Cape Cod, located in the Eastern part of Massachusetts, is one of the most popular summer vacation destinations. This beach community is comprised of many different towns offering various activities, restaurants, family resorts, museums, walking trails, beaches, and more.
Whether you are planning to spend your whole vacation in Cape Cod, or are visiting as part of a larger New England vacation, you’ll want to plan your vacation well in advance. Cape Cod does get busy in the summer, it’s important to book your lodging early. Some restaurants take reservations, but others are first-come, first-served, so check in advance. If a restaurant doesn’t take reservations, arrive early to avoid the crowds.
Here are all of our Cape Cod travel posts – click through to read the full post and get all of the details.
Disclosure: We have received complimentary/discounted rates at Cape Cod hotels, and also own a vacation rental home on Cape Cod in South Yarmouth. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links (including on the map) and a purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no cost to you.
- Cape Cod Vacation Guide and Tips For Families
- Things to Do in Mashpee MA
- Best Lobster Rolls and Clam Shacks in Massachusetts
- Ocean Edge Resort: A Family Resort in Cape Cod
- Best Restaurants in Yarmouth MA
- The Best Restaurants in Dennis MA
- Things to Do in Falmouth MA
- Fun Things To Do in Chatham MA on Cape Cod
- Fun Things To Do in Hyannis MA With Your Family
- Fun Family Things To Do in Provincetown
- The Best Things To Do in Yarmouth MA With Kids
- Guide to the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, MA
- The Best Cape Cod Winter Activities
- The Best Shopping on Cape Cod
- The Best Mini Golf on Cape Cod
- The Best Towns to Visit on Cape Cod
- What to Do on a Rainy Day on Cape Cod
- The Best Restaurants on Cape Cod
- Cape Cod Activities for Families
- Cape Cod Fishing Trips for Families
- Cape Cod Day Trips For Families
- The Best Beaches in Yarmouth Cape Cod
- 5 of the Best Cape Cod Resorts for Families
- The Best Time to Visit Cape Cod (Including a Local Secret)
Looking for lodging options? Check out this map (affiliate links) with lots of choices.
Cape Cod Travel Posts
Cape Cod Vacation Guide and Tips For Families
This post is the best place to start when planning Cape Cod travel. Learn about how to best plan your Cape Cod vacation, including when to travel, the most popular things to do, where to eat, and how to choose a Cape Cod town for your vacation.
The posts below offer some more details on specific towns and things to do. While you’ll likely want to do outdoor activities, like going to the beach, playing miniature golf, and dining outdoors, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. So you’ll probably want to have some indoor activities planned for whenever it rains or if you’ve had enough of the sun for the day.
Things to Do in Mashpee MA
Located on the upper Cape, Mashpee MA offers beautiful scenery, delicious restaurants, great activities, and convenience to other Cape towns. It’s more “built-up” than other Cape Cod towns, but also has areas of beauty and quaintness.
Our favorite area of Mashpee is Popponesset, where you’ll find the Popponesset Marketplace. It offers shops and restaurants (including the famous Raw Bar).
There’s also Mashpee Commons, a large shopping and entertainment complex with chain and local shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Best Lobster Rolls and Clam Shacks in Massachusetts
Anyone who has spent time in Massachusetts knows that you can find some fantastic lobster rolls and fried clams in the area. While some of the seafood restaurants and clam shacks in this blog post are located in other parts of the state, many are located right in Cape Cod.
Read about our favorites, and leave a comment if we didn’t include your favorites. Check hours before leaving, as many of these restaurants and huts are only open seasonally.
Ocean Edge Resort: A Family Resort on Cape Cod
Wondering where to stay on Cape Cod during your vacation? There are so many different options, including motels, chain hotels, vacation home rentals, and luxurious resorts.
One of our favorite Cape Cod resorts is Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster, MA. This family hotel offers a number of different lodging types including townhouses, hotel rooms, family suites, and condos. Many of these are great for a larger family, with plenty of room to spread out.
Ocean Edge also offers several restaurants, private beach access (for guests of specific parts of the resort), pools, a spa, and family activities. It’s a fantastic place to stay, and there are some really great restaurants in the area to enjoy during your stay (behind the options at the resort).
The Best Things To Do in Yarmouth MA With Kids
We own a vacation home in Yarmouth MA, which means we spend quite a bit of time in the summers there. Yarmouth is the perfect spot for a Cape Cod family vacation, due to the number of family-friendly activities in the area, as well as its central location close to all of the other popular towns in Cape Cod.
Some of the activities in Yarmouth include the Cape Cod Inflatable Park, the Whydah Pirate Museum (mentioned in more detail below), miniature golf, part of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, and several wonderful beaches.
There are three smaller villages within Yarmouth, including West Yarmouth, South Yarmouth, and Yarmouthport.
Best Restaurants in Yarmouth MA
While you are in Yarmouth, you’ll definitely want to check out some of the restaurants in the area. In my opinion, some of the best restaurants on Cape Cod are located right in Yarmouth.
Some of the specialties you’ll find include the best chowder on Cape Cod, an Italian bakery with some fantastic Italian treats, deep-fried chowder, and some of the best ice cream in the area. Many of these locations are only open seasonally, but they are some fun places to visit during summer vacation.
When I am on Cape Cod in the summer months, I try to eat outside as much as possible. There are some great options, including some right on the waterfront.
