The Important Information to Cape Cod, Massachusetts

This geographic flexed arm jutting from the Massachusetts mainland is greater than only a quirky form on the map—it’s additionally a den of coastal appeal and salty heritage.

Cape Cod’s sandy stretch of dunes and kettle ponds has lengthy laid out its welcome mat for these in want of refuge and respite, from the early days of the Mayflower’s “saints and strangers,” who anchored in Provincetown Harbor, to generations of native Cape Codders and “washashores” (the time period locals use for persons are not from the world).

The spit’s relative isolation has helped protect each its bohemian enclaves, like Provincetown and Wellfleet, in addition to its statelier corners, corresponding to Osterville, Hyannis Port, and Chatham. However the Cape is evolving. A wave of latest full-time residents, drawn by distant work and a post-pandemic way of life shift, has sparked a change. 

“The cape is not somewhat sleepy resort city anymore. It is actually a thriving mecca for year-round dwelling,” mentioned Marc Sievers, a cookbook writer and proprietor of Fête Among the many Flowers in Osterville. “It truly is beginning to change into a vacation spot that persons are seeing as greater than only a fast weekend.”

Whether or not you’re chasing sunsets or getting misplaced in a hydrangea-lined village, let the nice occasions of Cape Cod butter up your lobster roll.

This is what you must know earlier than planning a visit to Cape Cod.

Finest Inns & Resorts

Chatham Bars Inn

Longtime Cape luxurious mainstay Chatham Bars Inn is residence to the top of summer season socializing, the place oysters and rosé at The Veranda can cap a day of studying from a personal seaside cabana overlooking Aunt Lydia’s Cove. The last word splurge is a spa suite with a personal steam bathe and hydrotherapy tub.

Wequassett Resort and Golf Membership

Wequassett Resort and Golf Membership encompasses acres of hydrangea-filled gardens, and there are many methods to cross a summer season day, right here—from kayaking to clandestine cocktails. Wequasset’s visitor rooms, villas, and cottages not too long ago underwent a renovation that was accomplished simply in time for the resort’s 2025 centennial celebration. “When individuals assume ‘luxurious’ on the Cape, it is in all probability the primary,” mentioned Gayle Price, a longtime Cape Codder and New England’s doyenne of dish, who cowrote the Boston Herald’s Inside Observe gossip column for 25 years.

Awol Provincetown

There’s no higher spot to catch sundown than at Awol Provincetown, situated within the far West Finish overlooking the moors. Visitor rooms and suites at this motel-turned-glam-retreat have a classy, minimalist vibe that carries exterior to the fireplace pits and pool space, the place neighbors for the week toast with cocktails from the guest-only bar.

Candleberry Inn

This Brewster bed-and-breakfast was named one of many finest inns on the earth by Journey + Leisure readers in 2024. You may really feel like a fancy sea captain at this Georgian-style residence that is only a brief stroll from Cape Cod Bay seashores. Breakfast is a decadent unfold, however you’ll additionally discover considerate touches like a personalised package deal of goodies awaiting you within the eating room every afternoon after a day of exploring.  

Bluebird Dennisport

Lark Inns (the identical dad or mum firm behind AWOL Provincetown) transformed this former motor lodge right into a up to date, beach-y retreat that provides company a classy, wood-paneled place to relaxation amid a summer season sojourn to the Cape with out all of the bells and whistles—and exorbitant peak nightly charges—of a number of the space’s extra established luxurious choices.

Finest Issues to Do

Go to Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore.

This stretch of seashores, ponds, and wooded trails working from Chatham to Provincetown was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and has a number of the area’s hottest sandy stretches, like Ptown’s Race Level Seashore and Nauset Seashore in Orleans.

“The Province Lands, a part of the Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore, are my favourite escape,” mentioned Ken Fulk, an inside designer who splits his time between San Francisco and Provincetown. “Right here you’ll discover miles of motorbike trails, tidal swimming pools in which you’ll float alongside like a lazy river, and huge stretches of usually empty seashores—and don’t miss the prospect to hike throughout the immense dunes out to the nice Atlantic.”

Stroll by way of Heritage Museum & Gardens.

The Cape’s iconic hydrangeas are solely a small piece of this 100-acre property, celebrating the rhododendrons initially hybridized by Charles Dexter, who experimented and produced a whole lot of 1000’s of the flower varieties that also bloom on the property right now. Flowers could also be the principle present, however the Heritage Museum & Gardens additionally has a classic automobile assortment and a working classic carousel.

See the Pilgrim Monument.

