I almost hesitate to write about the tiny island colony of New Castle NH in New Hampshire’s Seacoast Region. It’s just a two-minute drive across a causeway bridge from Portsmouth NH, and a million miles away, vibe wise.
(For more dreamy escapes in New Hampshire, check our our Best Romantic Getaways in NH).
Homes – hundreds of years old – bear placards indicating their historic pedigree. The people who live here are more stewards of the past than just folks who own dwellings.
Meander around narrow streets that run to the water, and you’ll most likely see these homeowners puttering around in their front yard, weeding, watering spring flowers in season. Or walking their dogs and gathering in nearby parks.
It’s all so idyllic and serene: a true time-warp for the soul.
Where to Stay, Where To Eat, And What to Do in New Castle NH
STAY: Great Island Inn
Not exactly (or at all) a traditional inn, the well-dressed Great Island Inn is actually a collection of studio and one-bedroom apartments “for the independent traveler:” just perfect for the Airbnb Generation.
Book one of 12 individual units, get a code and instructions to enter, and welcome to your tranquil, well located, and cozy dwelling.
How quiet is this place? Owners advise that “If you arrive after 9pm, we ask that you be mindful of your neighbors, who may be sleeping.”
First Impressions of Great Island Inn
On the main road, across from New Castle Town Hall (and next to the Frost Family Cemetery – with headstones dating back to the early 1600’s), the Great Island Inn provides a taste of New World New England with modern luxuries.
Twelve rooms and apartments are located in two adjacent renovated buildings. My flat, #11, was up a steep set of stairs, and offered incredible sunrise views over the neighboring Colonial-Era homes and Portsmouth Harbor.
Galley Kitchen
Although apartments differ in size and configuration, many have kitchens that feature SMEG refrigerators, coffee makers, flat screen TV’s – and, at least in mine – a full washer and dryer in the bathroom.
For those staying long term – or have been on the road or camping out prior to your arrival – this is an unheard-of perk for an “Inn.” But, like an inn, items in the mini bar are for purchase.
Bed and Bathroom
A comfy bed dressed in handsome Ralph Lauren-esque bedcovers takes up most of the small bedroom.
The bathroom, stocked with Malin + Goetz products, gleams in white tile, punched up by an artsy octopus shower curtain.
Islander Cafe
The only casual restaurant open year-round in New Castle, the Islander Cafe is literally and conveniently right downstairs. Small but growing more popular by the month, it serves up great coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Opened in 2023, the cafe, according to an employee, “used to be a hidden gem. Now it’s just a gem.” Apparently, once nearly invisible to outsiders, New Castle is growing in visibility.
Neighborhood
Walk out the door in the morning, and you’re more likely to see folks walking dogs, tending their slip of a front yard garden, or, for the lucky few with homes directly on the water, sipping coffee overlooking the river.
“New Castle is its own little world,” an ap developer told me. “You wouldn’t believe the number of tech entrepreneurs who live here after tiring of New York or California.”
More Things To Do Near Great Castle Inn
Wander around
There’s really no need to speed walk here. You can get to what I assumed to be the Dog Park – based on the number of people and pooches I saw there, the Coast Guard Base, and the ship pier in about 5 minutes if you meander.
Frost Family Cemetery
Small and well-tended, the Frost Cemetery (not related to the poet, Robert Frost) is both historic and quite beautiful. Those looking for headstones dated well before the Revolutionary War will find them here – most from the early 1700’s. One, for the obviously beloved Reverend John Blunt, bears the inscription, Safe is the sleep of saints – in Peace they lie. They rest in Silence, but they never die.
Great Island Common Beach
Turn left on Ocean Street – and walk to the dead end where you’ll find a rocky beach that’s part of Great Island Common (a 32-acre public park). Good thing you walked – to get into the Common, the town charges for vehicles – and you’d be hard pressed to find a parking place in season, anyway.
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
If you’re a Lighthouse fan, you’ll thrill to the dead-on views of the much-photographed Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse from the end of Ocean Street.
Alternate Stay and Dine: Wentworth By the Sea
If you’re looking for a more full-service, genteel hotel experience, book a room at Wentworth By The Sea – just a mile from Great Island Inn. Off-season, actually, its excellent Salt Kitchen and Bar is the only place to have dinner in New Castle.
The 1874 Wentworth By the Sea was a landmark in Victorian-era travel. One of New Hampshire’s last grand hotels, with as imposing a history as the presence it commands on Portsmouth Harbor.
President Teddy Roosevelt earned the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize by negotiating, in absentia, the end of the Russo-Japanese war here. (The Treaty of Portsmouth). Treaty delegates stayed at Wentworth for 30 days at no charge, while conducting formal negotiations.
Though much of the hotel was renovated in 2003, the central portion, including the main entrance and lobby fireplace, remain intact. As a full-service resort, rooms are luxe and come with a number of amenities and activities.
