the west side of the region and is another major artery. Both 3 and 24 are accessible from Interstate 95 and I-93, which border the region to the north. The coastal MA-3A will be quite helpful to those exploring the many Irish flavored seaside communities in the area.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Plymouth — Plimoth Patuxet, Harlow Old Fort House, Jabez Howland House.
- Day 2: Scituate — Scituate Lighthouse, The Lawson Tower, Humarock Beach.
- Day 3: Marshfield — Isaac Winslow House, Bigfish II Sportfishing Charters, Green Harbor Golf Club.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Food for you
Seafood is a focus in these coastal towns and proximity to Boston permits a range of fresh ingredients to be used. Mostly likely you will always be no further than 15 miles from a well-trained top notch chef's restaurant.
Also a local specialty is “bar pizza” a 10-inch thin-crust pizza mainly served at bars and pubs including Lynwood’s in Randolph, O’Tools in Whitman, Town Spa in Stoughton and Cape Cod Cafe in Brockton. Consumers have very vociferous opinions about which establishment has the best.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Places in South Shore
Plymouth
City / town · 80 listings
Scituate
City / town · 39 listings
Marshfield
City / town · 28 listings
Hingham
City / town · 25 listings
Rockland
City / town · 23 listings
Kingston
City / town · 20 listings
Carver
City / town · 16 listings
Middleborough
City / town · 16 listings
Braintree
City / town · 15 listings
Bridgewater
City / town · 14 listings
Brockton
City / town · 13 listings
Duxbury
City / town · 13 listings
Hull
City / town · 12 listings
Cohasset
City / town · 10 listings
Weymouth
City / town · 9 listings
Halifax
City / town · 6 listings
Understand
The South Shore region is largely a collection Boston suburban bedroom towns that share in Massachusetts colonial history. Most of the cities and towns were settled in the early 17th century and have historic buildings of that period.
Cities
Well, maybe not "cities" in the way you're thinking of them, but each of these areas has a population of over 50k.
- Brockton — The "City of Champions" largely because of its boxing native sons.
- Plymouth — Famous for its Pilgrim history and Plimoth Plantation.
- Weymouth — On the Route 3 thoroughfare in the southeastern corner of Greater Boston
Irish Riviera
A collection of small seaside communities with robust ties to the Emerald Isle. This colloquial "region" has no boundaries per se, but could be roughly defined as any coastal town east of Route 3A. Visitors here are never far from a Catholic church, an Irish pub, and sandy beaches.
- Hingham — A wealthy bedroom community.
- Hull — Located on narrow Nantasket Peninsula, home to Nantasket Beach and some of the Boston Harbor Islands
- Cohasset — Home of South Shore Music Circus.
- Scituate — A coastal town. Extremely Irish.
- Marshfield — A coastal residential and beach town. Also extremely Irish.
- Duxbury — A year round seaside community.
- Kingston — Nearby to Plymouth with its own harbor.
Towns
- Braintree — Gateway to the South Shore, home to South Shore Plaza
- Bridgewater — Home of Bridgewater State University.
- Carver — A fast-growing residential town in cranberry country.
- Halifax —
- Middleborough — The second largest town in Massachusetts with some colonial history.
- Rockland — Chain hotels available in this town.
Get in
By car
The Pilgrim Highway or MA-3, is a major highway serving the South Shore. Route MA-24 borders the west side of the region and is another major artery. Both 3 and 24 are accessible from Interstate 95 and I-93, which border the region to the north. The coastal MA-3A will be quite helpful to those exploring the many Irish flavored seaside communities in the area.
By public transit
Go MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
One of the busiest rail systems in the United States, the MBTA Commuter Rail runs the Greenbush Line, Kingston Line, and the Middleborough/Lakeville Line which provide service to the area. The MBTA also provides ferry service to the area via the Hingham/Hull Ferry. See Boston#By public transit for additional information.
Go GATRA (Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority)
Created in 1976 and headquartered in Taunton, GATRA runs over 100 buses and vans across 30+ routes to connect communities across southern Massachusetts. The most popular routes are along GATRA central, with service and connections across Taunton and Attleboro. GATRA east is also popular, including routes connecting New Bedford and Wareham with Plymouth. Nascent GATRA west provides a few options to Franklin and thereabouts.
By bus
By ferry
Get around
Bus service and commuter rail service can be infrequent. The highways can be pretty congested, especially if one is closer to Boston, or if it's the warmer months of the year.
See
- Plimoth Plantation, the Mayflower II and Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth.
- Pilgrim Hall Museum, gallery museum of Plymouth history and the Pilgrims in Plymouth.
- World's End, part of Boston Harbor Islands in Hingham.
- A show at South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset.
- See a play or show at Company Theatre in Norwell.
- Cranberry harvesting in Carver in September and October.
Do
Eat
Seafood is a focus in these coastal towns and proximity to Boston permits a range of fresh ingredients to be used. Mostly likely you will always be no further than 15 miles from a well-trained top notch chef's restaurant.
Also a local specialty is “bar pizza” a 10-inch thin-crust pizza mainly served at bars and pubs including Lynwood’s in Randolph, O’Tools in Whitman, Town Spa in Stoughton and Cape Cod Cafe in Brockton. Consumers have very vociferous opinions about which establishment has the best.
Go next
- MetroWest — As the name implies, this is a collection of commuter suburbs and superb historic attractions just west of Boston.
- Bristol-Norfolk — A collection of forests, rural communities and bedroom suburbs on the way to Providence, Rhode Island.
- SouthCoast — Discover a deep history of whaling and fishing, Portuguese roots, agriculture, and a once powerful textile industry.
- Cape Cod and the Islands — Featuring miles of beaches, natural attractions, historic sites, art galleries, antiquing opportunities, and many options for fine dining.
Nearby
Wareham
City / town · 21 listings · 16 mi away
Taunton
City / town · 34 listings · 19 mi away
Rochester
City / town · 3 listings · 19 mi away
Bourne
City / town · 19 listings · 20 mi away
Stoughton
City / town · 10 listings · 20 mi away
Marion
City / town · 1 listings · 21 mi away
Sandwich
City / town · 29 listings · 21 mi away
Freetown
City / town · 2 listings · 21 mi away
My experience
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