Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Cape Cod is a one of a kind corner of the world with New England charm, history, and a whole lot of Sand. We’ve visited the Cape many times over the years, but today I’m sharing the details, highlights and best things to do after our recent summertime visit. This Cape Cod Adventure has a charm no matter what season you’re visiting, but summer is where it really shines.
Cape Cod is a classic New England getaway: a sandy, sea-breezed peninsula known for its stunning beaches, charming villages, fresh seafood, lighthouses, and laid-back coastal vibe. It’s a place where you can bike along scenic trails, stroll historic towns, watch whales breach offshore, and savor lobster rolls by the water, all while soaking in the region’s natural beauty and maritime history.
While we love the Famouth area and have lived there in the past, this post is focused on the further parts of the Cape (from the elbow up). Explore more of New England.
Hi - I'm Gretchen - I've spent most of my life living in New England and I love to explore this amazing part of the world. If you live in New England or are traveling soon, sign up for our free newsletter all about New England.
Best Things to do on Cape Cod
Relax on the Beaches – From the calm waters of Bay beaches to the dramatic surf of the National Seashore, Cape Cod has a beach for everyone.
Explore Cape Cod National Seashore – Hike scenic trails, visit the Salt Pond Visitor Center, and discover unspoiled dunes.
Go Whale Watching – Take a boat tour from Provincetown or Barnstable to see humpback, fin, and minke whales.
Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail – Ride the 25+ mile trail that winds through charming towns, forests, and beaches.
Stroll Quaint Villages – Visit towns like Chatham, Wellfleet, and Sandwich for boutique shops, galleries, and historic charm.
Tour the Lighthouses – See iconic lighthouses such as Nauset Light, Highland Light, and Chatham Light.
Eat Fresh Seafood – Indulge in lobster rolls, fried clams, and oysters at local shacks and seaside restaurants.
Kayak or Paddleboard – Explore Cape Cod’s estuaries, kettle ponds, and bays.
Take a Ferry to the Islands – Enjoy a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket for even more coastal beauty.
Visit Provincetown – Known for its vibrant arts scene, galleries, nightlife, and history as the landing site of the Mayflower Pilgrims.
Enjoy a Cape Cod Baseball League Game – Watch future major leaguers play in this historic summer league.
Go on a Seal Tour – Take a boat ride to see the colonies of seals lounging on Monomoy Island.
Visit Museums & Historic Sites – Stop by the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History or Heritage Museums & Gardens.
Sunset Watching – Catch a Cape Cod sunset over Cape Cod Bay or Race Point Beach.
Here’s what we did on our Trip
For this trip we camped at Nickerson State Park. This is an amazing state park with a lot of trails and ponds. You could enjoy a few days just hanging out at Nickerson State Park. Camp sites are hard to get so make sure to book early. The sites themselves are large and the campground was very quiet.
Give youself time to explore the park – plan to hike, bike, boat, and swim.
Biking the Rail Trail
The rail trail is a great place to bike if you’re on the Cape and you can bike from beach to beach or town to town. We spent part of each day biking either right from Nickerson State Park as well as out at Provincetown.
Cape Cod Adventure: Beaches
The beaches are the highlight of visiting the Cape. We squeezed in as many beaches as possible on our last visit. There are a few things to know about the beaches. First is that the beaches on the eastern part of the Cape are generally windy, rough and exposed to the conditions. You often find big bluffs or sand dunes. In contrast, the western beaches are much more protected with flats are low tide and marsh grass in areas. Both are great – just different
Sharks are common on the Cape and you will see lots of signs and many people prefer not to swim or to stay close to shore. The bay side (western) beaches tend to have less sharks.
Most beaches will have some type of payment to park. If the beach is in the Cape Cod National Seashore, you will need to pay $30 for the day, other beaches have different rates. This can add up if you’re beach hopping so plan ahead.
In our opinion, these are the best beaches on the Cape past Brewster:
- Coast Guard Beach (Eastham)
- Nauset Beach (Orleans)
- Skaket Beach (Orleans)
- Marconi Beach (Wellfleet)
- Cahoon Hollow Beach (Wellfleet)
- Race Point Beach (Provincetown)
- Herring Cove Beach (Provincetown)
- Ballston Beach (Truro)
Hiking Trails
We love hiking and there are many trails on the Cape – although most of these are flat they still offer wonderful views of the sweeping coast. Here are some of the best hiking trails on this part of the Cape:
- Fort Hill Trail (Eastham)
- Red Maple Swamp Trail (Eastham)
- Coast Guard Beach to Nauset Marsh Trail (Eastham)
- Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail (Wellfleet)
- Great Island Trail (Wellfleet)
- Pilgrim Spring Trail (Truro)
- Pamet Area Trails (Truro)
- Beech Forest Trail (Provincetown)
- Province Lands Bike & Walking Trails (Provincetown)
We’ve done many of these in the park, but during this trip we hiked at Great Island Trail (which is a very pretty and slightly off the beaten path walk with short sand dunes and beaches. We also walked about the Province Lands Walking Trails.
Towns
Oneof my favorite things about visiting the Cape is exploring the towns. They all offer coastal charm, classic restaurants full of seafood and ice cream and quirky shops. During our visit we poked into several towns along our drive out to Provincetown. Provincetown is a busy place and parking can be hard to if you can try to time your visit for when the crowds aren’t there (and be prepared to pay for parking!)
Tours
There are several tours worth exploring from the Cape including whale watching and seal spotting. Most tours leave from Provincetown. You will also find land tours as well as the food tours.
Sites, Museums and Lighthouses
The final thing that is worth exploring are the sites, Museums and Lighthouses that dot Cape Cod. Many of these can be visited for free or you may need to pay an extra fee to park.
Sites & Museums
- Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor Centers (Eastham & Provincetown)
- Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (Wellfleet)
- Highland House Museum (Truro)
- Provincetown Museum & Pilgrim Monument (Provincetown)
Lighthouses
- Nauset Light (Eastham)
- Three Sisters Lighthouses (Eastham)
- Highland Light (Truro)
- Race Point Light (Provincetown)
- Wood End Light (Provincetown)
- Long Point Light (Provincetown)
