Cape Cod

Around Cape Cod

Photo: Astoddard73 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metro area · Massachusetts · 232k people

Cape Cod

“The Cape”

Where every day feels like a vacation.

Ocean BlueCranberry RedSand Beige

Join the room Ask the neighbours

Welcome to the Cape! Whether you're a washashore or a lifer, you'll find salt air and sandy toes. Grab a lobster roll and hit the beach – the good times are here.

Clubs for Cape Cod

No clubs for Cape Cod yet.

The room

One room for everyone around Cape Cod. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

Ask the neighbours

All

A good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.

Coming up

No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.

Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Cape Cod. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

  • Pilgrim Monument Tower in Provincetown honoring the Mayflower landing.
  • Cape Cod Canal Man-made waterway with scenic paths for walking and biking.
  • Sandwich Boardwalk Historic wooden walkway over the marsh.
  • Heritage Museums & Gardens Gardens and antique auto collection in Sandwich.
  • Nauset Light Iconic lighthouse in Eastham.
  • Race Point Lighthouse At the tip of Provincetown, great for sunsets.
  • Outdoors Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail
  • Outdoors Kayak in Salt Pond
  • With kids Visit the Cape Cod Children's Museum
  • With kids Go to the Wellfleet Drive-In
  • Evenings Live music at the Cape Cod Melody Tent
  • Evenings Sunset sails from Hyannis Harbor
  • Locals love Clam shacks
  • Locals love Beach parking lots

Through the year

  • Cape Cod Baseball League Summer Summer college baseball with deep local roots.
  • Wellfleet OysterFest October Celebrates the town's oyster harvest with shucking contests and seafood.
  • Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Festival September Harvest season celebration with bog tours and cranberry treats.
  • Provincetown Film Festival June Independent films and panels in the artsy tip of the Cape.
  • Cape Cod Maritime Days May A month of maritime history, harbor tours, and nautical events.

Cold winters with nor'easters, mild springs, warm summers, crisp autumns. Best time to be out is late spring through early fall. Best: Late spring through early fall

Talk like a local

“down the Cape”
Going to Cape Cod
“off-Cape”
Leaving the Cape
“the arm”
The shape of the Cape
“bayside”
The side facing Cape Cod Bay

Getaways

  • Vineyard Haven Ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a day trip.
  • Nantucket Cobblestone streets and beaches via ferry.
  • Providence WaterFire and a vibrant arts scene.
  • Boston Big city museums, sports, and history.

Local flavour

Rooting for Boston Red Sox (MLB), New England Patriots (NFL), Boston Celtics (NBA), Boston Bruins (NHL), New England Revolution (MLS)

Eat and drink

  • Fried Clams Whole-belly clams, often from local clam shacks
  • Lobster Roll Cold lobster salad in a buttered, toasted hot dog bun
  • Clam Chowder New England-style, creamy and rich
  • Cranberry Sauce Made from local cranberries, a Thanksgiving staple
  • Cape Cod Potato Chips Locally made kettle-cooked chips

Where people go

  • Lighthouses Historic beacons like Highland Light, Nauset Light, and Race Point Light
  • Beaches Wide sandy shores like Coast Guard Beach and Cahoon Hollow Beach
  • Cranberry Bogs Working bogs that flood in autumn for harvest
  • Clam Shacks Casual seaside eateries serving fried seafood
  • Fishing Harbors Working ports like Hyannis and Provincetown
  • Cape Cod National Seashore Protected dunes, marshes, and Atlantic shoreline
  • Cape Cod Rail Trail A scenic bike path through pine forests and salt marshes

Heritage and traditions

Cape Cod is proud of its seafaring heritage, Wampanoag roots, and its role as a summer haven for families and artists, with a deep connection to the ocean and the cranberry bogs.

This time of year in Cape Cod

  • Cranberry harvest Fall Bogs are flooded and berries are gathered in October.
  • Wellfleet OysterFest October Celebrates the town's oyster harvest with shucking contests and seafood.
  • Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Festival October Honors the cranberry industry with bog tours and local crafts.

