Make Plum Island your next getaway
A little more than 11 miles in length, lovely Plum Island off the coast of central Massachusetts is a popular summertime vacation spot due to its proximity to the mainland and its bountiful nature preserves. Named for the beach plums that grow profusely on the land, the island is home to small shops as well as cozy restaurants and beautiful grasslands and seashores. Settled by Europeans in mid-1600s, the small island is home to their descendants as well as area retirees. Our Plum Island vacation rentals are the perfect refuge for your stay on this gorgeous Atlantic barrier island.
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Where is Plum Island?
Plum Island is 11 miles off the coast of Newbury and Newburyport, Massachusetts, in the heart of Essex County and its many historic and cultural offerings. Visitors can access the island via a bridge to the mainland in Newburyport.
Things to Do on Plum Island
Plum Island is a nature lover's wonderland, with beautiful duney beaches and plentiful park land. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is a 4,600-acre nature preserve with salt marshes and maritime forests and is home to more than 800 species of native birds, plants, and mammals, including the red fox, white-footed mouse, and white-tailed deer. Admire egrets during their fall migration or herons and other shore birds at the Hellcat Wildlife Observation Area. Plum Island Beach is the choice spot to while away the hours in the water or on the sand, but be sure to get there early as it packs it in come midday.
Sandy Point State Reservation offers guests myriad places to swim, build sand castles, and spot endangered piping plovers and least terns on nearly 80 acres of protected land. Operated by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Joppa Flats Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary offers classes and seminars on environmental conservation as well as bird watching tours. The 35-foot-tall Plum Island Light was built in 1788 and is located on the northern end of the island, on Ipswitch Bay. Tours are free and the grounds are open year round.
Day Trips from Plum Island
Plum Island is just off the mainland, and with its short bridge it offers exciting day trip possibilities. Spooky Salem is in the heart of Essex County, only an hour's drive away. Cape Cod is just up the coast of the mainland, and boasts charming mom-and-pop shops and lovely coastal beaches galore.
Offering up a wealth of nature and wildlife, Plum Island is a popular getaway - and for good reason! Our Plum Island vacation rentals will make your stay here one of the best Massachusetts vacations of your life.
