Compo Beach

I’d give the beach a 5 star review but the gate keeper was really super rude. Before I even suggested that I wasn’t staying I just asked if it was $ 30 for parking year round and she said «yes so if you want something free you should go somewhere else!» I ignored her and asked her about the yearly passes and was told «they were all sold out.» I said okay well we are going to stay. And she said «okay then go around and pull in the correct spot.» No one was around and I was with my 2 small daughters and no one was behind me but I did what she asked and then came around (the small circle while she laughed) and went almost into the «wrong» one again and she yelled «nope don’t back up keep trying until you get it right!» Again no one had come through yet so I gave her my money and she said «you finally got it!» What is this woman doing in a county/​town position??? It was completely inappropriate and I’ve been coming here since 2005 and never had any sort of treatment like this. The beach is kept beautiful and as is the town. She should not be the face of this beautiful destination or in any position the represents Westport.

I stumbled upon this place by accident and it was an amazing find! I took my puppy and we walked along the shore and she sniffed some shells and climbed rocks! It was a new experience for her since she never been to a beach before! I definitely would go back!
Conclusion: I recommend it and I would go back!

I will never get tired of this place. Yes, it’s the long island sound, but I love this beach as I’ve grown up in the area for every other reason that the ice cold water and rocky sand.
I bring everyone from out of town here and they love it. Even if it’s picking up sandwiches and bringing them here to eat and then walking the getty.
First of all, this beach always had the coolest playground. They rebuilt it since I was a kid but it’s still a very special unique and crazy awesome playground. There are basketball courts baseball field and half pipes also. Very family friendly.
The concession stand, Joeys, has upped their game with dinner and lunch foods! Snacks and ice creams. And the pavilion is right next door offering shade and a breeze. If you continue down that way there are canons on the corner. We loved to climb up them as kids and have photos sitting on them. Turn right and you’ll see tons of picnics benches and grills. My family loves having dinner at compo in the summer, get the before 5 on Angeles night to get a spot and good luck on the weekends. Past there are the boats which are fun to walk through and look at.
All the way at the other end of the beach is where I love to go on walks and you’ll pass many jobbers bikers and moms with strollers in the morning. It’s a beautiful walk that I usually end when I hit El Viras and get myself an iced coffee or breakfast wrap.
Tips: you can bring alc and drinks but no glass. Go before 5 if you want a picnick table. Daily parking rates available if you don’t hAve a pass.

It’s probably a good option for those whom live around but it’s definitely not a hidden gem.
I have seen many beaches (not talking about nj shores) and this beach is like a bay area, nothing special. great option for locals, for touristic attraction not worth the trip.
If you own a boat/​yacht, there are many great places you can stop by. Don’t waste your time.

Great family beach… very clean bathrooms
Only con is that parking for out of state car is 50 dollars, but its worth it. trust me.

I like Compo, although I think of it much more as a «bay beach» than a full-​on, honest to goodness beach. Why? No waves and pretty slim beach. It can get crowded during all the typical crowded times. Still, the sand is nice sand, and the snack bar is pretty good (though expensive).
Anyway, pretty great. I always have a resident pass, so cost isn’t a concern for me.

Came here after dinner for a lovely stroll along the beach. The view is simply breathtaking especially at night because of the sunset reflecting on the ocean. Pretty romantic spot for all ages and a lot of things happening on the beach where people set up tents, BBQs, or just lounging around.
The beach needs to really maintain the bathroom because the walkway to the bathroom had poop and also on the bathroom floor which makes me nausea.

Compo beach is one of the best. Clean, lots of beach and a great newly updated snack bar. One star off for their ridiculous parking fee but that’s somewhat easy to avoid if you don’t mind a walk or bike ride away.
The snack bar is actually beautiful. Brand new, lots of food and ice cream options. Plus they sell gear and sunscreen if you forget yours at home.
Great area to eat under the shade with picnic benches. Somewhat okay bathrooms (for a beach) and outdoor showers for those wanting to cool off but would never set foot in nasty LIS.
Overall a very nice beach and one of the best in the area.

Very pleasant, great scenery, Joeys by the Shore is always amazing. Love it here.

A beach in New England is what it is. This one is attractive, civilized, and actually has sand. High out-​of-​towner fees keep the riffraff out. Any doubts, see Calf Pasture.