Say it like a local: “The Cape” — Cape Cod itself

Festivals

  • Wellfleet OysterFest October Celebrates the town's oyster harvest with shucking contests and seafood.
  • Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Festival October Honors the cranberry industry with bog tours and local crafts.
  • Provincetown Film Festival June Showcases independent films in a historic seaside setting.
  • Cape Cod Maritime Days May Celebrates the region's seafaring history with boat tours and talks.
  • Barnstable County Fair July A traditional county fair with rides, livestock, and local food.
  • Cape Cod Celtic Festival September Celtic music, dance, and culture in the fall.

Landmarks with a story

  • Pilgrim Monument Tallest all-granite structure in the US, commemorating the Pilgrims' first landing.
  • Cape Cod Canal A major engineering feat connecting Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay.
  • Sandwich Boardwalk A wooden walkway over the dunes to Town Neck Beach.
  • Heritage Museums & Gardens Historic estate with gardens, carousel, and American art.
  • Nauset Light Iconic lighthouse on the National Seashore.
  • Race Point Lighthouse Remote lighthouse at the tip of Provincetown.

Food traditions

  • Clambakes A New England tradition of steaming lobsters, clams, and corn in a pit on the beach.
  • Oyster shucking at Wellfleet Wellfleet oysters are prized, and locals enjoy them raw at bars and festivals.
  • Cranberry bog harvest In fall, bogs are flooded and cranberries are gathered in a colorful spectacle.
  • Fish and chips Fresh local cod or haddock fried and served with chips, a pub classic.
  • Ice cream at a local stand Seasonal ice cream shops are a summer ritual for families.

Music and arts

  • Provincetown art colony A historic artist community known for painting, theater, and LGBTQ+ culture.
  • Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra Professional orchestra performing in Hyannis.
  • Maritime music and sea shanties Songs of the sea kept alive at festivals and pubs.
  • Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater A respected summer theater company.

A little history

  • 1602 Bartholomew Gosnold named Cape Cod
  • 1620 Pilgrims first landed at Provincetown before settling in Plymouth
  • 19th century Whaling and fishing industries flourished
  • 1961 Cape Cod National Seashore was established
  • Late 19th century Cranberry cultivation became a major agricultural industry
  • Game day Cape Cod Baseball League
  • Game day Figawi Race
  • Outdoors Clam digging
  • Outdoors Fishing off a pier
  • With kids Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
  • With kids Cape Cod Melody Tent

Cape Codders often drop the 'r' in words like 'car' and 'park' (a classic New England accent) and use local terms like 'the Cape' for Cape Cod. They also have distinct pronunciations for town names—'Barnstable' is 'Barn-stable' and 'Hyannis' is 'Hy-ann-is'.

Only here

  • The Cape Cod Baseball League is the premier summer league for college baseball players, with games in every town.
  • The Cape Cod Canal is one of the widest sea-level canals in the world.
  • The Pilgrim Monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the US.
  • Cranberry bogs are a unique agricultural sight, especially during the fall harvest.
New here? A few tips
  • Expect heavy traffic on Route 6 and in town centers on summer weekends; plan around it.
  • Learn to pronounce local names: 'Barnstable' is 'Barn-stable', 'Hyannis' is 'Hy-ann-is', 'Mashpee' is 'Mash-pee'.
  • Try a lobster roll from a local clam shack—it's a rite of passage.
  • Pack layers; Cape Cod weather can change quickly, even in summer.
  • Explore the beaches and trails in the off-season for a quieter experience.

Make this page better

Know a place, a festival, a word locals use, or something here that's wrong? Suggest it; someone at Popchat checks every one.

Sign in and join a club here to suggest.

Part of Greater Boston

Nearby

Every area
Vineyard HavenMassachusettsA world apart, just a ferry ride away.NantucketMassachusettsAn island of grey shingles and endless blue.ProvidenceRhode IslandWhere rivers light up and coffee milk flowsBostonMassachusettsWhere every cobblestone has a story.PutnamConnecticutA quiet corner of New England charmWorcesterMassachusettsSeven hills, one heart, and a diner on every corner.New London–NorwichConnecticutSalt air and shipyard steelManchester–NashuaNew HampshireWhere the Merrimack winds through mill towns and maple groves.

Barnstable Town, MA. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

Join the conversationFree, with just an email.

Sign in