A Quick Traveler’s Guide to Cape Cod Massachusetts

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, what a place. Cape, Cod, Massachusetts is made up of 586 miles of coastline. From towns like Buzzards Bay, Hyannis, Chatham, Yarmouth, Truro, Wellfleet, Provincetown, and islands, such as, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, there’s a place and beach for every one.

I grew up taking many trips to Cape Cod with my parents. We would camp a couple times in the summer in Wellfleet and always had a good time. We spent a lot of time at Nauset, Cahoon Hollow and the Beachcomber, Lecount Hollow, and White Crest beaches. I think the beaches in Wellfleet are some of the prettiest in the whole country.

Thus, in this article, you will learn all about the best things to do in Cape Cod, Cape Cod hotels, Cape Cod airbnb, Cape Cod beaches, Cape Cod vacation rentals, Cape Cod things to do, Cape Cod directions, Cape Cod Winery Cape Cod house rentals, Cape Cod resorts, Cape Cod towns, restaurants, and more.

This post is all about Cape Cod.

Cape Cod:

Cape Cod Directions

Obviously, depending on where you live and your Cape Cod town destination, these will change. However, these are general directions for “bigger” cities nearby. If you are coming southbound, like New Hampshire, maybe Manchester, first, you want to get on I-293 South. Stay here for about 2 miles then merge onto I-93 South towards Salem and Boston. Then, shortly, take Exit 7 onto Route 3 South towards Cape Cod. Stay here for about 60 miles. Then at the roundabout take the second exit onto US-6 East, stay here for about 80 miles. Then, directions will change based on what town you are driving to.

If you are coming from Albany or the capital region of New York, you want to get on I-90 East towards Boston. You will stay here for about 138 miles and take Exit 106 towards NH and Maine to I-495. You will stay here, for about 70 miles. Then, you will get onto US- 6 East. After this, directions change depending on what town and or beach you are going to.

If coming from Boston, you will get on I-93 South. Stay here for about 9 miles and take Exit 7 to merge onto Route 3 South towards Cape Cod. Again, you will stay on here depending on what town/beach you are driving to. If coming from New Haven or Rhode Island you want to get on I-95 North towards Providence (ignore if live in Providence or further north) for about 40 miles. Then, get on I-195 and stay here for about 80 miles and take Exit 36A towards Cape Cod. Take Exit 40A towards Route 25 East to Cape Cod and stay here for about 25 miles. Then, again, directions change based on what town/beach you are visiting.

Best Cape Cod Towns

If you are going to stay on the Cape, I HIGHLY recommend driving the extra milage to Wellfleet, Truro, or Provincetown. In my opinion, these towns and beaches are SOO much prettier than the towns that are farther inland, such as, Hyannis, Dennis, and Yarmouth.

However, if you are planning to stay at either Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, you will have to catch a ferry from the Falmouth Harbor, in Hyannis, which is pretty central/inland of Cape Cod. For families, I really recommend any town, in Cape Cod. Cape Cod is a pretty family orientated, place. However, I do know Yarmouth and Dennis really are more known for their party atmosphere, but compared to other cities, these towns are quite tame. It really just depends on what you want to do while you are there. Wellfleet is a great family-friendly town and doesn’t have any downtown areas or night life. Here are the towns I recommend staying at, ordered from my favorite to least favorite.

1. Wellfleet
2. Provincetown
3. Truro
4. Nantucket
5. Martha’s Vineyard
6. Eastham
7. Orleans
8. Chatham
9. Hyannis
10. Yarmouth
11. Dennis

{Related Post : Best Lakes on the East Coast}

Cape Cod Hotels, AirBnBs & Vacation Rentals

Okay, so if you are planning a trip here, then you need a place to stay. There are many different hotels along all of the Cape to choose from. Here is a link to different AirBnBs in Cape Cod and different vrbos if you are interested in renting a house along the Cape. Cape Cod Vacation Rentals and Holiday Homes also have nice homes available for rent (mostly for 5 and above guests for weekly rentals). Some hotels and resorts that I recommend are:

