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Cape Cod is an arm-shaped peninsula forming the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts. Although Cape Cod was originally connected to the mainland, the first Cape Cod Canal, completed in 1914, effectively transformed Cape Cod into a large island.
While many people think of Cape Cod as a whole, it is actually made up of 15 distinct towns. All but one (Orleans) are named after their namesakes in England. From Provincetown at the tip of the Cape to Chatham at the "elbow" to Bourne at the Bridge, each town has its own unique character. You’ll find information on the individual towns below.
The Pilgrims were the first “tourists” to visit Cape Cod, landing in Provincetown and later coming ashore at Eastham’s First Encounter Beach, named for their first encounter with the Nauset Indians. For more on the history of Cape Cod, click here.
Today’s Cape Cod lures vacationers seeking the finest in sandy beaches, quaint villages, great shopping, the freshest of seafood, and plenty of activities to round out your vacation.
If the beach is “your thing,” Cape Cod is the place for you. This 65-mile long peninsula borders the Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay, and also offers many salt water bays and freshwater ponds and lakes, providing a variety of waters for your enjoyment.
If your group includes teens or sports enthusiasts, you may want to hit the beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore. It’s located along the Cape’s Atlantic coast and is where you’ll find the “surf’s up.” Try surf boarding or boogie boarding – or just relax and watch the tide roll in! You’ll be closest to these beaches if you stay in Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, or Provincetown.
The shore along Cape Cod Bay is for the little ones and those who enjoy a nice stroll to look for shells or sea creatures. While there is little in the way of surf, the waters are pleasantly warm, and low tide makes for good opportunities to explore the bottom of the bay. The entire northern coast of Cape Cod and the western coast of the “arm” front on Cape Cod Bay. So from Bourne to Provincetown, you’ll find a vacation rental near to these beautiful beaches.
Nantucket Sound borders the southern shore of Cape Cod and also surrounds the island of Martha’s Vineyard and part of Nantucket island. You’ll find the Sound’s waters warmer than the Atlantic’s and the Bay’s, with a little more surf than the Bay. The Sound’s beaches lie along the southern shore of Cape Cod from Falmouth to Chatham.
When you are on the Cape or Islands, don’t overlook the many nice beach settings on freshwater ponds. Notable are the Cape's largest lakes, including Long Pond in Harwich, Lake Wequaquet in West Barnstable, and the five lakes at Nickerson State Park in Brewster.
For a complete listing of Beaches on Cape Cod and the Islands, click here.
The Cape and Islands also offer abundant fishing and shellfishing, and wooded areas in which to observe and enjoy nature. Boating is a popular activity, whether you prefer power or sail. The Cape Cod Rail Trail is enjoyed by bikers and walkers alike. You’ll find that the main streets of the towns on the Cape and Islands are lined with quaint shops and waterfront restaurants along with a wonderful representation of the arts, from paintings by renowned artists to performing arts featuring some of entertainment’s biggest names. No wonder Cape Cod is such a popular vacation destination!
Although, as in the days of the earliest settlers, Cape Cod can still be reached by boat (from Boston or Plymouth), by far the most popular mode of transportation to Cape Cod is the car. Traffic onto the Cape crosses over the Cape Cod Canal by either the Bourne Bridge or the Sagamore Bridge. Families traveling east along Route 3 or Route 495 make a game of “who can first spot the bridge?”
If you access Cape Cod over the Sagamore Bridge, you’ll be on Route 6 heading for one of the Cape’s three unique areas: the Upper Cape, the Mid Cape and the Lower/Outer Cape. “But wait,” you might exclaim, “if this is Cape Cod, what’s that huge, thatched roof building sitting alongside the canal?” The structure in question is one of many themed buildings which house The Christmas Tree Shops throughout Cape Cod and is, in fact, considered the largest thatched roof structure in the world. For many vacationers, this is the last stop before heading home – The Christmas Tree Shops being a magnet for bargain hunting shoppers.
Three main routes run west to east through Cape Cod:
Route 6 is the “new” highway running through the center of the peninsula, from Bourne to Provincetown, off which 12 exits take you to its communities. The absence of development along this road is striking to the first time visitor – and welcomed by those who return year after year -- as it signifies Cape Codders are stemming what could easily be a runaway tide of development.
Route 28 branches off to the south once you travel over the Bourne Bridge, running along southern Cape Cod, frequently within sight of Nantucket Sound. This route takes you to the southern communities of the Upper Cape region and winds eastward through pretty villages, past fishing boats at moorings in beautiful natural harbors, through the Cape’s one true metropolis, Hyannis, and ends at Orleans in the Lower Cape region.
Route 6A was the original route onto which traffic from the Sagamore Bridge fed to take vacationers east to the Mid and Lower/Outer Cape regions. Along this scenic route are the historic northern communities of the Upper Cape and, in fact, all along the way from Sandwich to Orleans, you’ll see historic homes and inns, quaint antique shops and sheltered harbors – glimpses into Cape Cod’s varied history.
The majority of vacation rentals on Cape Cod are single family homes and cottages, although condominium complexes are plentiful in the Mid Cape region.
