Great Destinations

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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DESTINATIONS
Newport, RI
Providence, RI
Boston, MA
White Mountains, NH
Champlain Valley, VT
Mount Desert Island, ME
Mystic, CT

Cape Cod is divided into four areas. The Upper Cape consists of Sandwich, Mashpee, Woods Hole, Falmouth, and Bourne. The Mid Cape encompasses Barnstable, Hyannis, Yarmouth, and Dennis. The Lower Cape includes Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans. The Outer Cape is made up of Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown.

From Europe's fishing fleets to Henry David Thoreau to the Kennedys, the Cape has been a focal point of New England ever since Bartholomew Gosnold struck cod in 1602. Today, millions flock to this living summer postcard, lured by its pristine beaches, bountiful sunshine, and wonderfully cool, salty air. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the Cape's main season -- and no wonder. From swimming to windjamming, clamming to shopping, there's plenty to do and see during summer. Passionate for seafood? For fresh lobster or fish, you'll find countless clam shacks dotting the Cape.

In the most touristed places -- Falmouth, Sandwich, Barnstable -- the crowds may leave little room to wiggle during the summer, but the Cape still offers pockets of solitude to discover. Explore the Cape Cod National Seashore -- scattered among its 44,000 acres you'll find dunes, beaches, forests, marshes, desert, and cranberry bogs.

Savvy travelers know the Cape's special off-season charms. The beauty remains, but prices are slashed, lodging is relatively easy to find, and the emptied beaches await.