Beauty & the beach
Escape to Manomet cottages for summertime magic
There’s a beach escape barely an hour south of Boston that’s so pristine and lovely that Thoreau captured its beauty in poetry, and even today, visitors talk about days spent there as magical.
Here’s the hitch: It’s near impossible to visit. White Horse Beach, in the Manomet section of Plymouth (“The Met” as loyalists call it), is just 1.3 miles of sandy shore. But within that small area you’ll find dunes, tidal pools, a famous “Flag” rock (no, not that rock), seals frolicking off the shore and sometimes — when you’re lucky — a pod of right whales playing off the point.
But with extremely limited parking (basically, none for the general public and a small lot for those who hold town beach permits), and no near-beach hotels or motels, those who savor days at the Met have to be connected.
A friend who owns a home might let you park in their driveway. Or if you get really lucky, you score a quick-to-book-up rental.
Good news: Now there’s a way in — and it’s got a sense of magic all its own.
Called The Calico Seahorse, (thecalicoseahorse.com) at 90 White Horse Drive in Plymouth, this is no mere cottage rental or motel setting. It’s a curated hamlet.
A labor of love by Johanna Jalbert and her partner Costa Konstantinopoulos, the Calico Seahorse is akin to a quaint, colorful neighborhood set just steps from beach access.
The cottages were in disrepair when Jalbert found them in 2019, but the place’s layout and history spoke to her.
While there are many stories on what the cottages were, Jalbert best connects to the local tale that they were once the summer housing for stars who traveled there to perform summer stock at the Priscilla
Beach Theatre. That means that Paul Newman, Rob Reiner, Estelle Parsons and many others could have once lodged in your space.
Today, the cottages are bright and airy blending the historic (like the original wood floors in many) and modern (air conditioning, modern appliances). Each has its own theme — like the Sintra, with the bright flair of Portugal, or the Santorini, which echoes the Greek Islands. You can chose a tiny one for just you, a larger one that sleeps seven, and a few in between.
Each has a patio and outdoor seating and a modern grill. There are mingling spots too — like larger fire pits and a garden. Within hours of arriving, you’ll find you meet friends and get the feel of a summer community.
Each cottage is also stocked with beach chairs, umbrellas and even a cart to
pull it all down the street to the beach itself.
It’s what the cottages give you access to that brings it all home: the Met itself and White Horse Beach.
Manomet was a thriving tourist spot in the early 20th century, with a rail car that brought folks there and back, some beachside hotels (none exist now), bars and even a bowling alley.
Today, it’s quieter but still special. The “town center” is a post office (once that bowling alley) and the White Horse General Store (both just steps from the cottages).
The General Store is worth the trip. Any kid who grew up in — or visited — a beach town knows the place. Packed into a simple building you’ll find just about anything you might need: sunscreen, penny candy, ice cream, beach books, beach toys and more.
The beach itself is the
main show. An arc of soft white sand tucked into the southern part of Plymouth, with Long Beach and downtown to the north and Cedarville (and the Cape) to the south.
It’s public, for the most part, but feels like a neighborhood. Most of those set up there are regulars.
Walk to Manomet Point and grab a lobster roll at the Lobster Pound – where the lobster is truly fresh and you can sit at a picnic table looking out at miles of coastline. Or walk toward the center of town (just a half mile from the cottages) and grab a soft serve at Gellar’s, where they’ve been serving ice cream, burgers and more for nearly a century.
Or head to the beach for a quiet sunrise or moonrise. Watching that with the lapping waves against the backdrop of Flag Rock is a moment you’ll hold forever.