Visiting Cape Cod
An arm of sand bent back into the Atlantic, an hour and a half from Boston. The Cape reads from west to east: the Upper Cape by the canal, the Mid-Cape around Hyannis, then the Lower Cape, with its ponds and windmills. At the far end, the Outer Cape is little more than a ribbon of dunes between the bay and the ocean, all the way to Provincetown.
On the north shore, Route 6A runs past sea captains' houses in grey shingle. On the ocean side, the National Seashore protects forty miles of beach without a single tower block. The seals have come back, and the great white sharks with them. You come here for the sea, the bike paths and the seafood, not for the city.
You will love it if
- You want huge beaches without a wall of buildings behind them
- A lobster roll on the harbour appeals to you more than a museum
- You like cycling between ponds and dunes
Give it a miss if
- You do not want to rent a car
- You want warm water: the Atlantic rarely climbs above 20°C
- You can only travel in July and August, at the busiest and most expensive
The must-sees
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Forty miles of coastline protected since 1961, from Chatham to Provincetown. Start at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, then head down to Coast Guard Beach. Beach parking costs 25 dollars a day in summer, or 60 dollars for the season.
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The tip of the Cape, where the Mayflower Pilgrims came ashore in 1620, before Plymouth. Climb the 116 steps of the Pilgrim Monument to see the whole bay. In the evening, Commercial Street fills with open galleries, musicians and drag queens handing out flyers for their shows.
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3 The whales of Stellwagen At sea
Boats leave MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown from April to October. In under an hour you are out on Stellwagen Bank, where humpback whales come to feed. Bring a jacket, even in July: offshore, the wind rarely drops.
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The lighthouse looks down on a beach where the channel shifts with every storm. Grey seals laze on the sandbars opposite. In the late afternoon, head to the Fish Pier to watch the boats unload their catch.
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5 The Cape Cod Rail Trail By bike
Twenty-five miles of cycle path along the old railway line, from South Dennis to Wellfleet. It runs past ponds, salt marshes and Nickerson State Park, without a single car. Rent a bike in Brewster or Orleans, and ride out with the wind behind you.
The classic trap
Swimming far from shore on the ocean beaches. From June to October, great white sharks hunt seals a few metres from the shoreline, from Chatham to Provincetown. Stay where you can stand, never alone, away from the seals, and get out of the water as soon as the purple flag goes up. On the bay and Nantucket Sound side, the water is calmer and warmer.
Our itineraries in Cape Cod
| Length | Itinerary | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days | Sandwich › Hyannis › Chatham › Provincetown | The Route 6A villages, the lighthouse, the tip of the Cape |
| 1 week | Falmouth › Woods Hole › Chatham › Wellfleet › Provincetown | The whole Cape, the cycle path and a whale watch |
| 2 weeks | The Cape, then Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket | The Cape and its two islands, by ferry |
Work your way from the canal to the tip: Sandwich and Falmouth first, then Hyannis, Chatham, and the Outer Cape to finish. Keep two nights in Provincetown, for the boat trip and for the evening. Got two weeks? The ferry leaves Woods Hole for Martha's Vineyard and Hyannis for Nantucket.
When to visit Cape Cod
| Appeal | Season | Temperatures | Sea | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinterDec. to Feb. | -4 to 4 °C | 4 to 7 °C | Low | |
| SpringMar. to May | 1 to 17 °C | 6 to 13 °C | Medium | |
| SummerJun. to Aug. | 16 to 27 °C | 17 to 22 °C | High | |
| AutumnSep. to Nov. | 6 to 23 °C | 12 to 20 °C | Medium |
Our advice
Aim for September: the sea still holds the summer's warmth, the families have gone home after Labor Day and prices fall. Avoid the Fourth of July weekend and summer Saturdays, rental changeover day, when the canal bridges jam. From mid-October, many restaurants on the Outer Cape close until spring.
Getting to Cape Cod
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By plane to Boston The simplest
Direct flights link London, Dublin and many European cities with Boston Logan in six to seven hours; from the rest of the United States, it is a domestic hop. From there, allow an hour and a half by road to Hyannis and two and a half hours to Provincetown, without traffic. Coming from abroad? Apply online for your ESTA before you leave: 40 dollars.
