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Cape Cod is the hooked peninsula that curls into the Atlantic from southeastern Massachusetts, a landscape of dunes, salt marshes, pine woods and weathered shingled villages. The Pilgrims made their first landfall at its tip in 1620 before settling at Plymouth, and much of the Outer Cape is now protected as the Cape Cod National Seashore. Fishing, whaling and summer tourism have shaped its towns.
Along the Outer Cape, the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is a good introduction, with Coast Guard Beach nearby. Nauset Light and the three small Three Sisters lighthouses stand near the bluffs, and in Wellfleet the Marconi Station site recalls early transatlantic wireless messages, while Great Island offers a long, sandy walk. Highland Light watches over Truro. At the tip, Provincetown has the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, a lively arts scene along Commercial Street, and the dunes of the Province Lands leading to Race Point Beach. On the elbow, Chatham is known for its harbor and seals, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail lets cyclists travel between towns on a former rail bed.
The Cape suits beach lovers, cyclists and anyone after a slower summer. July and August bring heavy traffic, so late spring and September are more relaxed.
WiserMap travel guideCape Cod Massachusetts Lighthouses Beaches and SeafoodPlan a Cape Cod trip: National Seashore beaches, Provincetown, Chatham, lighthouses, the Cape Cod Rail Trail, seafood shacks and the best time to visit.Read the guide
Nauset Light is the red and white lighthouse in Eastham shown on many Cape Cod souvenirs, and the Three Sisters are three restored wooden lighthouses set in a clearing nearby. A short path links them. Volunteers open the towers on some summer and fall days, so check the schedule.
Highland Light in Truro is the oldest lighthouse on Cape Cod, moved back from the eroding clay cliffs in 1996. Guided tours climb the tower in season for views over the Atlantic and the dunes. The Highland House Museum sits next door. Wear sturdy shoes for the narrow stairs.
This 252-foot granite tower marks where the Pilgrims first landed in 1620, before Plymouth. You climb ramps and stairs to the top for views of the whole curl of the Cape, and the museum at the base covers the Mayflower and town history. Go on a clear morning for the best views.
The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is the main gateway to the Cape Cod National Seashore, with exhibits, films and trail maps. Coast Guard Beach, a wide sandy ocean beach below an old station, is a short drive or shuttle ride away. In summer the beach lot fills early, so use the shuttle.
The Province Lands are the rolling dunes and ponds at the tip of the Cape, with a visitor center, bike trails and an observation deck. Race Point Beach faces north and west, so it is a top spot for sunsets and often for spotting whales offshore. Rent a bike in Provincetown and ride the paved loop.
Great Island in Wellfleet is a long, wild peninsula of pine forest, salt marsh and beach on Cape Cod Bay. A sandy trail of about seven miles out and back leads past the site of an old tavern to Jeremy Point. Parts flood at high tide, so check tide tables before walking to the far end.
The Marconi Station site in South Wellfleet is where the first transatlantic radio message from the United States was sent in 1903. Little remains but exhibits and a cliff-top overlook, and the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail starts here on boardwalks. Wellfleet village nearby is known for oysters and galleries.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a paved bike path of about 25 miles on an old railroad bed from Yarmouth to Wellfleet. It passes ponds, cranberry bogs, Nickerson State Park and small villages, with spurs to the National Seashore. Bike rentals sit along the route; start early in summer to avoid crowds.
Chatham sits at the elbow of Cape Cod, with a walkable Main Street of shops and cafes, Chatham Light overlooking the outer beach, and a fish pier where you can watch boats unload. Seals gather around Monomoy and boat tours go out to see them. Park once and explore on foot.
Commercial Street is the narrow main street of Provincetown, running about three miles along the harbor. It is lined with art galleries, shops, restaurants and old captains' houses, and it comes alive on summer evenings. Whale watching boats leave from MacMillan Pier nearby. Leave the car and walk.
Sandwich, founded in 1637, is the oldest town on Cape Cod. Its village has the Sandwich Glass Museum, the Dexter Grist Mill and the Boardwalk over the marsh to Town Neck Beach. Just outside, Heritage Museums and Gardens holds vintage cars and rhododendron gardens. Spring brings the best garden blooms.
Falmouth has a classic village green and the Shining Sea Bikeway along the shore, which runs to Woods Hole. Woods Hole is a small harbor village known for ocean science institutes, a free aquarium and ferries to Martha's Vineyard. Nobska Light sits on the bluff nearby. Parking in Woods Hole is very tight.
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