Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Beach Review: Plaice Cove, Hampton NH



View Larger Map

Location:

Plaice Cove Beach is located just North Beach, Hampton NH.  It is quiet and never too busy, used mostly by the dozen or so cottages that line the shore.  There is public access to the beach between some of the houses, but there is no dedicated parking lot -- the closest lot is located at the junction of High St. (Rt. 27) and Ocean Blvd. (Rt. 1A) and is more convenient to North Beach. So the public access ways are mostly used by residents and renters walking from across Rt. 1A.

Pros:

  • It is fun for older kids and adults to walk across the boulders and explore the tidal pools.
  • Magnificent views.
  • Steps away from Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop where you can rent surfboards, paddleboards, etc.

Cons:

  • Bring your aqua socks, it is a very rocky beach, with not much sand.  Big boulders on the North and South ends of the beach.  The main beach surface is gravel.  If you want to wade into the surf it is very painful on your bare feet most of the time, especially while getting battered by the surf.  The exception is extreme low tide, when it is dead calm and you can pick your way through the few sandy spots.
  • Rough surf. The waves are not high but the low waves are powerful and will batter you into the jagged boulders, especially if your footing is compromised by the sharp gravel walking surface.
  • Small children will have a hard time navigating this beach.  Parents will need to lead them by the hand and attend to them closely to ensure their safety.

Nearby beaches that are better than Plaice Cove:

  • Hampton Beach: Beautiful, broad beach, nice sand, gentle surf.  Great for kids.  There is a boardwalk with arcades, bars, restaurants, shops, and an outdoor theater.  For those who visited many years ago like me, the boardwalk has been dramatically cleaned up and it is much less "carn-y" than it was when I was a kid back in the '80s. Yelp review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/hampton-beach-state-park-hampton
  • North Hampton Beach: Narrow beach that almost completely disappears at high tide.  The surrounding neighborhood is much less appealing than Hampton Beach, but the sand is better than Plaice Cove. Apparently there is a surfer scene here and it is close to the surf shop Cinnamon Rainbows.  Yelp review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/north-hampton-state-beach-north-hampton
  • Wallace Sands State Beach: Beautiful little beach.  Sometimes over-crowded.  Nice sand.  Good facilities.  Good for families.  The drive to this beach features stunning beach mansions and good restaurants for fried seafood.  Yelp review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/wallis-sands-state-beach-rye

Other reviews of Plaice Cove Beach:

 Surf and weather forecast for Plaice Cove courtesy of Surf-Forecast.com:



Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)