Massachusetts, USA: Road Trip from Boston to the Cape Cod Beaches

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

1 of 4

Boston’s green spaces provide respite from the bustling downtown area. You’ll find plenty of places for peaceful walks and picnics.

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

2 of 4

The sprawling sands of Cape Cod National Seashore make the Massachusetts’ “hook” a popular summer vacation haven, especially for families.

Margo Tabb/Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

3 of 4

If you tire of the beach, head to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod and hop aboard a whale-watching tour.

Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

4 of 4

States:

Massachusetts

Take a journey from the buzz of the city to blissful beaches

You can easily lose yourself in all that Boston, Massachusetts, has to offer. The northeastern city is rich in U.S. history and culture. Reminders of the War of Independence seep from the cobblestone streets and the red brick buildings, and statues of 18th-century heroes stand tall along the renowned Freedom Trail, keeping an eye on the city these revolutionary leaders risked their lives to defend.

Boston, and Beyond

Meanwhile, the leafy walking paths of Boston Common and the sprawling lake of Public Garden provide a breath of fresh air in a town buzzing with shopping areas, restaurants and nightlife.

Most people don’t think of spending time at the beach when they imagine a trip to Boston, but the charming fishing villages and honey-hued sand dunes of Cape Cod is only about 110 kilometers from the heart of the city.

The Cape has attracted visitors from all over the world — including U.S. President John F. Kennedy and, more recently, musician Taylor Swift — with its scrumptious seafood, boutique shopping and, of course, spotless beaches of Cape Cod National Seashore.

While on a road trip organized by Discover America, travel bloggers were able to experience Cape Cod’s beauty for themselves. Here’s what they had to say:

“Not only is Cape Cod National Seashore park a nature lover’s dream, sightseeing off-road as part of Art’s Dune Tour gave us a special vantage point. Within the dunes and untouched coastline, we found an appreciation of what a small family business can offer to people who want to see the best that a locale can offer.

“We hit the flats at Breakwater Beach exactly when we wanted to — at low tide. Walking towards the water and leaving the shore behind was a really cool feeling, knowing that the tide would soon come back in to take the seashells and our footprints away for another day.”

Even if the beach isn’t calling you, a trip to the Cape is still worthwhile. After all, Massachusetts’ history isn’t restricted to Boston — it was at Cape Cod’s Plymouth Rock that the famous ship, the Mayflower, docked and the first Thanksgiving took place (you can still see the wild turkeys and cranberries that inspired that first meal). And visitors aren’t the only ones swimming in the ocean here. Keep your eyes peeled for whales off the coast, or hop aboard a whale-watching tour in Provincetown, located at the tip of Cape Cod.

If you have several days to spend at the Cape, consider taking a day trip to the nearby islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, both of which feature stunning beaches and quaint harbor towns, not to mention incredible seafood. Getting to both of the islands is easy: Simply hop aboard a ferry from Hyannis, a port town on the southern coast of Cape Cod.

More information