Cape Cod, MA

Cape Cod is shaped roughly like the arm of someone flexing a bicep. It is divided into four regions from west to east or from the "shoulder" to the "hand": the Upper Cape, the Mid Cape, the Lower Cape and the Outer Cape. Each region is made up of towns and most towns include several villages.

Provincetown

Provincetown, often called P-town, is on the very tip of Cape Cod, more than 60 miles on Route 6 from the Sagamore Bridge. The Pilgrims landed here in 1620 before moving on to Plymouth on the mainland, where they found fresh water and better soil. In the intervening centuries, artists and writers have flocked to P-town, inspired by the huge dunes and what painters have described as the unique quality of light. It has also become a mecca for the gay community, in an overwhelmingly open and welcoming atmosphere. With all of these influences and attractions, plus whale watching, ferry boats from Boston and scores of shops, restaurants and galleries, it's no mystery why P-town, like the entire Cape, is packed in the summer with families, couples, tourists and students from all over the world.

Upper Cape

The Upper Cape refers to the area around the western "shoulder". The Cape Cod Canal cuts through here, connecting Buzzards Bay in the southwest to Cape Cod Bay in the northeast. Two bridges, the Sagamore and the Bourne, connect the Cape to mainland Massachusetts. Built in the 1930s, they are backed up for hours on weekends in the summer. The annual Bourne Scallop Fest is a big draw for seafood lovers, while the Mashpee Oktoberfest is popular with beer aficionados.

The Upper Cape has some very old towns. The oldest is Sandwich, founded in 1637. Visitors can stop into the Heritage Plantation, a collection of museums covering colonial life. The Green Briar Nature Center and the Thorton W Burgess Museum are also located in Sandwich.

Falmouth

Quakers founded Falmouth, on the southern shore, in 1661. Woods Hole, one of the villages in Falmouth, is on a tip of land that extends into Buzzards Bay. Home to the world-famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, it is also among the busiest ports on Cape Cod. It is also the site of the annual Cape & Islands Orchid Show. With its mix of scientists, students, locals and tourists, this is the Cape's funkiest and most cosmopolitan village outside of Provincetown.

Mid Cape

The Mid Cape is the "bicep" and includes the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis and Barnstable. The village of Hyannis, made famous as the summer home of the Kennedy clan, is in Barnstable. This part of the Cape is the destination of many summer vacationers who return year after year to enjoy the soft sand and warm waters of the Nantucket Sound beaches. The famous St. Francis Xavier Church can also be found here. A popular draw for tourists and locals alike are the Cape Cod Maritime Days and the Daff O'Ville Days. The Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra is located here.

Lower Cape

The "elbow" is called the Lower Cape and includes the towns of Harwich, Chatham, Orleans and Brewster. Similar in feel are the "forearm" Outer Cape towns of Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro. The Atlantic waters of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which runs the length of the eastern side of the Outer Cape, are colder and less protected than either Cape Cod Bay or Nantucket Sound and the wild beauty of the dunes and marshes is very different from that of the calmer Mid Cape beaches. While the many islands and inlets in this area are beautiful, they can make for treacherous navigation. You will find the Cape's most scenic and photographed lighthouses are here, including the Cape Light in Truro and Chatham Light.