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By ferry to Provincetown No car needed
From mid-May to mid-November, two fast ferries leave Boston harbour and dock at MacMillan Wharf in an hour and a half. It is the right choice if you are only visiting Provincetown, which you can do on foot and by bike.
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By train or bus In summer
The CapeFLYER runs from South Station in Boston to Hyannis on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, from late May to early September: 40 dollars return. All year round, buses leave Logan airport for Hyannis and Woods Hole.
Land in Boston, pick up your car at the airport and head south on Route 3. The Cape begins at the canal, and two bridges cross it: Sagamore and Bourne. In summer, cross before 9 am or after 7 pm, especially on Saturdays.
Getting around Cape Cod
A car is essential: buses are infrequent, and the beaches are a long way from the villages. Route 6 runs the length of the Cape; take 6A instead, the Old King's Highway, which follows the bay between Sandwich and Orleans. In Provincetown, leave the car in a car park and walk. For Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, go as a foot passenger: a car on the ferry has to be booked months ahead.
Good to know
A UK, Irish or other foreign licence is enough to rent and drive in Massachusetts as a visitor. An International Driving Permit, obtained before you leave, saves any argument if you are stopped. At roundabouts, known here as rotaries, priority goes to whoever is already on them.
What to eat in Cape Cod
- Lobster roll: lobster meat in a toasted bun, served cold with mayonnaise or warm with melted butter.
- Clam chowder: the thick soup of clams, potatoes and cream, served with crackers.
- Wellfleet oysters: plump and very briny, raised in the bay: you will order them raw, by the dozen, with a squeeze of lemon.
- Fried clams: whole clams, fried and served in a cardboard tray with fries.
- Cranberries: harvested in October from flooded bogs; you will find them in sauce, in juice or in muffins.
- Kale soup: the soup of kale, chouriço and beans brought by Portuguese fishermen, which you will taste in Provincetown.
To eat like a local, look for a clam shack: a roadside hut, picnic tables, and a queue that grows longer towards noon. Most open from May to October. In the evening in Wellfleet, you will find the day's harvest at the oyster bars by the harbour.
Where to stay in Cape Cod
| Area | What for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Falmouth and Woods Hole | Martha's Vineyard ferry, cycle path | The closest to Boston |
| Hyannis and Mid-Cape | Nantucket ferry, Sound beaches | Route 28, lined with shops |
| Chatham, Harwich and Brewster | Lighthouse, seals, Rail Trail | Chatham, the most expensive |
| Outer Cape | Seashore dunes, Wellfleet oysters | Few hotels, mostly rentals |
| Provincetown | Whales, galleries, nightlife | Full in July and August |
How much does a trip in Cape Cod cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (motel, shared car, clam shacks) | 7 days | €1,100 to €1,500 |
| Comfort (inn or hotel, car, restaurants) | 7 days | €2,000 to €3,000 |
| Luxury (seafront hotel, boat trips) | 7 days | €4,000 to €6,000 |
- The season: from late June to late August, rooms often cost twice what they do in September. If you can choose, June and September remain the best compromise.
- Minimum stays: in summer, many hotels and every rental require two or three nights, often a full week from Saturday to Saturday.
- Beaches: 25 dollars a day per car at the National Seashore; town beaches set their own rates.
- The whale watch: the most expensive activity on the Cape: book it the day before if you come in summer.
- Meals: a lobster roll is priced at the day's lobster rate, chalked on the board; clam shacks stay far cheaper than a restaurant.
Traditions and way of life in Cape Cod
Long before the settlers, the Cape was the land of the Wampanoag, whose Mashpee tribe still lives here. In November 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor off Provincetown, and its passengers signed their compact there before crossing the bay to Plymouth. In Wellfleet, in 1903, Marconi sent the first radio message between the United States and Europe.
In Hyannis Port, the Kennedy family has spent its summers since the 1920s. Provincetown has welcomed painters since 1899 and the LGBT community for decades: its Carnival, in August, takes over Commercial Street. On a summer evening, go and watch a Cape Cod Baseball League game: you will see the country's best college players, sitting on a blanket, without paying to get in.