1. Admiral’s Landing & Inn at Cook’s Street (pricey)
2. Provincetown Waterfront Studio
3. The Masthead Resort
4. Ellery Hotel Provincetown
5. Eastwood at Provincetown
6. Lotus Provincetown
7. The Villages at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club
8. Brewster Green Resort
9. The Cove Motel
10. Blue Dolphin Inn
11. Skaket Beach Motel
12. Chatham Tides
13. Chatham Wayside Inn
14. Chatham Bars Inn

Best Cape Cod Things to Do

1. Camping, I use to camp at Paine’s Campground, it is now called, Wellfleet Hollow State Campgrounds.
2. Go to the BEACHES!!!
3. I recommend going to some of the fresh water ponds such as, Gull, Great, Long & Duck Pond, you can find more here.
4. Kayaking and or paddle boarding, you can find some rentals here and at Jack’s in Cape Cod.
5. Bike or walk on one of the many bike trails in Cape Cod, the most popular being the Cape Cod Rail Trail, goes through a lot of towns along the coast, total of 22 miles. You can rent bikes here.
6. Boogie Board or Surf at the beaches, maybe bring a wetsuit, the water rarely gets above 65℉, the Cape is known for its cold temperatures. You can buy a cheap boogie board or rent it and a surf board.
7. Take Day Trips to either Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, or Monomoy Islands (8 mile stretch of just beach)
8. Go on one of the many tours listed here.
9. You can golf at one of the many golf courses.
10. Explore the downtown area in Provincetown on Commercial Street, buy some cool souvenirs, and see a drag show.
11. Go on a whale watching tour excursion.
12. More activities that you can find here.
13. Don’t forget to eat some ice cream while your on vacation!

Best Downtowns

Alright, the next place I recommend visiting is, Provincetown. Provincetown town is known for its eccentric feel/people, it’s laid-backness, and care-free attitude. I have seen many interesting things here, it is quite the place, but I love it! It is one of the gay capital’s of America and everyone is extremely fun, welcoming, and easy to talk to. Also, there are many drag shows you catch while here. Some beaches I suggest going to in Provincetown are Herring Cove beach, and Race Point Beach (might see nudity on these beaches).

{Related Post : Best Beaches Along the East Coast}

Best Cape Cod Beaches

The next beaches on our list, are my FAVORITE, and most of them are in Wellfleet.

1. White Crest
2. Marconi National Seashore
3. Nauset
4. Lecount Hollow
5. Mayflower
6. Cahoon Hollow and the Beach Comber (bar/restaurant)

Best Cape Cod Restaurants

1. Pj’s Snackshack, great fried calms and ice cream, in Wellfleet
2. Betsy’s Dinner, Falmouth
3. The Lanyard Bar & Grill, in Harwich
4. Red Barn Pizza in Eastham
5. C Salt Wine Bar in Falmouth
6. Moby Dick’s in Wellfleet
7. The Wicked Oyster in Wellfleet
8. Mac’s Shack in Wellfleet
9. Winslow’s Tavern in Wellfleet
10. Pearl Restaurant & Bar in Wellfleet
11. Spinnaker in Brewster
12. The Mew’s Restaurant & Cafe in Provincetown
13. The Lobster Pot in Provincetown
14. The Impudent Oyster in Chatham
15. Spanky’s Clam Shack & Seafood Saloon in Hyannis
16. Cape Cod Winery
17. And plenty more that you can find here.

And that wraps up all the amazing things to do while staying at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I truly love Cape Cod and it feels like a second home to me. I love that the beaches further out are less built up and they aren’t homes right on the beach. In addition, I love seeing the sand dunes and miles of miles of beaches. In my opinion they are the prettiest beaches along the east coast. Thank you so much for reading and I hope this article was helpful.

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