About Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a slim peninsula that pushes out into the Atlantic from the southeast corner of Massachusetts. It has the calm waters of Cape Cod Bay on its north side, Nantucket sound to the south and the great Atlantic to the east. It is composed of sandy beaches, marshland, abundant wildlife, villages and towns and is suffused with a beautiful light all year long.
The Cape is composed of fifteen towns each with its own personality. It has drawn people from all over the world some who have come for vacations and some who have chosen to stay. For those of us fortunate enough to have lived here for many years it never fails to inspire us with its infinite beauty.
A little about the towns
BOURNE spans the Cape Cod Canal. On its mainland side it is home to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and on it Cape side has many quaint villages fronting on Buzzards Bay.
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SANDWICH abuts the Canal to the west and Cape Cod Bay to the north. It is the oldest town on the Cape and possessed of a beautiful village filled with historic landmarks. It has sandy beaches, a harbor on the canal and Heritage Plantation a multi acre arboretum and museum.
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FALMOUTH lies south of Sandwich with shorelines on Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. It is the jumping off point for ferries to Martha’s Vineyard from the village of Woods Hole home to the famous Oceanographic Institution. It has a thriving village center and miles of waterfront on it’s south side.
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MASHPEE is home to the Wampanoag Tribe. Its extensisve South Beach facing Vineyard Sound is one of the most popular on the Cape. The center of the town, Mashpee Commons, is a planned village center with shops, restaurants, town offices and facilities.
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BARNSTABLE is the biggest town on the Cape and is composed of five villages. Barnstable and West Barnstable on the north side face Sandy Neck a wild barrier beach on Cape Cod Bay. Cotuit, Osterville and Centerville face Nantucket Sound with beautiful beaches and village centers with shops and restaurants. Hyannis is the hub of the Cape. Our hospital is here as well as retail and service businesses that serve the entire Cape.
YARMOUTH AND DENNIS each run north to south and face both the Bay and the Sound. They are separated by Bass River, a six mile long tidal river that flows north from Nantucket Sound. These towns possess miles of glorious sandy beaches on both sides and their north side villages are among the most scenic and well preserved on the Cape.
BREWSTER AND HARWICH to the east of Dennis were originally one town. Brewster on the north separated from Harwich in 1803. Both towns have the advantage of many beautiful fresh water ponds as well as fine sandy beaches and quaint villages.
Harwich to the south has three working harbors busy with both pleasure and commercial fishing vessels.
CHATHAM the eastern most town on the forearm of the Cape faces the Atlantic to the east and Nantucket Sound to the south. It has a popular village center with chic shops and restaurants. It’s Coast Guard station is a popular stopping point for visitors and the town has some of the most expensive real estate on the Cape.
ORLEANS is at the elbow of the peninsula. It is the market town for the lower and outer Cape. Its many shops and services are busy year round. Nauset beach has long been one of the most popular beaches.
EASTHAM, WELLFLEET AND TRURO march north from Orleans and have beaches on both Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic. Much of the land in these town is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore and is a preserved area. Wellfleet has a busy working harbor and is the vacation choice for many artists and professionals. These three towns are among the most beautiful on the Cape.
PROVINCETOWN has been an artist colony since the late 1800’s. It possesses a charm unlike any other town anywhere. Beautiful beaches, fine shops and restaurants and a unique ambience.