15 Best Cape Cod Towns to Visit This Summer

Cape Cod stretches some 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, giving travelers one more sliver of land to explore in Massachusetts before it disappears into the sea. Though relatively small, the landmass has more than 500 miles of coastline, each inch more memorable than the last. Beyond the beautiful beaches, Cape Cod is home to many towns with plenty of history and culture, too. Here are 15 of the best Cape Cod towns worth exploring this summer and beyond.

Provincetown

Provincetown is one of the most widely known Cape Cod beach communities. Located on the very edge of the Outer Cape, this town has become an LGBTQ+ haven, thanks to its welcoming atmosphere and events like the Provincetown Carnival. Check into the Surfside Hotel & Suites or Breakwater for stellar views and easy beach access, and while here, visit the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and Race Point Lighthouse. Before you set off for the sand at Long Point Beach, Herring Cove, or Harbor Beach, you can get your shopping done on Commercial Street.

Dennis

If spending each and every second on the beach is your vacation motivation, then Dennis is the town for you. The community is well-known for its wide sandy stretches, like Chapin Memorial Beach and Howes Beach, which provide visitors with plenty of space to sprawl out under the summer sun. Dennis comes with two distinct sides — the Nantucket Sound, with West Dennis and Dennisport, and Cape Cod Bay, which includes Dennis Village and East Dennis. The former has a much more New England village feel, while the latter is sparsely populated. The good news is you can bounce between the two with relative ease. Get a real sense of the area by checking into a local bed-and-breakfast — An English Garden and Isaiah Hall are great options.

Sandwich

Those wanting to mix up their summer beach vacation with verdant landscapes need not look further than Sandwich. While the community certainly has its own gorgeous coast, it's also home to the 700-acre Shawme-Crowell State Forest, filled with oak trees and more than 15 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails. Campsites are available for overnights, too.

Visitors can also visit the Heritage Museums & Gardens to roam the manicured gardens, walk the nature trails, and see a historic carousel and an American automobile collection featuring antique cars in pristine condition. Book the Dan'l Webster Inn & Spa for a relaxing stay.

Hyannis

Hyannis (which is technically a village inside the larger town of Barnstable) offers "big city" amenities on Cape Cod, including an airport, shopping malls, and world-renowned restaurants. Visitors here can easily float between the sand (check out Veterans Park Beach), shops on Main Street, and attractions like the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum and Cape Cod Maritime Museum. For luxury accommodations, book a few days at the Hyannis Harbor Hotel, or try the Sea Street Inn for a more charming New England stay.

Orleans

Orleans is one of the smallest towns on the Cape, but it certainly packs a punch. Home to two popular beaches — Nauset and Skaket — it also offers a quaint downtown area with galleries, including Eastwind Gallery, which displays work by local artists, and Galley West Art Gallery, which features artists from the Lower and Outer Cape Cod towns. As for where to spend the night, book a stay at the Nauset Beach Inn, which, according to the site, provides "an ocean view from every room."

Truro

Located on the Outer Cape, Truro is another community filled with both lush, forested landscapes and rugged shorelines. But the real star of the show here is Truro Vineyards, where the winemakers are masters at maritime grape growing, yielding whites like ​​sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, as well as reds like its barbera, cabernet franc, and even a rosé for good measure. Come check out the tasting rooms or South Hollow Spirits, Truro Vineyards' on-site distillery, which produces Twenty Boat rum and Dry Line gin. Hotels are limited, but rentals are plentiful, including this beautiful three-bedroom beach house that's ideal for group getaways.

Harwich

Harwich is the place to go for some summertime festival fun. The town is home to sandy spots such as Red River Beach and Pleasant Road Beach, but the main attractions here are the events, including the Cranberry Arts & Music Festival each September, which offers live music and more than 150 local craft vendors. Harwich is another excellent place for a bed-and-breakfast stay — check out Pelham on Earle and Handkerchief Shoals Inn.

