There's a plethora of things to do here on the South Coast! Stick around! This area as first settled in the 1650s, purchased from the Wampanoags and originally called Dartmouth. Over time, small communities broke off to form the separate townships that you see today.

Read more about the area's rich history, or our spectacular architecture.

Read more about what's so great about the South Coast, or find out what's going on in the South Coast.

Things to Do:
Drive the "Coastal Villages Trail", which winds from Little Compton, RI to Westport, MA. Along the way, stop at Gray's General Store (the oldest General store in the nation) and Gray's Grist Mill. In Westport, take in Westport Point (where you can pick up some lobsters for dinner) and take a swim on Horseneck Beach. From there continue past farmland and stop at the Westport Winery and Buzzard's Bay Brewery, picking up gifts for friends back home. Continue on through Russell's Mills Village to Padanaram Village, both of which are in South Dartmouth. Next could be the New Bedford Zoo or the National Historic Park in New Bedford's Center, which contains the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the preeminent whaling museum in the world. If you have time, continue to Fairhaven Center with its beautiful buildings and working waterfront, and then on to peaceful Mattapoisett and Marion Villages. Check our Schedule of Events to see which days might have a festival, regatta, or antique fair to interest you most.

The South Coast has a rich history with walking tours, historic house tours, and several town celebrations and festivals that punctuate the summer season. New Bedford and Fall River each have a large and proud Portuguese population and each of these cities has its own Portuguese summer festivals. Also, each of the Coastal Villages has its own summer day or weekend of celebration. Don't forget to stop in at Olde Dartmouth Sotheby's International Realty's Dartmouth or Mattapoisett office if interested in learning about the local real estate market.

General Info

• Bristol County Convention and Visitor's Bureau
• Discover the Coastal Villages of Mass and Rhode Island

New Bedford

• The National Park Service New Bedford Whaling Park
• New Bedford Whaling Museum
• The New Bedford Art Museum
• New Bedford Visitor Guide
• Ah Hah
• New Bedford Preservation Society (home tours)
• Airport
• Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum
• Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE)
• The Zeiterion Theatre
• Your Theatre
• Feast of the Blessed Sacrament
• The Schooner Ernestina
• Hetty Green Museum
• Office of Tourism & Marketing
• New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

Dartmouth

• The Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies
• Davoll's General Store
• Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust
• Salt Marsh Pottery

Fairhaven

• Fort Phoenix
• Cold Sweat Fishing Tours

Fall River

• Battleship Cove
• Marine Museum
• Fall River Celebrates America
• Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum
• Freetown/Fall River State Forest

Little Compton

• Little Compton Historical Society

Mattapoisett

• Mattapoisett Historical Society & Museum

Tiverton

• Weetamo Woods

Westport

• Horseneck Beach State Reservation
• Buzzards Bay Brewing
• Westport River Watershed Alliance
• Partner's Village Store

Boston	Providence	Newport	Cape Cod	The Islands	Block Island	Stay here!
Only an hour away, Boston is world renowned for its history, academic institutions, parks, culture, and shopping. Take a Daytrip to Boston.	Thirty minutes from the South Coast Region, Providence has a recently revitalized downtown and is undergoing a cultural renaissance.	Just thirty minutes away, Newport is great for yachting, beaches, shopping, dining, and has a vibrant summer nightlife.	Only thirty minutes from the South Coast Region, Cape Cod has 100 miles of beaches, National Seashores, Audubon preserves, lighthouses, and picturesque seaports.	Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk islands; the rich and famous "summer" here; hardy New Englanders have made it their year-round home for 350 years.	Accessible by Ferry from Newport, RI, this small island offers safe harbor, bike rentals, beautiful sea cliffs, beaches, seafood, and a plethora of summer wildflowers.	Last but not least, stay local and explore the South Coast's many back roads, museums, beaches, zoos, parks, antique shops, and more.