This sandy stretch earns points thanks to The Beachcomber, a family-friendly restaurant right on the water with a large kids’ menu (and live music late into the night, if you have a baby sitter). Pay $30 to park on-site, hang at the beach, and get a voucher toward food and merch.

Minimal crowds, lots of wildlife and tide pools, and easy parking. What’s not to love? (Hungry seagulls, for one thing.) Stop for ice cream at the nearby Kettle Cove Ice Cream and Shack on your way home.

Regulars appreciate clean facilities, picnic areas, and a friendly snack bar at this low-key hangout. The sand is a bit coarse, but the slides at the on-site playground are smooth.

Fans shout out the walking-distance Green Harbor General Store (grab a deli sandwich before hitting the beach) and Green Harbor Lobster Pound (stop for dinner afterward), plus the option to walk all the way to Duxbury Beach if you want to get some steps in — or if you want to escape your kids.

Dramatic waves, and the Summer Sessions Surf Shop right across the street offering kids’ and grown-up lessons, make this a prime spot to people-watch. Well-maintained facilities and fairly easy street parking up the road add to the allure. Pro tip: Drive a few minutes north on Ocean Boulevard for the best lobster roll of your life (served on a husky burger bun) at Petey’s Summertime Seafood before heading home.

This one gets raves for ample parking, soothing surf, outdoor summertime concerts, and an on-site playground and splash pad.

This is where you’ll find me with a trashy novel or a trashier podcast. There’s plenty of free, nonresident parking along the windy roads adjacent to the beach (pretend you own one of the estates nearby); as well as a playground, terrific waves, and plenty of tide pools for crabbing. Visit Bennett’s down the road for an enormous to-go sub — truly, one sandwich could feed three people — before you set up shop.

Speedy access from the city makes this “a hidden treasure,” raves one beachgoer, despite the bold seagulls who enjoy swiping sandwiches. Savvy swimmers arrive by 9 a.m. for the easiest parking and leave by noon, before the crowds appear. “We’d go there several days each summer, leave around lunch, and stop at Alive and Kicking in Cambridge for lobster sandwiches” before going home to nap, advises another fan.

Fans appreciate the mild surf and clear water (“you can be up to your neck and see your toes,” raves one regular). For maximum nostalgia, the Paragon Carousel is a short stroll away.

OK, first things first: The parking lots fill up quickly and is often staffed by beleaguered teens, so arrive close to 9 a.m. or closer to 4 p.m. But once you’re there? Lots of warm tide pools to explore, clean facilities, and the on-site Burger Shack, with a vast menu of snacky classics.

Go after 5 p.m. for $5 parking and a sunset scramble in the dunes, which fans compare to those in Truro (minus the traffic).

Regulars appreciate the mellow vibe, drama-free parking (basically unheard of on the Cape) and mile-long, low-tide strolls.

Americana at its finest: big waves, soft sand, clean bathrooms, and easy on-street parking (especially if you arrive before 10 a.m. or so). Joe’s Playland is nostalgia central, with ice cream, an arcade, mountains of fried seafood, and a new carousel.

This smallish, toddler-friendly beach has manageable waves, soft sand, on-street parking, and a concession stand. Plentiful boats and ferries floating past add to the atmosphere. Go early or late; it fills up fast.

This bayside beach has warm, shallow water and gentle waves (your humble correspondent learned to swim here); parents also appreciate clean facilities and outdoor showers.

Nothing frightening here, just affordable parking (including for RVs) and serene waves on Waikiki Beach. Bonus: It’s a Salem Trolley stop, if you’re in the mood for sightseeing. Salem Willows Arcade and Park is a 10-minute walk.