Located only seven miles off the Massachusetts coastline, Martha’s Vineyard is a 45-minute ferry ride from Woods Hole or Hyannis. Although the island is about 10 by 20 miles in size, cars are not a necessity during the summer months because shuttles and trolleys transport vacationers from town to town. Visitors who do plan to bring a car are encouraged to make reservations early.
Outside of the bustling harbors and busy villages lie huge tracts of undeveloped land and miles of coastline. Much of the land is wild and natural, with numerous farms and nature preserves.
Ferries arrive either in Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs. Vineyard Haven, which was once one of the busiest ports in the world, has the neighborhood atmosphere of a fishing village.
Oak Bluffs is known for its whimsical "gingerbread" houses, many of which were built in the nineteenth century. Visitors enjoy concerts in Ocean Park and rides on the Flying Horses, the oldest continuously operating carousel in the country.
The streets of Edgartown, the island’s first settlement, are lined with upscale shops, art galleries, and fine restaurants. The stately houses, many of them carefully restored sea captains’ homes, are surrounded by well-manicured lawns and gardens. South of Edgartown is the area known as Katama. At the end of Katama Road is a three-mile barrier beach called South Beach, with surf on one side and protected salt pond on the other side.
A five-minute ride on the "On Time," the 3 car plus passenger ferry from the Edgartown dock takes you to Chappaquiddick, an island off an island, with dirt roads lined with blueberry bushes and where you might see deer, osprey, otters, shorebirds, and turtles! Vacationers choose Chappy for the privacy and the tranquility this 6 by 3 mile spit of sand offers. By bike or kayak, explore the sand dunes and tidal ponds, the glacial moraine, and the sand plain grassland habitats. Fish for blues, bass, or bonito from some of the East Coast's best fishing places--the Gut, Wasque Point, and Cape Pogue. Enjoy the miles of unspoiled beaches accessible by 4-wheel drive. Join one of The Trustees of Reservations Nature or Lighthouse tours. Visit the 3-acre Japanese garden at Mytoi. Chappy offers miles of walking trails on the many Landbank properties.
West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Gay Head are often referred to as "up-island." This region is rural and unspoiled, with stone walls, farms, and vineyards. West Tisbury hosts the popular Farmers’ Market twice a week from mid-June to mid-October. Chilmark is known for its rolling meadows and one of the island’s finest beaches, Lucy Vincent Beach. At the far western edge of the island are the windswept cliffs of Gay Head and Gay Head Lighthouse. The Gay Head cliffs provide 360°
views of the sea and are one of most scenic attractions on the island.
Visitors are enchanted by the rustic charm of Menemsha, the classic New England fishing village that was used for location shots in the film "Jaws." The catch of the day is unloaded from fishing boats and can be bought from markets along Dutcher’s Dock.
Martha’s Vineyard is a haven for celebrities. Concerts, theatre, dance, and lecture series draw top talent.
For beach information..
For ferry information.
For air transportation within the Cape & Islands, see Cape Air, serving the Cape and Islands as well as Florida and the Keys.
For more information, call the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce at 508-693-0085.
Nantucket is the Native American word meaning "land far out to sea." Nearly 30 miles out in the open Atlantic, Nantucket has managed to retain the charm and elegance of the 1800s, when it had the distinction of being the whaling capital of the world.
The population of this tiny island mushrooms from 7,000 in the winter to more than 50,000 during the summer. Nantucket offers scenic beauty: gently rolling heathlands, a remarkable diversity of vegetation, cranberry bogs, and salt marshes. With its location on the north/south flyway of migrating birds, the island is a popular venue for bird watchers.
More than a third of the land has been protected and will never be built upon.
Nantucket is accessible by air or by ferry from Hyannis (and from Harwich Port from mid-May to mid-October). Bringing a car is expensive and is usually discouraged. Many visitors travel around the island on bikes or in taxis, touring vans, or shuttle buses. Visitors who do plan to bring a car are encouraged to make reservations early.
More than 55 miles of broad, clean beaches encircle the island. Siasconset, Tom Nevers, Surfside, Cisco, Madaket, and Dionis are all popular beach areas with vacation homes. Madaket’s beach has been voted the region’s best beach for the past six years.
The island of Nantucket is 3.5 miles long and 14 miles wide. Its main town, also called Nantucket, exudes charm with its cobblestoned main street lined with unique gift shops, elegant restaurants, and stately homes. There are more than 800 historic homes and buildings in the town. Most of Nantucket’s historic sites are located in the center of town within easy walking distance of one another.
Siasconset, or ‘Sconset as it is commonly known, is a picturesque little village filled with tiny rose-covered cottages that were once fishing shacks. Sankety Lighthouse stands on the highest point on the island, 111 feet above sea level.
Madaket means "sandy soil at the end of the land." It is a small community of cottages on the sand dunes and is famous for its spectacular sunsets. Madaket is a popular blue-fishing spot.
Nantucket boasts three active theatre companies and a variety of musical organizations. The island attracts exceptional artists, and there are more than 50 art galleries. In 1996, the island hosted the first Nantucket Film Festival, a screenwriter’s festival that showcases original screenplays.
For air transportation within the Cape & Islands, see Cape Air, serving the Cape and Islands as well as Florida and the Keys.
For more information, call the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce at 508-228-1700.
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