The lower Cape towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and Brewster offer live theater, antique stores, bike paths, forests, and lakes in addition to the three choices for beaches – The Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound or Cape Cod Bay
As you head toward the end of the peninsula the lower Cape towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and Brewster offer live theater, antique stores, bike paths, forests, and lakes in addition to the three choices for beaches – The Atlantic Ocean, Nantucket Sound or Cape Cod Bay. If your lifestyle leans towards appreciating the myriad of outdoor activities while enjoying the convenience of year-round amenities, then consider relocating to the lower Cape.
Orleans is where the Cape’s main roads of Route 6, 6A and 28 converge at a rotary, of course! After this rotary, the travel to the tip is primarily done via one main highway that can get congested in peak summer times. Orleans provides year-round convenient commercial shopping for the lower and outer cape. With 54 miles of coastline, rave reviews for Skaket Beach and Nauset Beach can be found in Yankee Magazine, Trip Advisor, National Geographic and Coastal Living. The town center’s shops and galleries are worth pondering while saving up your appetite for some fresh local seafood and seasonal live theatre.
Chatham is the “elbow” of Cape Cod with an easy walking downtown area filled with one-of-a kind boutiques, eateries and galleries. The vibe is old-fashioned, upscale and charming with tree-lined streets, historic churches and luxurious inns. Chatham is also well known for its seal population that bob in the tidal shoals and inlets off the barrier islands.
Harwich proudly serves up almost 11 miles of shoreline, 21 beaches and ponds, and three harbors. Harwich’s seven villages lie along the waters of Nantucket Sound and east to Pleasant Bay. Harwich Center’s in a historic district inland with restaurants and retail shops. If photography is your thing, be sure to visit Wychmere Harbor and also keep an eye out for its picturesque cranberry bogs.
Brewster is steeped in maritime history with its Cape Cod Bay location. Along Route 6A you will be entertained by lovingly restored sea captains’ mansions some now reliving their past as B&B’s, art galleries and antique shops. Brewster is home to Nickerson State Park, an outdoor mecca serving up 400 acres of trails and camping sites as well as the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History.
Brewster maintains a rural outdoorsy lifestyle that is palpable at the General Store, the 1660 Stony Brook Mill, its gorgeous calm beaches that are uniquely as interesting in low tide when the bay recedes for exploration as in high tide for swimming and water sports. And if mountain biking is your thing, don’t miss Punkhorn Parklands’ 800 acres!