Beautiful beach! We live one mile down the road, and it’s such a wonderful place to go and relax in the summertime.
The good news is, they don’t allow anyone to play music on a radio — only iPods, etc are allowed. And the high fees for non-​residents keep too many people from going, which would lead to an overcrowded beach.
The bad news is, there are a lot of people who drop their families off, then park far away and walk. Generally, these have been the few and far between families I’ve literally seen SPIT on the beach and leave garbage. NOBODY does that at Compo, and to see it is an absolute travesty… people who behave in that manner clearly do NOT value where they are, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed in (whether they paid for parking, are a Resident, or were dropped-​off).

$ 30 – 50? You’ve got to be kidding me! We found a free beach half a mile up the road just as nice. It’s just that there are only about seven parking spots by the free beach, but if you get one you save a good chunk of change! Both are very nice beaches for sunning and swimming.

There are places in this world where restricting coastal access to the very wealthy is considered to be immoral and unjust. Fairfield County, and especially Compo Beach, is just not one of them.
It IS a beautiful beach… but you have to go at the right time.
Wrong times to go: Summer, especially weekends, daytime. Two reasons: 1) Parking fee is now $ 50 on weekends, $ 30 on weekdays, 2) to spend your day on a crowded beach PACKED with screaming children. I mean for families with money, its probably ideal. But I’m a broke grad student who just wants to go running on a quiet beach in the evening, and/​or watch the sunset.
How to evade the fee? Let me count the ways I’ve tried.
Street parking: Basically, there’s none for miles. This, of course, is intentional.
Summer, late-​night: There WILL be a staff person sitting in the booth to collect your $ 50, even at 9 pm.
Ride bikes to the beach: What could be more fun?!
Winter: Free parking! Peaceful and quiet.
Going Elsewhere: There are plenty of local beaches that don’t charge as much for parking, and that are prettier. But for some reason, Compo keeps luring me back in. Out of habit perhaps? The challenge of getting there? Or is it just that pretty?

it’s a beach for rich white people, so it has a very high fee and tremendous facilities – great snack bar, showers, often free books from the library (yes really!), lovely lawns and playgrounds… everything but beer.
good for families with kids.
beach is rocky near the water so if you like to swim, hi tide is very much better. since it’s the LI Sound, warmish salty water and few waves.
not a huge, wide ocean beach but very mellow and relaxing.

Nice beach — painful beach fee though ($ 50?!). We stopped by for a few hours w/​our kids, they loved it. Playground is nice, there’s a restaurant nearby. Hard to complain. Then again, it is the sound, so you have that lovely seashell gravel everywhere. But we’ll return.

Wonderful beach any time of year. In the summer, enjoy the sand and water. In the spring and autumn, enjoy the playground, skate park, and soccer field. In the winter, just walking up and down the seashore searching for sea glass is fun. I will note that the children’s playground is extensive and awesome.
Note to high schoolers — it’s a great place to make out at night. Just sayin’.
During the SUMMER only, if you’re not a Westport resident, the admission fee is very expensive. If you are a resident (or know someone who is), a parking pass is the way to go. I can understand charging for parking, but I really can’t understand charging for beach access. Oh, well. There are plenty of other places to hang out by the shore (albeit without sand).
Off-​season, the beach and parking are free to all!
Still, because it’s the best beach in Fairfield County, it gets five stars.

Best beach in Fairfield County by far, especially when it comes to amenities. Food stand, children’s playground, marina, skate park, pavillions, boat launch, soccer and baseball fields, as well as basketball. Beach speaks for itself, just can’t take a bad photo.

Compo Beach is a beautiful place. We’re from Southern California, the home of wide, long, sandy beaches. Unfortunately, Compo doesn’t compare in terms of size and width, but it is really the best beach we saw so far in CT. It’s very pretty and has a decent amount of sand.
Another thing we learned to appreciate about our state CA, is that the entire coastline is public and free.
Not so much over here… before May 1^st, Compo beach access is free, and after that, it’s something like $ 20 to access and $ 20 to park, for people who don’t have a sticker saying they reside in Westport CT…
All I can say about that is: WTH, that’s outrageous!
One tip is to drive along the beach road til you hit a spot along the side where parking is free on the side of the road… it is limited to like 5 cars or so.

4.5 stars. Nice long beach. Very clean. They’ve got a nice indoor concession stand, good restroom facilities and outdoor shower areas. Also a nice good sized wooden playground area. The admission is a stiff $ 40 on the weekend during the summer months for non-​residents.