Our Top 10 Cape Cod Recommendations

Here are our favorite things to see and do in Cape Cod.
Some are well know, some not so well known. Have a look around as we have included photos, videos, information and links.
They are in no particular order.

1. Biking On Cape Cod

With literally hundreds of miles of dedicated bikeways running through forests, marshland, rivers and coastline, Cape Cod is truly a biker’s paradise. Summer and into the fall are perfect times to take advantage of the numerous trail networks scattered throughout this region, and the relatively temperate winter climate allows the truly dedicated to ride throughout the winter.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a paved bikeway that runs 25 miles from South Dennis to Wellfleet. The terrain is relatively flat with some minor grades in certain sections in the Lower / Outer Cape areas, specifically Orleans and Wellfleet. It easily offers the greatest variety in scenery and natural landscapes of all the regional bike paths.

The trail now stretches from South Yarmouth all the way to Lecount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet. The name stems from an old railroad right of way it follows from the original trailhead in South Dennis, which transported passengers and freight to Cape Cod in the early 1800s until around 1960. The CCRT is managed by the MA Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR). It passes by many local points of interest and several kettle ponds in recreational areas including Nickerson State Park in Brewster.

The CCRT is a safe and enjoyable way to spend a Cape Cod summer day. Traveling through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet, its smoothly paved surface (akin to gravel asphalt) makes the path ideal for cyclists, walkers, inline skaters and runners. Bike rentals are also available at various bike shops conveniently located directly on the trail in Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Orleans and Wellfleet.

Bike Rentals

HYANNIS

Bike Zone
323 Barnstable Rd., Hyannis, MA 2601
(508) 775-3299
www.bikezonecapecod.com

CHATHAM

Monomoy Sail & Cycle
275 Orleans Rd. (Rt. 28), Chatham, MA 2633
(800) 824-0201 or (508) 945-0811
monomoy@gis.net
www.gis.net/~monomoy

ORLEANS

Mike Bike Trail Rentals
Orleans, Mass
(508) 240-1791
https://www.capeescapeadventures.com/bikefrmhtm/

2. Wellfleet Drive-In Theater

The Wellfleet Drive-In Theater is the only one on Cape Cod. With the drive-ins dying down these days it is so much fun to take a step back in time…

A truly unique place to have a family night out and very inexpensive, as it shows a double feature. There’s a playground (open before the show & intermission) and snack bar too.

Stock up on snacks, drinks, blankets, bugs spray and lawn chairs.

Open from Memorial Day through a little after Labor day every summer night!

Prices (Excludes special events like the P.I.F.F night at the drive-in)
Adults age 12-61: $11.00
Seniors 62+: $8.00
Children 4-11: $8.00
Children 3 & under: Free (at the Drive-in Only)

CASH ONLY for tickets

(Credit cards are accepted for Concession items)

No advanced tickets sold for the Drive-In here or elsewhere

(508) 349-7176

3. Miniature Golf

There are some great miniature golf courses on the Cape and the kids will love a day or evening at any one of them.

Pirates Cove – South Yarmouth, Mass

Course Info

Captain’s Course	Adults $11.00, Children* $10.00
Blackbeard’s Course	Adults $11.00, Children* $10.00
Special rates for 36 hole special
*Children: Age 4 to 12 (ages 3 and under play free)
Group rates available call 508-394-6200

Hours

Monday through Friday: 11:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am to 6:00pm

All hours are weather permitting. We will close for the season after close on Sunday, November 5.

Address

Pirate’s Cove
728 Main Street
South Yarmouth MA 02664
508-394-6200 or
508-394-5252

4.Sandwich Boardwalk

Walk to Town Beach and take a stroll along the Sandwich Boardwalk, built over low dunes and Mill Creek. When the boardwalk was destroyed by Hurricane Bob in October 1991, residents and business owners purchased $1,700 worth of planks to rebuild the walk, and engraved many with special messages.

5. Seal Watch

The Cape is home to thousands of seals in the summer months and you can see them from Chatham to Wellfleet. The best way to get an up close view is through any of the tour companys that will take you out to Monomoy Island at the elbow of the Cape.

