I have been a beach person my whole life. I love the beach!
I’ve been to beaches in Cape Cod, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Washington State, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and France.
There are some amazing beaches in those places.
Growing up in Connecticut, I’ve been to plenty of CT beaches, also. Connecticut beaches may not be as amazing as other beaches around the country and the world, but there are still plenty of great ones to visit.
On my Top 10 list of Connecticut beaches to visit is Compo Beach (60 Compo Beach Rd, Westport, CT).
Compo is located on Long Island Sound, so it’s salt water, but it’s technically not the ocean. Since it’s on the Sound, there aren’t any waves. The water is nice and calm, especially for little kids.
This beach is great for families.
As with many Connecticut beaches, the sand can be pretty rocky in places, so make sure you have flip flops or Crocs or water shoes for your kids.
While the rocks can be tough on the feet, at low tide by the jetties on the south end of the beach, the rocks are an amazing place to find all sorts of New England sea creatures. There are lots of crabs and shells and tiny fish in this area of the beach at low tide, and kids love exploring there.
The beach isn’t particularly long, but there is a nice sidewalk that extends along the length of it.
Another reason this beach is one of the best in CT is the playground. Compo has a great Trex playground, right on the beach.
It’s big and kids of all ages can enjoy it.
It’s got lots of hiding places, swings for big and little kids, slides, and opportunities for climbing.
In addition to the playground, there is a nice snack bar in case you don’t want to pack your own food,
or if you want to get your kids (or yourself) some ice cream.
There are two covered pavilion areas to eat, as well as tables with umbrellas.
There are outside showers,
and there is a special mat that runs down the beach from the parking lot making it easy for strollers or beach carts or wheelchairs to get down the beach.
Across the parking lot there is also a basketball court as well as a small skateboarding area.
There are two drawbacks to this beach: the cost of parking, and the area designated for people purchasing day passes.
The cost of 2018 day passes has increased significantly, ($40 on weekdays and $65 on weekends), and there is now a designated parking area for out-of-town visitors who purchase a day pass. Also, day passes are limited to 100 passes per day.
Obviously Westport is trying to limit the number of out-of-town visitors who come to Compo.
But with all the amenities that come along with the beach, you get a lot of bang for your buck. For families with young children the price of the day pass is worth it. Your kids have lots to do while they are at the beach.
Another option is to get dropped off at the beach. Then there is no cost since what you are purchasing with the day pass is a parking place.
If you want to make a full day of it at the beach, load up the car with as many people as you can and head to Compo. Then you can split the cost between everyone who goes to make it more affordable, and you’ll have a great time!
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That was my MIL’s beach growing up, and my husband worked a concession stand for his uncle there! Now we go to Waterford beach every year.
I’ll have to check out Waterford beach!
Was Compo Beach in Westport, CT ever a place for people to recuperate and relax for health reasons, such as Tuberculosis? When my mother was very young, in the early 1900’s, she had two postcards written by her mother while she was away in Compo Beach, to regain her strength and good health. I have always wondered about that location and would love to know more about it.
I grew up there in the 1980s going to beach school. My grandparents lived in walking distance . I have great memories and miss walking out on the rocks…