With summer fast approaching, nows the perfect time to start planning your next beach vacation. However, since America is home to over 12,000 miles of shoreline and 5,000-plus public beaches, finding the ideal oceanfront retreat is, well, no easy feat. However, some of the countrys best stretches of sand may be closer than you thinkespecially if you live near the East Coast. Whats more, the countrys Eastern Seaboard is home to dozens of charming beach towns that rival some of the ones youd find on the West Coast (sorry, not sorry), each with its own distinct feel. From an arty enclave near Miami to a Maine hideaway that looks like it's been plucked straight from a Nancy Meyers rom-com, weve narrowed down the best East Coast beach towns along the Atlantic coast.

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