Many visitors wouldn't necessarily associate Beantown with beaches, but the fact is that there are a number of appealing Atlantic Ocean strands within easy reach (in many cases more so, even, than those on Cape Cod), which are popular with Bostonians as well as tourists who want to work in a dollop of sun and fun to their diet of history, museums, and other culture. There are more than a dozen contenders, and here's my pick for the top five: 

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