The cross-bay rivals of Plymouth and Provincetown lovingly spar over who has a greater declare because the Pilgrims’ preliminary arrival vacation spot. Guests will discover one thing a bit extra spectacular on the almost 253-foot granite Pilgrim Monument that lords over Provincetown. It was constructed within the early twentieth century to honor the Pilgrims’ five-week stint on the Outer Cape, and it is a good various to the (reasonably infamously) underwhelming Plymouth Rock. Plus, you’ll be able to climb to the highest and absorb sweeping bayside and Atlantic Ocean views.

Catch a present at The Cape Playhouse.

This Dennis, Massachusetts, stage can really feel like Broadway’s summer season camp, given that everybody from Bernadette Peters and Julie Andrews to Humphrey Bogart and Henry Fonda has carried out right here since its 1927 inception. In the present day, you’ll be able to look forward to finding domestically orchestrated productions of hits like “Hire” and “Waitress.”

Watch the sundown at Chapin Memorial Seashore.

Deciding which Cape Cod seaside is the very best for taking in a sundown with a sip of one thing fabulous can really feel like selecting a favourite youngster. However the expansive tidal flats and seclusion of Chapin Memorial Seashore can really feel actually otherworldly. “In case you can catch low tide at sundown, your head will explode,” mentioned Adam Dunn, who co-owns The Pheasant restaurant in Dennis along with his spouse. “There’s this jaw-dropping view on the market.”

Finest Procuring

Cuffy’s

Positive, there are outlets hawking Cape Cod-emblazoned t-shirts and merchandise all through the whole peninsula, however Cuffy’s is a neighborhood establishment that now has a boardwalk-themed flagship filled with all of the swag wanted to outfit you, your loved ones, and any buddy again residence that wants a thank-you reward for checking your mail.

Fête Among the many Flowers

These searching for somewhat Cape design inspiration will discover simply the correct residence accents at this Osterville specialty meals and floral store that additionally sells throws, candles, and different small items. It is the right place to search out that treat-yourself splurge. 

Sandwich Antiques Middle

Whether or not you’re searching for a Tiffany lamp or a framed last menu from the Queen Mary, odds are you’ll discover it (and a slew of different classic treasures) at this 5,000-square-foot emporium of eccentric finds. You might also want to choose up a classic suitcase to cart your items again residence.

Browse Industrial Avenue in Provincetown.

It’s laborious to choose a selected gallery, boutique, or espresso store to go to on Industrial Avenue, however we’ll attempt.

“A number of of my favourite outlets embody The Captain’s Daughters for the right t-shirt, Clove and Creek for the very best items, and the hidden John Derian store tucked in an impossibly charming shed behind his home—you’ll need every little thing,” Fulk mentioned.

Different locals within the know all the time swing by for seaside provisions at Pop+Dutch, the city’s go-to spot for sandwiches and sass. You may discover ceremonial dinner staples at Perry’s Superb Wine & Liquors, an it’s-an-insult-to-just-call-it-a-wine-shop type of institution hawking every little thing from hard-to-procure champagne and caviar to charcuterie and dips (plus, there are complimentary treats for the numerous four-legged guests that come to city).

Nightlife

Wellfleet Beachcomber

Dune erosion means you by no means fairly know what the car parking zone goes to appear like every Memorial Day opening weekend on the Wellfleet Beachcomber, however the good occasions are all the time the identical. Imbibing with a rum-forward Goombay Smash to the sounds of a neighborhood rock band efficiency is virtually a ceremony of passage for a Cape Codder’s summer season Saturday evening. “I will need to have been a youngster once they first opened it, they usually’ve been pumping out dance music and oysters ever since,” Price mentioned.

The Atlantic Home

The Atlantic Home, or the A-Home, has been Ptown’s most iconic watering gap for greater than 200 years—and has one of many best-known LGBTQ+ dance flooring for an excellent chunk of that span. The drinks are robust, and the ceilings are low (to not point out the lopsided dance flooring). However the line snaking down an alley and up the principle street is an indicator that that is the place to spend a raucous evening all yr lengthy.

Finest Eating places

Ceraldi

The seven-course tasting menu at Ceraldi is a celebration of domestically sourced elements and staples from the ocean with an Italian twist (assume: beef shank with Cape Cod blueberries and polenta arriving after a lobster risotto course). Preserve a hawk eye on availability, as an open seat at this Wellfleet chef’s desk doesn’t come round usually.

Sal’s Place

An additional plate of meatballs or platter of cauliflower Caesar salad all the time appears to seem whereas diners debate who has the very best entrée (rooster carbonara or lobster alla vodka, anybody?) en route at this candlelit Italian treasure in Ptown’s West Finish. “It’s the clubhouse for the city’s luminaries and washashores alike,” Fulk mentioned.

The Pheasant

Fried seafood baskets have lengthy been Cape menu staples, however the arrival of The Pheasant in Dennis performed a serious function in elevating the fame of the native eating scene. Caviar service can kick issues off earlier than indulgences like lamb osso bucco and blood orange cheesecake.