Guide to the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, MA
One of the most unique museums that I’ve visited is the Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth. It’s open even in the off-season, so it’s something that you can do in Cape Cod in the winter.
The Whydah Museum showcases artifacts that were found on and around the shipwrecked pirate ship, the Whydah. The museum does a great job in separating the reality of how pirates actually lived versus the popular myths about them.
While anyone with pirate-loving kids should definitely include the Whydah Pirate Museum in their vacation plans, I think the museum is educational and fun for everyone. Timed tickets are available on their website and are a great way to avoid lines and guarantee access.
The Best Restaurants in Dennis MA
Dennis MA is another mid-Cape town located next to Yarmouth MA. This waterfront town is made up of five separate villages, including Dennis, Dennis Port, West Dennis, South Dennis, and East Dennis. Some of my favorite Cape Cod restaurants are in Dennis, including several waterfront restaurants, ice cream shops, and a hot dog shack.
Like other restaurants on Cape Cod, many of the restaurants in Dennis are only open seasonally. They are also extremely popular, so you’ll want to visit early in the evening to avoid the long lines.
Things to Do in Falmouth MA
Falmouth MA, known for the annual Falmouth Road Race, is located in the Upper Cape area of Cape Cod. It’s one of the closest towns to the entrance of Cape Cod, making it a great option for a Boston day trip.
Falmouth is made up of several villages: Woods Hole, Davisville, Hatchville, East Falmouth, North Falmouth, West Falmouth, and Quissett. If you are planning to visit Martha’s Vineyard, you can also get a ferry from Falmouth, and make it a combination trip.
Fun Things To Do in Chatham MA on Cape Cod
Chatham, MA is an upscale Cape Cod town located on the Lower Cape. It’s home to a large luxurious family resort, lots of fun downtown village shopping, restaurants, and a fish pier. If you only do one thing in Chatham, visit the fish pier where you can see seals frolicking in the water by the observation areas.
Chatham can definitely be visited as a day trip. When we stay in Yarmouth, we usually visit Chatham once or twice, to shop, eat, and visit. This post will give you all of the details of what to do in Chatham on vacation.
Fun Things To Do in Hyannis MA With Your Family
Hyannis, located in the mid-Cape section, is a village in Barnstable, along with Centerville, Cotuit, Osterville, and West Barnstable. Hyannis is where you’ll find most of the chain shops and restaurants on the Cape, including Home Depot, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Michaels. The Cape Cod Mall, with shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and a bowling alley/arcade, is also located in Hyannis.
In addition to this part of Hyannis, there’s also a bustling waterfront area where you can take a ferry to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, book a fishing charter, or sail on a pirate ship. There are also shops, artist cottages, and restaurants along this waterfront area.
Fun Family Things To Do in Provincetown
Provincetown is located right at the very tip of Cape Cod. It’s an extremely popular vacation destination in the summer. In addition to the vibrant downtown, there are beautiful beaches (some that are part of the Cape Cod National Seashore), the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, and much more.
The Best Cape Cod Winter Activities
While Cape Cod is considered a summer destination, it’s also a beautiful place in the winter. Many activities and restaurants are closed in the off-season, but there are still plenty of things to do.
The Best Shopping on Cape Cod
Cape Cod is filled with gift shops, art galleries, clothing stores, jewelry and other accessory stores, and much more. Many of these are located on quaint Main Streets where you can park and shop. Read about our favorite shopping on Cape Cod.
The Best Mini Golf on Cape Cod
Mini golf is such a fun, outdoor family activity. Cape Cod has several courses that are great to play during your vacation. Read about our favorite options for mini golf on Cape Cod.
The Best Towns on Cape Cod For Vacation
Wondering where to go on vacation in Cape Cod? Here are some town recommendations for where to stay and where to visit.
What To Do on a Rainy Day on Cape Cod
While you typically want nice sunny days during your Cape Cod vacation, sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate. There are plenty of things to do indoors, however. Read our post to see ideas for what to do on a rainy day on Cape Cod.
The Best Restaurants on Cape Cod
Before going on vacation to Cape Cod, check out this list of our favorite restaurants on Cape Cod.
The Best Cape Cod Activities for Families
Wondering what to do on your Cape Cod vacation? Start with the ideas in this post.
Cape Cod Fishing Trips for Families
Fishing can be a unique activity for guests to the Cape, and a great way to enjoy some time on the water. Learn more in this post.
Cape Cod Day Trips for Families
there are lots of Cape Cod day trips for families as well – both for people who want to stay in one location on the Cape and tour around and for those who just plan to visit Cape Cod for the day.
The Best Beaches in Yarmouth, Cape Cod
Some of the best beaches in Massachusetts are located in Yarmouth, in the middle of Cape Cod. Here are our favorites.
5 of the Best Cape Cod Resorts for Families
Cape Cod offers some great resorts offering family-friendly amenities including game rooms, pools, family programming, beach access, and more. If you choose to stay in one of these, you’ll have several great options. Here are five of the best Cape Cod resorts for families.
The Best Time to Visit Cape Cod (Including a Local Secret)
Cape Cod, a beautiful cape located southeast of Boston in Massachusetts, is gorgeous year-round. However, as is the case for the rest of New England, beach weather is limited to a few short months, as are some of the best things to do.
If you are hoping to visit Cape Cod, you’ll want to make sure you visit for the best time possible for your vacation. If your Cape Cod dreams include eating lobster rolls and ice cream by the water, there are better times than others to visit.