Top Ten Places to See on Cape Cod

If you live in the United States, you've no doubt met someone who has been to Cape Cod. What's the allure of this peninsula on the eastern edge of Massachusetts? It's the beaches, small villages and towns, the migrating shorebirds, the beautiful sand dunes, great seafood restaurants, cottages, parks and lighthouses, but best of all, it's the disconnect from the world - forcing yourself to relax and enjoy nature and life. While it's not the most remote of locations, Cape Cod doesn't have an overwhelming amount of commercialization in most towns. There's just you, the beach, and the sun (along with plenty of other tourists).

This page will go over, in my opinion, the top ten best places to see on Cape Cod. Agree or disagree on my picks for the top places to see on Cape Cod? Have a better place in mind? Leave a comment in the section at the bottom of the page, or vote in the poll!

Right at the northernmost point of Cape Cod is Race Point in Provincetown. The area is unlike any other part of the state, and perhaps the whole northeast. Natural sand dunes roll through and offer miles upon miles of unmatched views of the open Atlantic waters and Cape Cod Bay. If you're feeling really adventurous, try hiking out to Race Point Lighthouse, a good two mile walk. If you're looking for an excellent beach, it's hard to find anything better than Race Point Beach. One of Cape Cod's best beaches, this beach has no rocks, has a beautiful backdrop of the sand dunes behind, and has constant boat traffic headed towards nearby Provincetown harbor. It's a beach day you'll never forget. If you're lucky, you might be able to see some whales spouting miles offshore in the popular Stellwagen Marine Sanctuary (except in the winter).

In the town center, there are many places to stay, but one of the most popular is the bed and breakfast route. Inns like the White Street Inn and Prince Albert House have excellent guest reviews. You can find some of the best rates for bed and breakfasts in the Provincetown area on this page.

Wellfleet Sanctuary is a Mass Audubon organization with walking paths, marshes, and over 1100 acres of pristine Cape Cod beauty to explore, along with guide-led hikes and nature programs in the facilities. It's known for its amazing bird population, as well as the large Wellfleet Bay region. The sanctuary even has its own butterfly and hummingbird garden.

Most tourists are very familiar with Route 6, but that highway is no fun at all (until you get past the Orleans rotary, anyway). For a genuine Cape experience, head to the north side of the Cape, where antique Colonial era houses dot the "King's Highway" region of Route 6A. Along this road, you'll find New England farmhouses, antique shops, seafood restaurants, and some of the best beaches on the Cape. Towns like Brewster, Yarmouth, and Barnstable have incredible views of Cape Cod Bay, as well as charming cottages and old motels. It's the less commercial side of the Cape, but can still get jam packed during the summer months.

In the village of Nauset, which is part of Orleans, MA, lies the massive Cape Cod National Seashore. This large protected area of shoreline boasts 40 miles of natural beaches, cranberry bogs and open Atlantic waters. You can find the main entrance to the seashore on Route 6 in Nauset (or Orleans). It's part of the National Park Service, so you can purchase one of the passes for the entire National Parks system and it should be valid here as well. A bargain at only $50 for the year. Protecting wildlife, woods and beaches from encroaching development, the Cape Cod National Seashore remains one of the top attractions of the Cape, so leave plenty of time to see this gem.

Highland Lighthouse, or Cape Cod Light, is located in Truro, Massachusetts, near Route 6. A few miles before Provincetown, this lighthouse is on the eastern side of the Cape, the open side. Years back, the lighthouse was in danger of toppling into the open Atlantic waters, but a massive undertaking to move the light went underway to save the light from peril. It was successfully moved inland far away from the edge of the cliff to its present position. It's one the oldest lighthouses in the country, the original being built in 1797, with the current lighthouse erected in 1857. The picturesque light is often photographed and is one of Cape Cod's most recognizable attractions.

Just south of Chatham, Massachusetts, between the shore and Nantucket, the long peninsula island of Monomoy is home to many migrating birds like the roseate tern and piping plover. The two islands, North and South Monomoy Islands, are frequented by seals regularly, while the island itself has beautiful beaches, marshes, and some of the most remote scenery you can find on the Cape. Boat tours of the island depart from Chatham regularly in the summer months.

If you've ever been to Martha's Vineyard in Cape Cod, you have most likely been to Wood's Hole. Wood's Hole is the southwestern point of the Cape, in the town of Falmouth. In it, you can find a small fishing village, as well as boats to both Nantucket and nearby Martha's Vineyard. A few miles back north, you can find Falmouth Center, one of the Cape's most bustling towns at the end of Route 28. It's one of Cape Cod's biggest towns, with plenty of small villages, beaches, shopping and restaurants.

While the Canal isn't the official beginning of Cape Cod, it does separate the "mainland" from the rest of Massachusetts, and it's the unofficial border between relaxing getaway and the rest of the world. The canal stretches approximately 7 miles long, but was dredged another ten miles to allow ships to pass through the waters instead of traveling around the entire Cape Cod peninsula.

Not only is the canal a marvel of engineering, but is a beautiful manmade site to see, and a great welcome to the Cape. Entering Bourne, you can find great views of the bridges, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridge, as well as the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge from several points along Route 6, as well as Sandwich Road, or Route 6A, along the Cape side of the bridge.

The dunes of Truro are one of the most spectacular sights of all of Cape Cod. You start to see these undulating dunes on your trek north on Route 6 headed towards Provincetown. To the right, you'll see several pullovers to get further look at these beautiful dunescapes. Plan on taking some time out of your trip to take a brief hike to the shore, or even picnic at the beach. While the dunes are mostly on the eastern side of the peninsula, the eastern side has incredible beaches, and rows of cottages which have been photographed and painted by famous artists and photographers. These rustic Cape Cod cottages may not have many amenities, and that's because they don't need to. The beautiful sunsets right on the shore of Cape Cod Bay are the only amenity you'll need.

Chatham has one of the most visited town centers on the entire Cape. Galleries, tourist shops, restaurants and small cafes line the streets of downtown, which can be explored in a few hours or less, depending on the amount of time you'd like to spend in each place. There are also historic churches and inns along the road, and Chatham Light is a just a couple of miles down the road. Parking can be tough to find in the summer and on weekends, so you may have to walk far to find a good spot. For a less crowded visit, head during the fall or spring, or during a summer weekday before the crowds rush in.

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