Best Things to Do in Cape Cod

Why Cape Cod,Massachusetts attracts a huge tourist crowd?

It is a coastal city in Massachusetts, one of the states in North America. It is facing the Atlantic Ocean, as a peninsula.

Due to its scenic location, proximity to several islands with great beaches, more than 35% of the residents of the state of Massachusetts, decide to settle down here.

Location of Cape Cod

You can clearly see the exact location of Cape Cod, in the southeast of the Massachusetts state, the U.S. It is in the shape of an arm (when a man bends his arm to show his muscle).

Did you notice a small gap between the Cape Cod, and Barnstable? The gap is filled with Cape Cod Canal, connecting the Cape Cod Bay in the north, and the Buzzards Bay in the south.

How to reach Cape Cod?

Being one of the high tourist destinations in the U.S., you can expect fantastic highways that connect the Cape Cod with the state’s capital, Boston.

In addition, you can fly into Hyannis Airport that is just 7 km away from the city center.

Best Things to Do in Cape Cod

I carefully studied the geography and locational advantage of Cape Cod. Based on my research, I give below what are all the attractions in it.

1. Visit several islands nearby.

Two major islands and several small islands are located very close to it.

The two larger islands are Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

The smaller islands include:

• Elizabeth Islands
• Monomoscoy Island
• Popponesset Island
• Cuttyhunk Island
• Monomy Island
• Seconsett Island

Visiting these islands may demand a minimum of 4 days from you. The views from the islands, and their beautiful beaches attract thousands of Americans, and the Canadians to it.

While you can reach Martha’s Vineyard in a little more than an hour, Nantucket is two and a half hours away by a ferry.

2. Nantucket Sound

A ‘sound’ in geography is a sea inlet, an extended arm of a larger sea or an ocean. Sounds are spectacular water body and rare sights. A sound is breathtaking to look at from its land borders and also from an aerial view.

Below is the picture of Nantucket.

Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket Island enclose the Nantucket Sound.

The sound is 48 km by 40 km in length, and breadth, respectively.

Nantucket Sound is one of the major natural attractions in Cape Cod.

3. Cape Cod Canal

I mentioned it at the beginning of this blog post. The canal was, actually, man-made to connect the Cape Cod Bay with the Buzzards Bay.

The canal enables someone in Boston to go to New York’s Long Island by Sea. Isn’t that a voyage worth taking?

The artificial canal is aptly a part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

However, only small ships or yachts with width less than 350 feet can go through the 17 km long canal because the canal’s breadth is just 480 feet!

A cruise is available through the Cape Cod Canal for tourism purposes. One can see the famous Bourne Bridge.

This bridge connects Cape Cod with the mainland of Massachusetts across the Canal.

A side-walk is built on the Borne Bridge for the benefit of pedestrians, and bicyclers.

I think this could be one of the most scenic walkways. However, often, strong wind blow across, that forces the authorities to close the bridge.

Note of warning:

Killer whales are said to be the frequent visitors to the Cape Cod Canal.

4. Provincetown

You can see Provincetown, at the tip, facing the Cape Cod Bay.

It is a scenic coastal town that is considered as one of the attractions.

A cruise from Provincetown takes you through the Bay to Massachusetts Bay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Cruise package from Provincetown, to Elizabeth Islands.

I wonder if there is a large ship that offers a cruise to Provincetown to Elizabeth Islands via Hyannis, and Falmouth.

5. Sandwich Glass Museum

Don’t brush it aside because it is a museum. You can see numerous mind-boggling works of glass art. Sandwich is one of the towns in it.

6. Beaches

Cape Cod’s beaches are on all its three sides, facing the Cape Cod Bay, the Massachusetts Bay, and the Buzzards Bay.

You can imagine the number of beaches where you can enjoy a field day.

Here are the names of some of the beaches.

• South Cape Beach
• Mayflower Beach
• Herring Cove Beach
• Longnook Beach
• Breakwater Beach
• Race Point Beach

Obviously, this list of beaches is too small. If you go on a road trip circling the peninsula, you are bound to discover several more beautiful beaches, that are the main attractions in it.

7. National Sea Shore

Well, this is a beach on the eastern side of Cape Cod, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It’s quite a long stretch of sandy beach measuring a whopping 64 km of uninterrupted stretch.

The long coastline has some marshlands, ponds, and cranberry groves. This diverse landscape attracts quite much wildlife, predominantly the seabirds.

I know the youth in the U.S., and Canada are big bike buffs. Keeping them in mind, the Cape Cod National Sea Shore has long trails along the sea. All the trails are paved to enable smooth cycling.

8. Pilgrim Monument

This is one of the historic attractions. The 252 feet tall tower is made of granite rocks.

Tourists from all over the U.S. like to come here and climb up the monument for sweeping views.

There are 116 steps, and 60 ramps in all. While elderly people take about 20 minutes to go to the top, young ones make it in just 10 minutes.

9. Provincetown Museum

The museum is located right at the base of the Pilgrim Monument. The displays depict the history of Provincetown.

10. Race Point Lighthouse

Race Point Beach is one of the best beaches in the U.S. In addition, there is an old lighthouse which is rated as one of the historic attractions in Cape Cod.

Doesn’t it look too short for a lighthouse? It is not even 100 feet tall.

Nonetheless, the light beams from the tower reache up to 30 km out on the sea. I am sure that is a perfect guide to the ships sailing through the Atlantic Ocean.

11. Whydah Pirate Museum

We all have heard of pirates, and the terror they stuck on passing ships. However, we have had no chance to encounter a pirate, face to face.

The Whydah Museums fulfils our desire to some extent. The pirates museum is interesting and tells us the tales of pirates of yesteryears.

In spite of its status as one of the attractions in Cape Cod, I don’t think I would visit the museum.

12. More Museums in Cape Cod

Please be aware the state of Massachusetts is steeped in history, tradition, and culture.

The citizens strictly abide by the culture, and centuries old English etiquettes. That’s why, Massachusetts is called ‘New England’.

Naturally, such a state is bound to boast of numerous museums, paying tribute to different historical aspects.

Here are some more museums that you can visit.

• Adventure Park, and Heritage Museum
• John F Kennedy’s Hyannis Museum
• Atwood Museum

13. Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Wellfleet is the name of the town, after which, the sanctuary is named.

Apart from a curt mention that this sanctuary is an important birding location, there is nothing else on which birds one can spot.

While summing up, I think it is a coastal destination that is mainly visited by the citizens of Massachusetts. However, the islands surrounding Cape Cod, cruises in different bays add much charm to the state’s tourism.