Mashpee

Though Mashpee doesn't have the same tourism appeal as other towns along the Cape, it's both a charming and important stop to make. The community has been the home of the Wampanoag people for thousands of years, and their headquarters remain here to this day. Visitors can head to Mashpee Commons for shopping and dining, or make their way to South Cape Beach, a mile-long stretch, to catch a little sun. Stay like you live in town by booking a few nights at New Seabury, which offers one- and two-bedroom condos.

Brewster

The town of Brewster, located in the Lower Cape, is ideal for groups or multigenerational families as it has something for everyone. The whole crew can head out for a day at the beach (Breakwater Beach, Crosby Landing Beach, and Robbins Hill Beach are great picks), or break off and visit some of the local attractions, like the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History or Cape Cod Rail Trail, which runs from Dennis to Wellfleet and hits Brewster in between. There are also plenty of historic homes to explore, but the best way to experience one may be by spending the night. Options include the Candleberry Inn, a 1790s manse that's now rated among the Cape's finest bed-and-breakfasts, and The Captain Freeman Inn, a charming former sea captain's home.

Woods Hole

This one is a bit of a wild card for a list of Cape Cod towns. That's because Woods Hole is technically a village inside the larger town of Falmouth, but it deserves its own shout-out, thanks to its beauty and its massive contributions to science. Woods Hole is an aquatic paradise, home to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, which is dedicated to "advancing knowledge of the ocean and its connection with the Earth system," and the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, the nation's oldest public aquarium. Book a stay at the Woods Hole Inn, a contemporary bed-and-breakfast, or the Treehouse Lodge, a property packed with games, outdoor fire pits, and glamping setups for kids.

Chatham

A charming downtown, a picture-perfect lighthouse, and wide sandy beaches are just three reasons Chatham makes an ideal destination for a Cape Cod getaway. The town was the location of the Cape's first luxury hotel — the Chatham Bars Inn, which has its own quarter-mile private beach. You can also enjoy the sands and views on Lighthouse Beach or take a shuttle boat to the Tern Island Sanctuary to see a nesting site for local terns and other shorebirds. A trip to Chatham would not be complete without trying the seafood at upscale restaurants like Pisces, which sources its squid, bluefish, flounder, and black bass from local fishermen.

Wellfleet

Situated halfway between the tip and the elbow of Cape Cod, Wellfleet is sometimes overlooked as vacationers make their way to Provincetown, but it's worth stopping for, if only for a meal at Mac's Shack. The town is also known for one of the most picturesque harbors in Cape Cod, and Duck Harbor Beach is beloved for its sunsets. If you prefer long hikes, the Great Island Trail is an eight-mile loop that will take you along sandy paths through grassy hills and a pine forest. You can also indulge in some retro nostalgia with a night out at the Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre.

Yarmouth

Located in the center of Cape Cod, Yarmouth is a historic city made up of three villages. With many beaches, like Seagull Beach, Gray's Beach, and Bass River Beach, there is a lot of seaside to enjoy and beachgoers report clear waters and lots of sea life. Not just for kids, the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth is especially of interest as it displays a replica pirate ship as well as artifacts recovered from a real vessel that sank off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717. One of the best walks in town can be enjoyed along the Bass Hole Boardwalk, a serene 800-foot path that sits on top of a salt marsh.

Bourne

On the western edge of Cape Cod, Bourne is an easy getaway that avoids much of the area's traffic. Here, the canal bisecting the Cape from the mainland is a good spot for biking with views of a striking railroad bridge. Nearby, you can check out the educational exhibits at the National Marine Life Center, which cares for rescued animals. If you prefer a walk along the shore, Sagamore Beach offers a long stretch of sand fronting Cape Cod Bay. The Lobster Trap is one of the best places in town to eat, attracting people from all over the Cape with its delectable lobster rolls.

Eastham

On the quieter side of things, Eastham marks the beginning of the Cape's outer arm and boasts beaches on both sides. Along Ocean View Drive, Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach are particularly scenic. It was in Eastham that the Pilgrims had a skirmish with the Indigenous Wampanoag people after the Mayflower sailed into Provincetown Harbor. The town has many historic attractions that tell the story of the Europeans' arrival and settlement in North America, such as the Three Sisters Lighthouses and the Eastham Windmill, the oldest windmill on the Cape, dating back to the 17th century.