You don't have to travel far to feel like you're in England, France, or Italy.
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Summer's still in full swing, and so is the urge to travel to Europe. If hopping on the next flight to the French Riviera, Italy's Venice, Portugal's Algarve, or the many islands of Greece is not in the cards right now, though, there are many—and we really do mean many—American beach towns that look straight out of a European postcard. European charm meets nearby glorious sandy beaches? Yes, please.
From a taste of Greece down in Florida and Dutch charm in Michigan to touches of Spain and France in South Carolina, scroll through to see our favorite American beach towns that, even without squinting, look a whole lot like you've jumped the pond.
Alys Beach could be considered Mykonos's twin. The beach town's whitewashed buildings and geometric rooftops mirror those of Greece's beloved island.
Known for its stunning beaches and quaint village shops, one particular view stops us in our tracks: the rock formations along its coastline—a perfect dupe for Portugal's Algarve.
It goes without saying which European country is the inspiration behind this town. Smack in its center, everything is Dutch sweetness. (We're talking windmills and tulips, as you can see.) But there's a beach too—a lake beach, courtesy of the nearby Holland State Park.
Los Angeles's Bohemian enclave features a residential area crisscrossed with canals—hence the name it shares with the Italian city that inspired it. Ironically, though, the neighborhood resembles another beloved European city even more: Amsterdam. Two for the price of one?
Though Virginia Beach is a bit of a drive away, Alexandria sits on the Potomac, meaning there's water aplenty. But there's something else too: a Scottish heritage, which is not only evident in the architecture but also the restaurants—and even the traditions upheld (like the annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend).
Carmel-by-the-Sea is truly a sight to behold. While the coastline is reminiscent of Italy's Cinque Terre, its downtown—complete with cobblestone streets lined with thatched-roof shops—looks like something out of a German fairy tale.
If you think of Washington as simply one big, rainy forest, then you've probably read Twilight a few too many times. (Guilty as charged.) But Poulsbo is something else entirely. Sitting pretty on Liberty Bay, it's known as "Little Norway"—and in fact, Norse immigrants chose to settle there in the 1880s because of its resemblance to their home country.
Wish you were sunning in the Greek Isles? Lucky for you, there's an option much closer to home: Avalon. The town, which sits on Santa Catalina Island, hugs the kind of harbor you only imagine in the Mediterranean—and plenty of its restaurants nod to that.
While this port city on Charleston Harbor gets its name from a British king (Charles II, to be exact), its cobblestone streets and stout, colorful buildings evoke mainland Europe—especially Spain and France. No visit is complete, of course, without a trip to one of the area's beaches, like Isle of Palms or Folly Beach.
Victoria Beach is just one of the many beautiful beaches you can find in Laguna Beach (within the limits of Orange County, or, as you might know it, the O.C.). But this one's particularly special, as it's home to La Tour, a 60-foot castle-inspired tower worthy of German fairy-tale heroine Rapunzel.
Rosemary Beach was designed to look like a Dutch village—and mission accomplished. The cobblestone streets are filled with colorful shops topped with scalloped awnings and wooden balconies. (The Pearl Hotel seen here is just one gorgeous example.) Romantic doesn't even begin to cover it.
More simply known as Coronado, this manmade island sits right across from San Diego. And its most famous landmark? The historic Hotel del Coronado, an undeniably grand example of Britain's Victorian architecture in the form of a resort (once frequented by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe).
Located on the coastline of Georgia, Savannah is, of course, home to many a nearby beach—but to find its European roots, one must venture to the city itself. The riverfront homes are very European in design as is the basilica. Then, of course, there are the town squares draped in Spanish moss.
The Azores archipelago is composed of nine gorgeously lush volcanic islands—much like our Hawaii. As Oahu is both volcanic and verdant, it's a perfect match.
Between the flags, the colonial architecture, and the lobster rolls, downtown Newport is about as American as it gets. But its mansions, including the Vanderbilt-owned Breakers? Versailles, eat your heart out!
One of the country's very first resort towns has a 144-year-old hotel (Congress Hall) to prove it. But it's especially well-known for its dozens of Victorian gingerbread homes, many of which are now bed-and-breakfasts.
If it's the Spanish Mediterranean you long for, Santa Barbara is the town for you. Just one look at the city's courthouse—called the "grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built" by architect Charles Willard Moore—is all you'll need to feel instantly transported.
St. Augustine offers many pristine beaches, but as the "nation's oldest city," it's also home to a seemingly endless supply of Spanish colonial architecture.
Maryland's capital features many an 18th-century brick home, plus the iconic domed Maryland State House. This, coupled with the Beaux Arts architecture of the famed United States Naval Academy, gives the city a distinctly European flair. (Can't you envision a European-style Christmas market here?) Thanks to its waterfront locale, it also has beaches, which you can find in Sandy Point State Park.
While Montauk is indeed part of New York's famed Hamptons, the hamlet sets itself apart by boasting the aesthetic of a Danish fishing town. (Just look at that lighthouse!)
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