The understated, underrated, beautiful beach town of Montauk offers a secluded sandy oasis at the end of the world (or at least one of the farthest points East in the Continental United States other than Block Island). A quick 2 – 3 hour road trip from most Long Island Towns, Montauk is a must-visit Summer destination for anyone who calls Long Island Home. It’s not as glitzy as the Hamptons, and you won’t find many 5-star shops, but it isn’t pretentious in the slightest, and it is usually filled with great people looking for a weekend escape to the grassy sand and windswept dunes.
The beach is beautiful and seemingly un-ending, with soft sand, sizeable waves, and overhanging sea bluffs with some natural, visible, wind-blown erosion. The main beach-front area can feel like a private getaway or Jones Beach Field 6 depending on the weekend that you go, and most hotels/motels and airbnb’s are either directly on the Beach or a stone’s throw away, making for impossibly easy access to walk in and out of town. Sink your feet into the sand, enjoy the scenery and keep your eyes peeled for some of the most wonderful marine wildlife that the east coast has to offer.
You don’t need to travel to Seattle, Washington or the Caribbean to get a front-row seat to magnificent humpback whales, or pods of Dolphins, you can find these amazing creatures in abundance right in your back yard at the End in Montauk. The best time to observe these phenomenal sea-mammals would be early morning and late afternoon, and we were lucky enough to witness an abundance of these sea beasts. We saw it all, from Pilot Whales to large pods of wake-breaking bottle-nose dolphins, to harbor seals, and even massive Humpback whales breaching the ocean surface in a majestic display, there was no shortage of incredible sights.
The town of Montauk feels like a beach town out of time, but much quieter, tidier, and cozier than a lot of the other beach towns strewn up and down the East Coast. You can of course find your typical beach-ware shops, selling wares such as boogey boards, bathing suits, sunglasses, the works. There are also first-rate art shops, more upscale clothing stores, fish markets, homemade ice-cream parlors and fudge-peddling confectionaries, pizzerias, wine stores, and a classic brewery home to Montauk Brewing Co. beverages. The town is almost all walkable and it is delightfully sleepy with a slower pace than the typical Long Island town and especially in comparison to the hustle and bustle of NYC.
The fresh Seafood in Montauk is second to none, and the local restaurants are favored by locals and visitors alike. Make sure to drive over to the legendary Gosman’s Dock to sample all kinds of fried and grilled seafood that was likely caught that morning from their fleet.
For dinner, take a large, hungry group to the iconic and ageless Harvest on Fort Pond, so you can get your fill of truly massive family style dishes, from impossibly big wedge salad with homemade dressing, to mountain sized portions of seafood and other pastas, to steak-house quality skirt steak, and indelibly fresh seafood bruschetta with 4 kinds of shellfish (clams, scallops, shrimp, and mussels) and freshly baked sourdough bread.
Finish your trip at Muse at the End, where the hospitality is second to none (say hello to the incredible owner, Mario, who treated us like family!), and sample the lump crab cakes and for an entree pig out on the best seafood Fra Diavolo that you’ll ever have.
On the last leg day of your Montauk adventure, hike through the sea-adjacent foliage until you reach the huge sand bluffs of Shadmoor State Park. Loop around the trails atop of the buffs, where you can be delighted by seemingly endless views of the ocean expanse, and keep your eyes peeled for marine life from this incredible vantage point.
Before you head out of town, stop by the famous Montauk Lighthouse (with phenomenal views of Block Island, Rhode Island, the furthest point East in the continental United States, grab a bite to eat at the adjacent brewery, and take a tour of the museum.
