Abstract Indigenous peoples occupy many of the world's coastal zones, and have used and managed coastal and marine resources for millennia. As a result they have accumulated extensive knowledge about these environments that supported their ability to colonize new territories in the past and informs their on-going adaptive responses to environmental, climatic and socio-cultural changes. This paper examines the adaptive capacity of Indigenous peoples over time and across a range of coastal settings. It begins with a discussion of some reasons for the relative neglect, until recently, of cultural adaptations in coastal settings. The experiences of a selection of Indigenous groups in each of three coastal zones – Arctic, Temperate and Tropical – are then explored in relation to various adaptive mechanisms they have employed traditionally as well as in contemporary contexts. Comparison across these experiences indicates that Indigenous peoples regard the coast as an integral component of a land–sea continuum that provides enhanced food security, important cultural and spiritual attachments, and valuable opportunities for social interaction and learning. Coastal science and policy initiatives stand to benefit from greater consideration of the adaptive strategies of Indigenous coastal peoples.