What city should I stay in for Cape Cod beach vacation?

KelliLynee · July 2011

We want to rent a house for a week on a beach pretty much anywhere within driving distance to us & I was thinking of cape cod. There are so many towns to choose from & I don't know where to start. I just want to be within walking distance to the beach & not spend a zillion dollars. Does anyone have any recommendations? Other Northeastern beach city's are welcome too : )

jenn_darrin1515 · July 2011

I love gloucester (fabulous smaller family beach with tidal pools and such) and rockport (little beach and lots of shops for walking) for little beach vacations....we just did wells, me (which is a bit of a longer drive, but we love it up there and house rentals are cheaper)...my friend who does the cape (I myself am not a fan) goes to hyannis I think...we also love RI beaches....enjoy your vacation!!!

massdreams · July 2011

DH grew up on Cape Cod, so I know it fairly well. It depends on what you are looking for. Some Cape towns are much busier and more touristy than others. The busier towns/areas are Hyannis, Falmouth, Dennis, Yarmouth and Provincetown. These are pretty popular with summer vacationers. I personally like some of the quieter/smaller towns like Sandwich, Mashpee, and Chatham. Also, how far do you want to drive? Once you are on Cape Cod, it can take you an hour or longer to get to the towns further on down Cape.

DH grew up in Sandwich, which is right over the bridge, so we know that area best. I think the Sandwich/Mashpee/Falmouth area are really great for family vacations and have a ton of kid friendly things to do. And almost anywhere on the Cape is close to the ocean. There's a Children's Museum in Mashpee we took DS to last summer on a rainy day and he enjoyed it. In Sandwich there is the Green Briar Nature Center, Heritage Museum and Gardens, and the Sandwich Glass Museum, plus some good nature trails. There's Woods Hole in Falmouth, and if you wanted to, you could catch a ferry and do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard.

Walking distance to the beach though could be pricey. We've always stayed at friend's houses or gone camping in the state parks when we're on the Cape, so I'm not sure on the cost.

PAP179 · July 2011

massdreams:
DH grew up on Cape Cod, so I know it fairly well. It depends on what you are looking for. Some Cape towns are much busier and more touristy than others. The busier towns/areas are Hyannis, Falmouth, Dennis, Yarmouth and Provincetown. These are pretty popular with summer vacationers. I personally like some of the quieter/smaller towns like Sandwich, Mashpee, and Chatham. Also, how far do you want to drive? Once you are on Cape Cod, it can take you an hour or longer to get to the towns further on down Cape.
DH grew up in Sandwich, which is right over the bridge, so we know that area best. I think the Sandwich/Mashpee/Falmouth area are really great for family vacations and have a ton of kid friendly things to do. And almost anywhere on the Cape is close to the ocean. There's a Children's Museum in Mashpee we took DS to last summer on a rainy day and he enjoyed it. In Sandwich there is the Green Briar Nature Center, Heritage Museum and Gardens, and the Sandwich Glass Museum, plus some good nature trails. There's Woods Hole in Falmouth, and if you wanted to, you could catch a ferry and do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard.
Walking distance to the beach though could be pricey. We've always stayed at friend's houses or gone camping in the state parks when we're on the Cape, so I'm not sure on the cost.

PAP179 · July 2011

massdreams:

DH grew up in Sandwich, which is right over the bridge, so we know that area best. I think the Sandwich/Mashpee/Falmouth area are really great for family vacations and have a ton of kid friendly things to do. And almost anywhere on the Cape is close to the ocean. There's a Children's Museum in Mashpee we took DS to last summer on a rainy day and he enjoyed it. In Sandwich there is the Green Briar Nature Center, Heritage Museum and Gardens, and the Sandwich Glass Museum, plus some good nature trails. There's Woods Hole in Falmouth, and if you wanted to, you could catch a ferry and do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard.

One of my best friends from college grew up in Sandwich. How old is your DH? My friend is 31. You don't hear about that town too often!!

sharrow · July 2011

I recommend Plum Island.

Or York beach, ME. They have a great zoo and small amusement park, walking distance to a charming beach town.

KelliLynee · July 2011

Thanks ladies. We are just looking for a place to stay to walk to the beach... as far as the town goes, busy or not doesn't really matter. I'd like the option to do plenty of things, but mainly I just want a nice family town. Price & proximity to the beach are the two biggest factors, everything else can sacrifice. (Meaning, I don't mind having to drive a bit to a nicer town for more to do, but I want to be able to walk to the beach and spend less than like 800 for the week). There are lots of places where you can rent a studio, or 1-2 bedroom house for the week. I've found some places that fit this criteria, but I just don't know what town(s) to be looking for. And like I said, it doesn't have to be on the cape, we were previously looking at Ocean City, MD, plus my coworker just came back from Rhode Island. Really, we have zero preference on the state. I just want it to be driving difference from Upstate NY.

MrsBreezer80 · July 2011

Eastham and Chatham have the best beaches, but Hyannis and P-town are the funner spots.

melly918 · July 2011

Check Brewster. It's a nice, quiet little town with lots of bike trails. There are five different beaches to choose from in Brewster and once the tide goes out, it goes way out far...leaving lots of tide pools teeming with sea life like fish and tiny crabs. Kids love it!

gretchenh · July 2011

We love Skaket beach in Orleans, town next to Brewster. It is on the bay. At low tide the beach goes really far out and there are tons of tide pool with warmer shallow water for splashing. Lots of hermit crabs DS loved it the last two years. Good sand castle sand too.

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