Tip - 27 Affordable Beach Resorts

Price: $159 WHAT IT'S LIKE: The recently revamped Breakwater Inn & Spa feels like a traditional Maine cottage, though its 34 cozy rooms are totally up-to-speed: free Wi-Fi, pillow-top mattresses. The pebbly beach is lined with Adirondack chairs that overlook the mouth of the Kennebunk River. Chef Jonathan Cartwright makes a stellar butter-poached Maine lobster and York oysters in the on-site waterfront restaurant, Stripers. WHAT TO DO: Drop by the Day Trip Society (4 Dock Square; 207/967-4440; daytripsociety.com), a new design-forward boutique where you can buy supplies for a picnic at the beach—Sigg water bottles; plates, cups, and silverware cast by Scandinavian designer Joachim Nordwall; and a tote bag made of recycled boat sails to carry it all. —Hannah Wallace 27 Affordable Beach Resorts