Scenic Drive Around Cape Ann on Route 127

Route 127 loops around Cape Ann, the classic rocky-coast drive north of Boston — granite shores, working harbors, and the open Atlantic through Gloucester and Rockport.

Boston · Drive · about 40 min · 14 miles · Pleasantness: Very High

Why this route is pleasant

  • Wraps the rocky Cape Ann coastline
  • Working fishing harbors and granite shores
  • Open Atlantic views around the headlands
  • Classic New England villages and stone walls
  • Far quieter than the Cape Cod beaches to the south

What you'll see

  • Gloucester Harbor and the Fishermen's Memorial
  • Rockport's Bearskin Neck and the red fishing shack 'Motif No. 1'
  • Halibut Point's granite quarry and tide pools
  • Open ocean around the cape's headlands

Best time to go

Early autumn, when the light is clear and the summer crowds have thinned.

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