City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

If you’re looking for a unique and secluded getaway, the fishhook-shaped peninsula of Cape Cod is an excellent choice. Situated on the Atlantic Coast – between Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound – it’s northeast of Long Island Sound, east of Newport, Rhode Island and about an hour drive south of Boston. Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard sit just across the water.

Photo: Wikimedia

Cape Cod is made up of four main regions within its 65 miles. The Upper Cape includes towns such as Sandwich and Bourne. On the Mid-Cape, you’ll find Barnstable and Yarmouth. The Lower Cape includes Brewster and Harwich. The Outer Cape is Orleans, Truro and Provincetown. There are a wide variety of Cape Cod boat ramps if you’re trailering your boat from a boat slip for rent.

Whether you’re in town for a weekend or spending extended time at a private boat dock rental, there are plenty of lighthouses, sandy beaches, seafood shacks and quaint villages to check out. Let’s get started!

Heritage Museums and Gardens

Photo: Heritage Museums and Gardens (Facebook)

The Heritage Museums and Gardens is a garden and museum all in one. Explore hydrangea and herb gardens, walk along the nature trail, look for butterflies and check out the bee hotels (solitary bees reside here rather than colonies of honeybees). Let the kids run off steam at the exploration areas.

On the history side of the show, there are exhibits on antique cars, American folk art, Native American artifacts, artistic trash-to-treasure items, sculptures and the history of Cape Cod as well as a full-scale reproduction of a native Wampanoag home. You can also ride a 1908 Looff carousel, which, frankly, is our top reason to leave the private boat lift rental.

Beaches

Photo: Pixabay

As you can imagine, a stretch of land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean has quite a few beaches. We’ve picked out a few to check out from a boat slip for rent. Here ya go.

• Coast Guard Beach, in Eastham along Cape Cod National Seashore, offers a beautiful shoreline backed by large dunes, as well as a salt marsh and lots of birdwatching opportunities. You may see seals, and you’ll definitely see stunning sunsets.
•  Race Point Beach, at the far end of Provincetown, along Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. There are also hiking and bicycling paths when you tire of sand and surf (is that even a thing?).
• Craigville Beach, on the south edge of the island, is popular for its soft golden sand, wide open spaces and great wind for kitesurfing. You can rent chairs and umbrellas, and there are restrooms, showers and lifeguards at this family-friendly beach.

Lighthouses

Photo: Nauset Lighthouse (Wikimedia)

If you’re a lighthouse lover, you’ll be in maritime heaven on Cape Cod. There are 18 lighthouses located around the area. Here are a couple to get your Cape Cod lighthouse tour started.

• The 48-foot-tall Nauset Lighthouse is the most popular. Erected in 1838, it sits along the Cape Cod National Seashore on the Outer Cape.
• The current Nobska Lighthouse, which replaced the original in 1876, is found on Nobska Beach along the Upper Cape. It’s 40 feet tall and offers views of Martha’s Vineyard, Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound.
• Chatham Lighthouse, formerly a pair of lighthouses that were separated in 1923, is found on Lighthouse Beach on the Lower Cape.
• At 52 feet in height, Sandy Neck Lighthouse dates to 1857 and is located in Barnstable on the Mid-Cape.

Cape Cod National Seashore

Photo: Wikimedia

Cape Cod National Seashore was created in 1961. Enjoy 40 miles of beaches, ponds and pine forests along on the Atlantic coast. Go fishing and hunting, take up hiking or paddle off on a kayak tour. Hiking trails include Fort Hill, Red Maple Swamp, Nauset Marsh, Beech Forest and the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp.

Sandwich Glass Museum

Photo: Wikimedia

The Sandwich Glass Museum is a terrific place to visit from a private boat slip for rent. Exhibits include contemporary art glass, vintage lighting, mold-blown glassware, historic glass negatives, a color and chemistry room and a multi-media theater. Watch glassblowing demonstrations and learn about the local history of the town of Sandwich.

Cape Cod Museum of Art

Photo: Cape Cod Museum of Art (Facebook)

Founded in 1981, the Cape Cod Museum of Art features exhibitions on sculptures, printmaking, patriotic flags, local student art, Cape Cod potters, cartography and more. Sign up for workshops on drawing, jewelry and painting to express your artistic side.

Check out some of these Cape Cod attractions the next time you’re hanging out at a private boat lift rental. Let us know if we missed anything!