“It’s this fabulous previous construction with plank flooring, shiplap partitions, and previous oil work, however then they’ve a fully killer wine record and a fully over-the-top, inventive however nonetheless earthy menu,” mentioned Sievers.

Sesuit Harbor Café

Clearly, one can’t go to Cape Cod with out splurging on at the very least some fried seafood. Sesuit Harbor Café serves heaping piles of fried entire stomach clams, shrimp, scallops, and oysters (plus lobster rolls, in fact) with waterfront views from picnic tables. Plus, it’s BYOB. “We’ll deliver a tablecloth, glassware, wine, and make it a factor,” mentioned Erica Dunn, who’s married to Adam Dunn, and co-owns The Pheasant with him.

Sundae Faculty

Choosing a favourite ice cream store on the Cape is as heated a debate as something you’ll discover on Capitol Hill. Sundae Faculty affords all of the classics (don’t miss the ice cream pies or the oh-so-popular banana splits) at areas in each Harwich Port and Dennisport.

Finest Time to Go to

The summer season season runs between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and is finest for individuals who need the comfort of extra frequent ferry service from Boston or airline service into Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Some seasonal eating places and outlets don’t stay open exterior this timeframe, however the shoulder season from Labor Day by way of Halloween is an more and more in style time to go to. Most retailers and eating places stay open, resort and Airbnb charges are decrease, and sunny seaside days are nonetheless attainable.

Get to Cape Cod

Driving to Cape Cod over its two primary entry factors (the Bourne and Sagamore bridges) and the following summer season exercise is a part of the “appeal” and simply the preferred solution to get to trip. However 90-minute ferries from Boston—which has the closest main airport, Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS)—are a straightforward solution to eclipse the Outer Cape visitors. Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis has seasonal service on choose main U.S. carriers, plus year-round Cape Air service. The Hyannis Transportation Middle has weekend rail service to Boston within the summers and year-round bus connections.

Cities to Go to

Provincetown

The Cape’s longtime haven for the bohemian, the eclectic, and the LGBTQ+ group has additionally change into one in all its toniest—whereas nonetheless sustaining the appeal that pulls individuals within the first place.

“Provincetown is as shut as I ever really feel to being a child once more,” Fulk mentioned. “We journey bikes recklessly down the slender avenue, bounce with abandon into the chilly harbor, then nap like a child curled up with moist canines. May there be extra pleasure?”

Chatham

This lace-curtained enclave of the luxurious and fabulous additionally has boutiques for trendy post-beach dinner garb and housewares in addition to jaw-dropping waterfront actual property for these trying to actually splurge on a summertime residence.

Wellfleet

This artist group beckons these searching for galleries to peruse, waterfront cocktails, and even a spherical of nine-hole golf with a waterfront view.

Dennis

Dennis is a seaside lover’s dream, and it has ample spots to dip your toes within the sand on each the Cape Cod Bay aspect (simply thoughts the occasional oyster farm) in addition to the Nantucket Sound aspect.

Hyannis

The Cape’s transportation nexus, Hyannis, can be the final cease for big-box buying for those who’re heading onward to the Outer Cape. Hyannis Essential Avenue has a mixture of memento buying and enjoyable bars and eating places, whereas neighboring Hyannis Port is the place the Kennedy clan’s compound served as a serious backdrop to Camelot.

Falmouth

One in every of Cape Cod’s largest communities, Falmouth is a serious connecting level for these trying to hop on a ferry to discover Martha’s Winery or Nantucket. 

Get Round

Relying on what a part of Cape Cod you’re heading to, you’ll be able to attain it by land, by sea or by air.

• Ferry: 90-minute quick ferries are a handy solution to get from downtown Boston to Provincetown. They usually run in the course of the summer season or shoulder seasons with Boston Harbor Metropolis Cruises and Bay State Cruise Firm. Spherical-trip companies are $100 with Boston Harbor Metropolis Cruises, whereas Bay State service is $128.
• Practice: CapeFlyer practice service connects Boston’s South Station to Hyannis on the weekends in the summertime.
• Bus: Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority runs bus service inside Cape Cod; Peter Pan Bus Traces connects Hyannis to Boston’s South Station; and the Plymouth & Brockton Bus Firm connects Hyannis to Boston Logan Worldwide Airport.
• Air: Cape Cod Gateway Airport is the most important airport on the peninsula and sees seasonal service from main airways like American Airways and JetBlue, whereas Cape Air serves the airport year-round. Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC) has seasonal Cape Air service in the summertime.
• Rideshare: Service is proscribed, particularly on the Outer Cape from Orleans north to Provincetown, however you’ll be able to often hail Uber or Lyft drivers. If you cannot catch a journey share, Cape Cab is among the greatest taxi suppliers within the space.