SPECIALS
The Ultimate First-Time Visitors Guide to Cape Cod
If this is your first visit to Cape Cod we just thought we should let you know that there is a part of us that envies you because we will never again get to experience Cape Cod for the first time. We at New England Vacation Rentals live here year-round, and we know that the adventures you enjoy on the cape will change you, just as the more comfortable adventures you enjoy with us will make you feel welcomed and cherished, and sometimes we wish we could still experience all that you will be experiencing so very soon. This ultimate first time Cape Cod visitor guide will take you on a tour of the best beaches, the best restaurants, and the best attractions and when each day ends, it will take you on the road to our most inviting New England retreats.
First, There Are Beaches
Life at the beach is one that will make your heart believe in magic and the beaches we have listed below will certainly make all your vacation dreams come true. You don’t need much to enjoy your toes in the sand time, an umbrella, some beach chairs or towels, and a cooler filled with your favorite snacks and beverages, and because you chose our properties for your home base, you will probably find everything you need in a closet or other storage space.
Nauset Beach in Eastham
The first beach on our list of favorites is Nauset Beach located in the charming town of Orleans. Offering soft sands and fantastic dunes, this pristine beach is popular with not just swimmers, but the active people who like to explore all the fun they can have in the surf and that includes boogie boarding, skim boarding, and surfing. Surfers especially love this beach, as the sea offers the highest waves on Cape Cod, making their adventures thrilling and fulfilling. Not to be confused with Nauset Light Beach, which is located in the town of Eastham, Nauset Beach promises to bring your beach dreams alive.
Mayflower Beach in Dennis
White sands, warm waters, and some really cool tide pools makes Mayflower Beach one of the most popular beaches on Cape Cod. When the tide recedes, the exposed sand hides an entire world of wonder, including small fish, hermit crabs, even the occasional clam and who knows? If you are lucky enough to find a clam, you may even be lucky enough to find a beautiful pearl inside it! Mayflower Beach is also home to an annual sand sculpture contest, held every August, so if your journey brings you to Dennis on Cape Cod in August, be sure to spend some time exploring the entries, or, if you feel you have talents, create your own sand sculpture and enter the competition.
Scusset Beach State Reservation in Sandwich
We hold a soft spot in our hearts for the town of Sandwich and Scusset Beach is also one of our favorite beaches. Offering soft sands on pristine beaches, this one is popular with swimmers and anglers, and if you truly want to experience a romantic beach moment, bonfires are permitted in the community firepit on the beach. The water is clear and cool and the position of this beach allows for stunning views of the ships passing along Cape Cod Bay and if you do have your camera handy, the pictures you take are sure to be worthy of framing.
The History Is Endlessly Fascinating
Cape Cod is known for its fascinating history as much as it is known for its beautiful beaches and fantastic “chowdah,” and if you listen closely, you can hear the echoes of the pilgrims that first made this magical place their home pretty much everywhere you step. Every town offers something historical and wonderful to explore, but the attractions listed below are some that best reflect the heart of Cape Cod.
Hoxie House, 18 Water Street in Sandwich
If you read any of our blogs, you will see that we do mention Hoxie House more than a few times, but it is one of the oldest homes on the Cape, having survived over 300 years of Cape Cod weather. Built in 1675, it is named for a well-known whaling captain, Abraham Hoxie, who lived there in the 19th century and in addition to offering a peek int the 17th century with its exhibits and artifacts, there is also quite a few pieces he acquired over the years.
John F. Kennedy Memoria;, 480 Ocean Street and the John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum, 397 Main Street
The Kennedy’s have long known about the magic of Cape Cod and their compound in Hyannis is still often frequented by relatives today. The John F. Kennedy Memorial in Hyannis pays tribute to our 35th President, offering views of Lewis Bay, gardens to walk through, and when you have finished both of those activities, we encourage you to visit the museum that honors him as well. The museum explores JFK’s public, private, and political life and includes exhibits that tell the stories of his international travels as well.
Godfrey Windmill, 125 Shattuck Place in Chatham
Although California is famous for its field of windmills in Palm Springs, the world doesn’t really use them anymore, and most of our country’s original wood windmills have been lost to time. The Godfrey Windmill in Chatham, built in 1797, however, reminds us that not all is lost, offering a peek into how windmills were once used for grinding corn into meal. Offering tours in the summer months on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, guides and millers will show you how the mill still works today and answer any questions you may have.
Tour of Lighthouses
The iconic lighthouses of Cape Cod are popular with tourists, especially those who have never lived near the sea and often serve as a backdrop to the best family pictures. Not all lighthouses can be toured, but the ones listed below are open for tours in the summer months as listed.
