A Charming Weekend On
Cape Cod
With The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
Cape Cod is an iconic coastal area located in Massachusetts. The peninsula is a popular summertime destination and makes for a perfect beach getaway! I had the pleasure of spending three days in the area with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and couldn't get enough of the raw beauty and all the picturesque towns lining the coast. Cape Cod has so much to offer for people of all ages and I will do my best to some up some of my favorite highlights. The pristine coastline has over 550 miles of the most beautiful beaches in the world with many stops along the way so I was not able to visit every town but all the more reason to come back and explore some more!
Best time to visit in general: In my opinion, the best time to visit Cape Cod would be the months of May, June, September and October as the weather is still warm and pleasurable but not too hot. Also, these shoulder months have less crowds and better pricing for hotels.
Best time to visit for weather: The weather during mid summer can get quite hot so if you are looking to spend your day poolside or on the beach, this may be an ideal time for you. The Spring and Fall are also equally ideal for people looking for a more mild climate with still plenty of activities!
How many days do you need to see Cape Cod? I would have to say about 3 to 5 days based on your preference and your pace. There are a couple of main towns and I would say you could easily spend one full day in each of them. Some of the main towns are Falmouth, Chatham, Hyannis, Brewster and Provincetown. Each special in their own way :) There are also two islands off of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket that are very beautiful and I would recommend blocking off some time to see them if interested. One would need to take a ferry from Hyannis or Falmouth to reach these destinations.
Where to Stay:
I stayed in the lovely town of Brewster and highly recommend staying at the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club where the photo above is taken. This resort has it all and most importantly I loved that it is a beachfront property so that I was able to catch those famous Cape Cod Sunsets every single night I was there. I have seen many sunsets and sunrises all around the world but there is something special about those on Cape Cod , they were magical. I also wanted to mention that we visited this resort during Covid and the hotel went above and beyond with safety precautions to make sure all their guests were safe and felt comfortable.
Ocean Edge Resort was voted the number one hotel on Cape Cod by Boston Magazine and it is a wonderful and family friendly resort. A large property, with a variety of accommodations including upscale guest rooms that are apart of the main mansion as well as private 1-3 bedroom villas that are very spacious and have a very homey feel!
Dining: The resort offered plenty of options when it came to dining and my favorite place was Ocean Terrace where we enjoyed our daily breakfasts as well as sunset dinners! The restaurant had the freshest variety of seafood and I absolutely fell in love with their crab cakes that were accompanied with charred pineapple! The drink menu looked very enticing as well, but being that I am pregnant I stuck to refreshing iced teas :) Make sure to make your reservation in advance around sunset time as the views are beautiful, the ambiance is perfect and they book out in advance.
Linx Tavern: For lunch one afternoon, we dined at Linx Tavern which is perfectly situated near the Ocean Edge Villages golf course clubhouse where we enjoyed fresh lobster rolls and light salads! You can't come to the Cape and not have a lobster roll, and these so perfectly satisfied our cravings.
Some other dining options on the property are The Beach Bar which overlooks the ocean, Bayzo's Pub, Shark Bah, and The Front Lawn which is a which is the perfect place to relax under a tent, play some lawn games and enjoy a wood-fired pizza!
Amenities: The Ocean Edge Resort has 5 pools total, two of the main pools are The Bay Pine's Pool and the Arbor Pool. The property is located directly on the beach so we saw people in the evening time making campfires which looked really fun. Next time I would love to experience this! Ben and I did an Oyster Tour which was super interesting and informative. Our tour guide Bud was phenomenal and we highly recommend you request him when scheduling your tour. Some other amenities the property offers are: golfing, kayaking, pickle-ball, tennis and bike riding. I would highly suggest renting a bike and exploring the Cape Cod Rail Trail as the trail itself is diverse, raw and beautiful.
Chatham, MA
Another seaside town that is worth seeing and a short 20 minute drive from Brewster, is Chatham. Chatham is located on the southeast tip of Cape Cod. The town also has a downtown area that has many boutique shops and great restaurants. One of my favorites is the long standing Impudent Oyster serving up the freshest seafood. During mid summer, the hydrangeas are in peak bloom and the town explodes in colors of pink, blue and purple! It's really worth seeing and planning a trip around.
Chatham is well known for it's beautiful beaches and I recommend saving some time to just relax on the beach and soak in the sun and views. Make sure to stop at the Lighthouse Beach and visit the 19th century landmark, Chatham Lighthouse! Chatham is also home to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge which is a protected natural marsh area that is home to a variety of birds.
Beaches:
There are over 100 beaches on Cape Cod and all of them have their own raw beauty and something special to offer. The Cape Cod National Seashore has over 40 miles of protected beaches, marshes and trails and is worth seeing! I visited Marconi Beach at sunrise which was such a treat. As the sun was came up, the colors of the beach ignited. It was also really nice seeing other people enjoy the show, going surfing or walking on the trails.
Another beach I would recommend is Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown! The water on the beach is quiet and the beach itself is very spacious and is surrounded by natural beauty.
Dining and Shopping:
Any seafood restaurant on the Cape most likely serves up delicious food but a couple of them stuck out to me.
Brewster Fish House- Brewster, MA - Serving classic New England seafood.
Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar- Eastham, MA- Award winning clam shack known for their raw bar, lobster rolls and delicious fried seafood.
Mac's Seafood in Wellfleet or Provincetown, MA Serving locally-sourced seafood classics.
Mad Minnow- Harwich, MA Serving local dishes with craft beers in a laid back setting.
There are tons of great shopping all over the Cape and dozens of wonderful local artists to check out and support. There are also many great farms and wineries that are open depending on the season. Some of my favorites are:
WildFlower Pottery: Family owned business creating beautiful and unique pottery.
Buddha Bobs: Selling Unique items from all around the world.
Sandwich Antique Center: Large antique center with a great variety of pieces.
Cranberry Bog Tours: Take a unique tour of a cranberry farm.
Cape Cod Winery: Enjoy local wine in a picturesque setting.
Picture above taken at Ocean Edge Resort.
*Thank you to The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this post. As always, all my opinions are my own.
