Marblehead Travel Guide

Founded in 1649 by Fishermen from the Channel Islands, Marblehead is one of the most beautiful coastal towns of the States. The Old Town seems to tumble to the long harbor, which is filled with fancy yachts and ringed with lush estates and yacht clubs. The town developed fast and you can see that the townspeople were getting rich in th 18th century. The oldest houses near the harbor reflect the settlers' humble origins and miserly desire to save timber and preserve heat; the houses of the later shippers display 18th-century conspicuous consumption.

Streets twist and end abruptly as they skirt the hills and rolling topography. Getting lost in Marblehead is half the fun. It would be a mistake not to venture any farther than the boutiques along Washington Street.