Plymouth

Plymouth is a port town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, extending across coastal areas with forests, Atlantic beaches, and numerous ponds that form a natural gateway to Cape Cod Bay. The town center lies along the water and includes colonial buildings, museum complexes, and recreation areas along several miles of shoreline.

Colonists aboard the Mayflower established their settlement here in December 1620, creating the first permanent European colony in New England. The community evolved from a farming village into a maritime center for shipbuilding and rope production over the following centuries.

The harbor serves as a departure point for whale watching and fishing trips, while several 17th-century buildings still stand along the main streets. Reconstructed settlements show how early colonists and Wampanoag families built their homes and spent their days.

The town center offers numerous restaurants, shops, and accommodations within walking distance of the rock monument and the waterfront district. Visitors find paved paths along the coast and marked routes to historical sites that spread across several street blocks.

The Plymouth Cordage Company operated here from 1824 to 1964, growing into the largest rope manufacturer in the world. Its factory buildings covered several large structures along the harbor, now converted into apartments and commercial spaces.