New York has the Hamptons, Miami has the Florida Keys, and Boston has Cape Cod. Unlike the Hamptons or the Keys, Cape Cod has so many things to do. Yes, visiting Cape Cod is technically a beach vacation but there’s plenty to do off the sand. A Cape Cod getaway is a great mix of relaxation and exploration, making it a great trip for people like me who can’t sit still for too long.
Here are the top 10 things to do in Cape Cod according to That Planner Friend:
Explore the Cape Cod National Seashore
The Cape Cod National Seashore is 40 miles of pristine beaches, wooded areas, and marshes protected by the National Park Service. It stretches all along the Outer Cape and is home to must-see sights like lighthouses and famous beaches. Here’s where you should go:
- Macaroni Beach
- Nauset Light
- Highland Light
- Race Point Beach
If you only have time to visit one spot go to Nauset Light Beach to hit two birds with one stone and see a gorgeous beach and an iconic lighthouse.
From Memorial Day to September 17, there is a fee of $25 to visit any beaches or attractions on the Cape Cod National Seashore. To save money, plan to visit all the spots on the National Seashore in one day. If you visit any beaches on the National Seashore near sunset, you might get lucky and get away with not having to pay a fee. If you’re staying on the Outer Cape or plan to visit the National Seashore for multiple days, you can get a National Park Annual Pass fee for $60.
The beaches on the seashore are for sightseeing, not swimming. Great white sharks frequent the waters on the Outer Cape so please be mindful of lifeguard postings. If there are seals in the water it means that sharks are probably lurking close by so do not go in.
Eat local seafood
The fresh seafood on Cape Cod is to die for. Here, shellfish is king, specifically lobster, oysters, and clams.
Cape Cod has seafood specialties you won’t find anywhere like quahogs and steamers. Quahogs are a type of hard-shell clam stuffed with bread crumbs and chorizo. Steamers are a kind of soft-shell clam (yet the shell is still hard) that are…steamed. It’s that simple. They’re typically served with butter for dipping. Both delicacies make for a great appetizer at a restaurant or seafood shack.
The best lobster I’ve had in New England was on Cape Cod (sorry, Maine). In Cape Cod, they pile on the meat in lobster rolls. Many places on the Cape serve “Lazy Man’s Lobster,” which is lobster meat taken out of the shell with lemon, butter, and sometimes Ritz crackers. Trust me on this one, it’s delicious.
Here’s where to eat local seafood on the Cape:
- Mac’s Shack
- Spanky’s Clam Shack and Seafood Saloon
- PJ’s
- The Brewster Fish House
Stroll down Main Streets
Cape Cod is made up of a bunch of towns and villages with charming main streets. The most popular of all the main streets is Commercial St. in Provincetown on the tip of the Cape. The problem with Commercial St. is that it’s…commercial. It feels like a crowded tourist trap, especially in the summer. You’ll want to explore other main streets with more of a small-town feel.
Here are towns with cute main streets to explore:
- Hyannis
- Barnstable
- Chatham
- Harwich Port
Enjoy the view and a drink at a beach bar
A beach bar is a great place to enjoy the sunset with a drink in hand. There are a bunch of bars right on the water all over Cape Cod. The most classic beach bar is The Beachcomber in Wellfleet. On most days, there’s live music, and on big weekends it’s a party. Along with drinks, The Beachcomber serves seafood for lunch and dinner.
An honorable mention that isn’t on a beach is the Summer Shanty. It’s on a waterway in West Dennis with live music and plenty of outdoor seating. It’s a great place to watch the sunset and enjoy drinks and light bites before heading to dinner.
Visit the Cape Cod Lavender Farm
Transport yourself to the South of France by visiting the Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich. Here, you can walk among the lavender bushes and purchase locally-made lavender products straight from the farm. Peak blooms happen from mid-June to mid-July, making summer a great time to visit.
Sip local wines at Truro Vineyards
The best vineyard on Cape Cod is Truro Vineyards. They attribute the success of their wines to the salty air on the Cape that creates a microclimate for growing grapes. Truthfully, it’s not the best wine you’ll ever taste, but the vibe at the vineyard makes it worth a visit. There’s a big lawn, a bar area, and a food truck to enjoy.
On busy summer weekends, the vineyard can get packed, so try to arrive early to snag a parking space. In the summer, wine flights are only available at a table that you’ll need a reservation for. You can reserve a table for up to 8 people on Tock. If you can’t get a reservation, you can get wines by the glass at the back bar where there’s plenty of open seating. Truro Vineyards offers free winery/distillery tours Monday-Friday at 11 a.m.
Relax on the beach
No vacation to the Cape is complete without a beach day. The best beaches for a beach day are in Mid Cape because they’re safe. The shallow and calm waters make them less likely for great white shark activity than beaches on the Outer Cape. One of my favorite beaches in the Mid Cape is Keyes Memorial Beach in Hyannis. It’s quiet, even on busy holiday weekends. A more popular beach nearby is Kalmus Park Beach. They have a snack bar you could walk to from Keyes Memorial too.
Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail
The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 25-mile trail that goes through six towns, taking you from Yarmouth to Wellfleet. You can walk or run it but the most popular way to explore it is on a bike. The Rail Trail passes through neighborhoods, agriculture, marshes, and the National Seashore.
Many Airbnbs on the Cape offer bikes but you can also rent bikes at the many bike shops along the trail. The Dennis Cycle Center has two locations where you can rent a bike for the entire day for $27.
Go whale watching
A few miles offshore of Cape Cod you can see whales in their natural habitat. Most whale-watching tours in Cape Cod will take you to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary between Boston and Provincetown.
Whale Watching tours go out of Hyannis Port and Provincetown. The two big companies are Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises and Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch. A ticket on both cruises will be $75 per person.
There are also smaller companies that will take groups of up to six on private tours. The benefit of going on a big cruise boat is there’s a snack bar with food and drink. Plus, you’re less likely to get seasick on a bigger boat.
I’ve heard anecdotally that the whales are more active in the morning. The later in the day it gets, the more tired they become from interacting with boats all day. Regardless of whale theories, whale watching can be hit or miss. You’ll be lucky if you see a picturesque breach from a humpback. For this reason, I recommend going whale watching at sunset, so you at least get to watch the sunset on the water to make up for the lackluster whale showing.
All that said, the best whale watching I’ve seen in New England has been off Cape Cod. I saw more wildlife on Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises compared to whale watching off the coast of Maine.
Looking for more information about Cape Cod? Read this Cape Cod Travel Guide.
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