Monomoy Island Excursions

The seals of Monomoy are a rare treat seen close up from the shallow drafting seal watch vessel Perserverance. You will glide though narrow channels and into isolated lagoons where hundreds, sometimes thousands of Gray Seals swim and lay out along the shore. And you will spy sea birds and once in a while, the shadow of a great white shark passes by. Some of the best ocean fun adventure for your family.

6. Provincetown

You cannot miss a trip to the eclectic town of P-Town at the tip of the Cape. You will not regret taking a day to visit for shopping, food, sailing, or a whale watch.

Welcome to Provincetown, one of the most different and extraordinary areas of the United States, situated on a stretch of sand surrounded by water at the tip of Cape Cod. The simplest way to get there is to take Route 6 to the end, at 42 degrees north, 70 degrees west. You’ll find a blend of Greenwich Village, New York and Key West, Florida. A tourist destination for 100 years, this small coastal New England town always attracts artists, authors, and lovers of nature on a quest for beauty, solitude, and light. Only 50 miles by boat and 100 miles via car from Boston, “Ptown – its local nickname – is a popular destination for a number of vacationers. Also one of the preferable destinations for gays and lesbians, because of its tolerance, the town breathes the freedom of itself. Its two main “arteries”, or streets, are Commercial Street with its bordering restaurants, charming hotels, boutiques; the second is Bradford Street, which is more tranquil and sets the tone of the natural and sumptuous protected lands that surround it. In the summer, the town becomes a chic enclave, at once wild, urban, and bohemian with its hipster bars and artistic and vibrant life. Culturally, Provincetown is a concept, a vivacious idea, an institution of thought, a place for free imagination, creativity, pleasure, liberty, and equality.

7. National Seashore

With over 40 miles of seashore and 40,000 acres you will have a great day at any one of its pristine sandy beaches, marshes or ponds. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today’s visit.

The Cape Cod National Seashore was founded in 1961 by President Kennedy to protect the beautiful beaches, dunes, and wildlife habitats of easternmost Cape Cod. It stretches from below the “elbow” of the Cape at Chatham and extends all along the outer Cape up to the desolate Province Lands and Cape Race northeast of the hurly-burly of Provincetown. The Salt Bay Visitor Center is a must for any visitors, especially if they, like my wife and I, only have one day to spend on the outer Cape. Multiple exhibits and films explain how the Cape was formed by the Ice Age, the fascinating wildlife of the area, and some of the historical events that occurred in the area, such as Marconi’s first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean (greetings from Pres. Theodor Roosevelt to the King of England). Also available at the Center are dramatic views across the iconic dunes and salt marshes common in this part of the Cape and on-duty park rangers, full of useful information and facts bout the area.

8. Go Sailing

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There are so many different ways to get out on the water and lots of different companies that offer trips from Woods Hole to Provincetown. There is nothing like sailing when on the Cape. The wind in the sails and the rush from cutting silently through the water on a beautiful sunny day, or while watching a peaceful sunset.

You can also find places to take lessons. There is a great non-profit program on Pleasant Bay by the name of Pleasant Bay Community Sailing that our kids have enjoyed.

They are a community center offering boating, marine education, and environmental stewardship opportunities to residents and visitors to the Pleasant Bay region. They are dedicated to serving all members of the community including those with physical, developmental and cognitive disabilities, as well as under-served families and at-risk youth.

9. Summer Baseball

The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league located on Cape Cod. Many future Major League Baseball players have started there during their college years; MLB has provided financial support to the Cape League for over 40 years. During the 2014 MLB season, 265 CCBL alumni played in the majors; additionally over 1,000 CCBL alumni were playing in professional baseball in 2006.

Every town on the Cape has its own team, so there are some real rivalries every season and everyone gets out to support and cheer on their towns team. People arrive early on game day and will lay down a blanket or chair to “reserve” their spot for the evenings game. It is a lot of fun and there really is some excellent talent.

10. Deep Sea Fishing

Choose from a variety of fishing companies all over the Cape for a day on the water catching anything from Striped Bass, Bluefish, Codfish, Haddock, Fluke and Tautog to the delicious North Atlantic Lobster. You can find it all! Take a cooler along and bring home what you catch and cook it up on the grill for a perfect Cape Cod dinner with friends and family.