Sea of tranquillity

DISTANCE FROM BOSTON: 60 miles
POPULATION: 14,715
WEBSITE: www.westport-ma.com
ODD FACT: In the early 20th century, Westport was home to a grand summer community on the beachfront, much of which was washed away in the hurricane of 1938. Westport Harbor lost most of its houses and East Beach lost 60.

Some destinations beckon with a crash and a boom; Westport lures with a subdued whisper. But what a lovely whisper. Perched on the south coast, where the Westport River converges with Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay, Westport is a place for the world-weary to restore and regroup. Family farms, historic structures, and a handful of sweet shops and restaurants form the core of the town, amid an inviting backdrop of water views and pastoral beauty.