Ray Bartlett - Moon Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard & Nantucket (Travel Guide)

Cape Cod beach at sunset.

Cape Cod takes its name from its wealth of marine resources, and thats what still makes this area so special today. People come here to enjoy the seafood, the beaches, and the lazy summer days. This is true of all three of the areas land masses, both the Cape and its neighboring islands. Each, however, retains a distinct character that makes it unique. A Cape getaway will be very different from a trip to the Vineyard or Nantucket. Get to all three, and youll have three vacations wrapped into one.

Cape Cod is where you will find fresh bait shops and fine-art galleries side by side. Think summer-league baseball, live music on town bandstands, double features at the drive-in, and miniature golf with a quirky maritime theme. Here youll eat ice cream for lunch and fried clams for dinner (yum!). There are also beaches, of coursehundreds of miles of them: slack-water estuaries, freshwater ponds, rock-strewn coves, long sandy strands lapped by the rhythmic ebb and flow of the bay, and surf-scoured barrier beaches that occasionally bare the bones of old ships.

Marthas Vineyard (the Vineyard), the larger, more populous, and more readily accessible of the two offshore islands, has become best known for its big-name celebrities and yacht owners. While its hardly inexpensive, it doesnt thumb its nose at budget travelers either. Its small, easily strollable towns brim with one-of-a-kind shops and galleries, interesting architecture, and good food.

lily pads on the surface of a kettle pond

Eastham Windmill

Truros Highland Light

Nantucket is a pretty little pearl, with rose-draped cottages hugging narrow lanes and low shrubby moors ringed by wide sandy beaches. This port town swathes itself in a mantle of history; arriving ferry passengers will feel like theyve opened a doorway to the 19th century. Distance and affluence have kept some of the diversity of its neighbors firmly at bay, but it warmly welcomes day-trippers of all stripes.

You may assume that the small size of this region will make it possible to pack everything you want to see and do into a single trip, but its best to take it slow. Allow yourself time to get lost in slow pleasures and seaside charm, to explore not only whats within these pages but also whats between the lines and beyond the margins. Save some discoveries for your next visit to the Cape. Youll be back.

seeing whales from the Whale Watcher

monarch butterflies from Mexico.

pail and shovel on a beach

: Winding through white pine forests or tucked right next to the sea, the Capes many bike paths and hiking trails offer a wealth of ways to experience the wildlife-rich landscape.

: Part fishing town, part LGBTQ+ mecca, part nature preserve, part fine-dining destination and art hotspot, you really cant say youve seen the Cape until youve stopped in P-town.

: From rich lobster bisque to an old-fashioned clam bake, the Cape and Islands offer New England comfort food from the sea, fresher here than anywhere else.

excursions.

Where to Go

This trio of destinations is visited in mix and match, any order you please. Some travelers want to get to all three, busing or driving from Boston or Providence and using the ferries to the islands after (or before) cruising the Cape. Others use the Cape only as a springboard to get to one or both of the islands, still others skip the islands and stay on the mainland only. Theres no right way to come here, just the way that works best for you.

Cape Cod

No doubt about it, the big draws of Cape Cod are those seasonal verities of sun, sand, and surf, followed closely by golf greens and shopping. There are points of interest indoors tooaround every bend in the road is a historic landmark, a local historical museum, or a uniquely themed attraction inviting exploration. Art galleries and artisans studios abound. Antique stores are equally ubiquitous. And given the vital importance of safe navigation to the regional economy, it should come as no surprise to learn that a number of