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 charm 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 individuals 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, reminiscent of Osterville, Hyannis Port, and Chatham. However the Cape is evolving. A wave of recent full-time residents, drawn by distant work and a post-pandemic life-style shift, has sparked a metamorphosis. 

“The cape is not slightly sleepy resort city anymore. It is actually a thriving mecca for year-round dwelling,” mentioned Marc Sievers, a cookbook creator and proprietor of Fête Among the many Flowers in Osterville. “It truly is beginning to change into a vacation spot that individuals 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 it’s worthwhile to know earlier than planning a visit to Cape Cod.

Finest Inns & Resorts

Chatham Bars Inn

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

Wequassett Resort and Golf Membership

Wequassett Resort and Golf Club 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 lately underwent a renovation that was accomplished simply in time for the resort’s 2025 centennial celebration. “When folks assume ‘luxurious’ on the Cape, it is most likely 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 outdoors to the hearth 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 best hotels in the world by Journey + Leisure readers in 2024. You will really feel like a fancy sea captain at this Georgian-style dwelling that is only a brief stroll from Cape Cod Bay beaches. Breakfast is a decadent unfold, however you’ll additionally discover considerate touches like a customized bundle of goodies awaiting you within the eating room every afternoon after a day of exploring.  

Bluebird Dennisport

Lark Inns (the identical father or mother firm behind AWOL Provincetown) transformed this former motor lodge right into a contemporary, beach-y retreat that offers friends 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 among the space’s extra established luxurious choices.

Finest Issues to Do

Go to Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore.

This stretch of beaches, ponds, and wooded trails operating from Chatham to Provincetown was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 and has among 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 motorcycle 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 good Atlantic.”

Stroll via 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 tons of of hundreds of the flower varieties that also bloom on the property in the present day. Flowers could also be the primary 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 different to the (reasonably infamously) underwhelming Plymouth Rock. Plus, you may 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. At this time, you may anticipate finding domestically orchestrated productions of hits like “Lease” and “Waitress.”

Watch the sundown at Chapin Memorial Seashore.

Deciding which Cape Cod seashore is one of the best for taking in a sundown with a sip of one thing fabulous can really feel like selecting a favourite baby. However the expansive tidal flats and seclusion of Chapin Memorial Beach can really feel actually otherworldly. “When 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 Buying

Cuffy’s

Certain, there are retailers hawking Cape Cod-emblazoned t-shirts and merchandise all through your entire peninsula, however Cuffy’s is an area establishment that now has a boardwalk-themed flagship filled with all of the swag wanted to outfit you, your loved ones, and any pal again dwelling that wants a thank-you present for checking your mail.

Fête Among the many Flowers

These searching for slightly Cape design inspiration will discover simply the best dwelling accents at this Osterville specialty food and floral shop that additionally sells throws, candles, and different small items. It is the right place to search out that treat-yourself splurge. 

Sandwich Antiques Heart

Whether or not you’re searching for a Tiffany lamp or a framed closing 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 select up a classic suitcase to cart your items again dwelling.

Browse Industrial Road in Provincetown.

It’s laborious to select a particular gallery, boutique, or espresso store to go to on Industrial Road, however we’ll strive.

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

Different locals within the know all the time swing by for seashore provisions at Pop+Dutch, the city’s go-to spot for sandwiches and sass. You will discover ceremonial dinner staples at Perry’s Fine Wine & Liquors, an it’s-an-insult-to-just-call-it-a-wine-shop form of institution hawking all the pieces 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 to be 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 an area 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 young person after they first opened it, and so they’ve been pumping out dance music and oysters ever since,” Price mentioned.

The Atlantic Home

The Atlantic House, 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 a superb 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 primary 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 look whereas diners debate who has one of the best entrée (hen 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 significant function in elevating the repute 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 outdated construction with plank flooring, shiplap partitions, and outdated oil work, however then they’ve a completely killer wine checklist and a completely 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 a minimum of 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 convey 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 College

Choosing a favourite ice cream store on the Cape is as heated a debate as something you’ll discover on Capitol Hill. Sundae School presents all of the classics (don’t miss the ice cream pies or the oh-so-popular banana splits) at places 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 greatest for many 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 retailers don’t stay open outdoors this timeframe, however the shoulder season from Labor Day via 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 seashore days are nonetheless attainable.

Easy methods to Get to Cape Cod

Driving to Cape Cod over its two fundamental entry factors (the Bourne and Sagamore bridges) and the following summer season exercise is a part of the “appeal” and simply the preferred approach to get to trip. However 90-minute ferries from Boston—which has the closest main airport, Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS)—are a simple approach 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 Heart 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+ neighborhood has additionally change into one in all its toniest—whereas nonetheless sustaining the appeal that attracts folks 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 road, soar 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 luxury 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 dwelling.

Wellfleet

This artist neighborhood 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 seashore 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 procuring when you’re heading onward to the Outer Cape. Hyannis Principal Road has a mixture of memento procuring and enjoyable bars and eating places, whereas neighboring Hyannis Port is the place the Kennedy clan’s compound served as a significant backdrop to Camelot.

Falmouth

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

Easy methods to Get Round

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

• Ferry: 90-minute quick ferries are a handy approach to get from downtown Boston to Provincetown. They sometimes run in the course of the summer season or shoulder seasons with Boston Harbor City Cruises and Bay State Cruise Company. Spherical-trip providers 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 Lines connects Hyannis to Boston’s South Station; and the Plymouth & Brockton Bus Company 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 may often hail Uber or Lyft drivers. If you cannot catch a journey share, Cape Cab is likely one of the greatest taxi suppliers within the space.