Nauset Lighthouse, 120 Nauset Light Beach Road in Eastham
Remember when we were discussing beaches earlier and we advised you not to mistake Nauset Beach with Nauset Light Beach? Not only are they located in two different towns, Nauset Light Beach is home to the most famous lighthouse on Cape Cod, the Nauset Lighthouse. Why is this beautiful iron structure so famous and why does it look vaguely familiar to you? The red, white, and black lighthouse has graced the bags of Cape Cod Potato Chips for over 40 years, and if you like their chips, you now have the opportunity to see the lighthouse you have been staring at in person. Tours cost nothing (donations are welcome) and take place on different days from May through October. The Nauset Lighthouse offers a schedule of tours on their website.
Chatham Light, 37 Main Street in Chatham
The original Chatham lighthouse was actually two wooden towers built in 1808 and located closer to the shoreline. They were replaced in 1841 with two iron towers, which were also replaced and separated in 1877, with one becoming the Nauset Lighthouse. Today, both lighthouses are iconic examples of the beauty of these rapidly disappearing structures, and Chatham Lighthouse is one of a very few lighthouses that still operate 24 hours a day. Tours were discontinued for a while, but in 2024 they restarted and are held every Wednesday in July and August and every other Wednesday in September. These tours are free, but donations are always welcomed.
The Three Sisters Lighthouses, Cable Road, Eastham
A visit to Eastham will bring you a bonanza of lighthouses, with the Three Sisters Lighthouses offering a beautiful walk through a serene meadow. Named the Three Sisters because from the sea they used to look like three women wearing white dresses and black hats, the original lighthouses fell into the sea and were replaced in the 1890s. Two were eventually decommissioned and sold, and the remaining one was nicknamed the Beacon, as it continued to protect traveling ships that were in danger. After the Beacon was decommissioned as well, eventually all three of the sisters were reunited and moved to their current site, and tours can be had during the summer months when you make reservations.
A Taste of Cape Cod
Every vacation should involve meals that you dream about long after you return to real life and the restaurants listed below will become the ones you compare all others against for the rest of time!
Marshland Restaurant & Bakeries, 109 MA-6A in Sandwich
The fully equipped kitchens in our Cape Cod sanctuaries will come in handy and can be fun to use, but you are on vacation and if you don’t visit Marshland Restaurant & Bakeries at least once you will be cheating yourself out of a meal to remember. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can’t go wrong at whatever time you visit, but please do yourself a favor and order the Irish Benedict. Made with corned beef hash, you may never go back to the traditional eggs Benedict again.
Chatham Pier Fish Market, 45 Barcliff Avenue in Chatham
Whether you spent the morning at the beach, riding along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, or simply lazing about your New England Vacation Rentals Chatham retreat, by the time the lunch hour rolls around you will be hungry and the Chatham Pier Fish Market offers a truly authentic Cape Cod experience. Featuring fish tanks that use water that comes directly from the ocean, the restaurant sits at harbors edge and while guests are devouring lobster rolls and chowder, they can also be watching fishermen (and women!) unload their catch. And as you can imagine, the seafood served is as fresh as it gets.
The Ocean House, 425 Old Wharf Road in Dennis Port
Unlike most Cape Cod Restaurants, there is a dress code at this upscale seafood restaurant, but when you sample their innovative versions of seafood and other dishes, we don’t think you will mind. The Ocean House has been a local tradition for over 40 years, offering waterfront views and a menu that includes such delicacies as Hot Buttered Lobster Dumplings and Filet Mignon as well as desserts you won’t be able to resist. Get the Pumpkin & Tahitian Vanilla Cheesecake. You won’t regret it.
Cape Cod Events
Before we finish your tour of Cape Cod, we have to take a few minutes to discuss a couple of events that you won’t want to miss, if your vacation coincides with the dates. The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival takes place in a variety of towns throughout the cape in July, offering tours of private gardens, educational talks about how best to grow the beautiful flowers, and when you visit the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, the annual Hydrangea University promises to pique your interest. Additionally, during most holidays guests will find a special event that excites, including fireworks shows and parades over 4th of July, Christmas markets and experiences, and Chatham’s famous First Night, a family friendly, alcohol free, New Year’s Eve celebration.
Home Sweet Vacation Home
We hope you enjoyed our Cape Cod Tourist guide. As you can see, your first time visit to Cape Cod is sure to be exciting and jam packed with all sorts of fun activities and events and when you come home to New England Vacation Rentals at the end of each day, the comfortable adventures you enjoy will help you recharge for the next day! Many guests even pencil in a day spent at home, simply to explore all the wonders we offer, watching their favorite shows on state of the art televisions, soaking in bubbling hot tubs under the stars, or even relaxing poolside in our escapes that offer that amenity. Feeling at home while far from home is another amenity we offer, and even though most companies wouldn’t consider that an amenity, we know that it will definitely top your list of the best! Reserve your favorite escape today.
