4 Days on Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a popular summer destination and getaway for those on the east coast. We decided to hop on a plane from the west coast and head over to check out this area we have heard so much about. This island offer much to see and do on the beautiful Massachusetts Coastline. We had 4 days on Cape Cod, although the days were packed, we were able to see a lot of the area.
How to get there and get around?
Cape Cod is an island located on the Massachusetts shoreline. It is about an hour and half drive from the Boston Airport. You will need a car as many of the sites are spread out. During the summer, traffic and crowds are everywhere. Be prepared for things to take longer due to traffic and for long waits at restaurants.
Interesting fact: it used to be a peninsula until the Cape Cod Canal was built in 1916 and then it became an island.
Where to stay if you have 4 days on Cape Cod?
For this long weekend in Cape Cod, we had planned to check out the other islands while we were there. Most of the ferries depart from Hyannis and traffic can be difficult. We found staying in West Yarmouth to be great. It was close to Hyannis for the ferries and had lots of restaurants and things to do nearby. One of the other benefits was that it was in the middle of the island, making exploration on the other days easy. We stayed at the Red Jacket Beach Resort. It had a great location, right on the waterfront. They also offered many hotel activities throughout the day that keeps you busy. Chatham is another great town with places to stay, but is a little more of a drive to get on the ferries. If you don’t have kids and want a more party atmosphere, Provincetown and it’s eclectic feel is probably more your style but again, this is a very long drive to get to the ferries.
If you are staying longer than 4 days, I recommend staying a few days in West Yarmouth to check out the islands and the west side of the island. I would spend another few days staying in Chatham or Provincetown to check out the east side more. For us, as we were only there for 4 days it didn’t make since to change hotels but it was a lot of driving.
When to visit Cape Cod?
Cape Cod is mostly a summer island. We went in June and it was bustling. Traffic was crazy and long waits at restaurants at all times. I have heard if you go on the border months of May and September, things are less busy but not everything is open. We wanted the whole experience, so went during summertime. While it was annoying having all the crowds, we just planned ahead and took it in stride.
How to divide up your 4 days on Cape Cod?
Cape Cod is a large area, and there is no way that you can see all of it within 4 days on Cape Cod. We knew we really wanted to spend some time on the other 2 islands so prioritized that. Due to that, we spent one day exploring Martha’s Vineyard and another day in Nantucket. I won’t go into much about exploring these 2 islands as each has its own post. If you have to decide between Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, think about what kind of things you are hoping to see and do. Nantucket does not have much to see as far as top destination things, but is a beautiful island with a relaxing environment. Martha’s Vineyard has a lot more to offer, but is also packed with crowds and it’s a busy day to see all the things in one day. I would recommend Nantucket if I had to choose one.
The other 2 days, we spent exploring Cape Cod itself. One day we spent exploring more of the southwestern side of the island and the other day doing the eastside of the island. I recommend coming up with a plan beforehand so you don’t have to backtrack and spend too much time in traffic. Make sure to spend some time going off the beaten track. We would often go off the main road and use side roads through neighborhoods. This allowed us to escape some traffic and see some beautiful architecture and views.
Top things to do on Cape Cod:
Check out Provincetown
Provincetown is on the northern tip of the island and is where the Mayflower first landed in 1620. It’s main street is Commercial street that is packed full of eclectic and artsy shops. If you have time, this is where you catch boats to go on a whale watching tour. Whales are present in this area from April to October. Since we only had 4 days on Cape Cod it wasn’t really possible to spend a day out on the water.
Eat some seafood
At some point during your 4 days on Cape Cod, you need to eat some seafood. This was the majority of what we ate while here. This area is famous for the lobster roll. While we did try it, it wasn’t our favorite. That being said, there are lots of other places to get entire lobsters or your other seafood desires. Some of the places we ate at which were great include:
Bagels and Beyond – great breakfast place
Explore Chatham
This was my favorite part of the trip. It is on the eastern side of the Cape. While the town does have a very charming main street that is worth a walk, that is not why its on the list. Chatham is a fishing town and when the fishermen return with their spoils you will know due to the seagulls in the air and the seals in the water following the boats. At the Chatham Pier Fish Market we spent probably an hour just watching the boats come in and unload their catch.
Explore the beaches
You can’t come to Cape Cod without at least checking out the beaches. It was still a little chilly so we didn’t go in the water, but we did see plenty that did. That being said, I will warn you that the signs warning you against great white sharks makes it more than a little intimidating to go in. This area is where Jaws was filmed and is known for having lots of great white sharks around, especially Chatham. Many beaches have signs like the one below warning visitors. You can even download the app (Sharktivity) that tells you about recent shark sightings. If you plan to spend a lot of time in the water, you may want more than just 4 days on Cape Cod.
Take a break with ice cream
Ice cream is big here and there are plenty of ice cream shops. Cape Cod Creamery was probably my favorite. The other must stop is Sundae School Ice Cream. Both have several locations throughout the cape for you to check out.
Check out the other small towns
Lastly, there are so many small towns, it is impossible to go into all of them. During your 4 days on Cape Cod, you will wander across many small towns and main streets. My recommendations would be to add these to your list of small towns to check out
Falmouth – Falmouth is a quintessential Cape Cod town. It has the classic main street where you will find lots of good food and ice cream.
Mashpee – Mashpee is a cute small town with an outdoor shopping center filled with restaurants and shops.
Hyannis – great main street and restaurants.
