Beaches
The Cape and Islands are world renowned for their beaches. With over 600 miles of
gorgeous sandy coastline, you are always within an easy walk, bike, or drive of
a beautiful beach. What's more, the beaches are both abundant and diverse in nature:
from the calm, sandy flats of Cape Cod Bay to the more exciting surf along the Atlantic-facing
beaches of the eastern Cape and southern shores of the Islands to the serene beauty
of freshwater ponds and lakes.
WeNeedaVacation.com's Power Search provides vacationers with a quick and easy way
to find vacation rentals near both salt and freshwater beaches.
Freshwater Ponds and Lakes
There are over 350 freshwater ponds on the Cape, over 60 on the Vineyard and 36
on Nantucket. Most of these are filled “kettle holes” created by the melting of
huge blocks of ice left behind by the receding glacier. They are usually filled
by ground water (in addition to run-off from the land and precipitation), which
is naturally acidic and thus clear and beautiful. Oddly enough, these coastal plain
ponds are found in only a few places in North America. They tend to be about 50-60
feet deep and have lovely, sandy bottoms.
The dense and lush vegetation surrounding freshwater ponds tends to offer greater
privacy than the oceanfront properties that are exposed to the elements and mankind
alike. Ponds offer boating, kayaking and canoeing possibilities, and many have docks
and floats, providing wonderful, family-friendly fun. Some of the smaller ponds
(often called “hidden”) are much less known and thus quieter and more accessible
than the more crowded ocean beaches.
Freshwater
Cape Cod rentals,
Martha's Vineyard rentals, and
Nantucket rentals offer the best of both worlds: affordable waterfront
vacations that are also usually within a fairly easy walk, bike, or drive to the
sea.
View our complete listing of all
Cape and Islands salt and freshwater beaches.