The Best Beaches on Cape Cod
In the summer of 1961, John F. Kennedy preserved the Cape Cod National Seashore—40 miles of sand stretching from Chatham to Provincetown’s tip—for "the inspiration and enjoyment of people all over the United States.” The bill popularized a little-known corner of the globe New Englanders had treasured for generations. But if you’ve never crossed the Bourne or Sagamore, the Cape’s geography, often described as a flexed arm with four main areas (upper, mid, lower, and outer Cape), will help dictate your direction. Waters vary depending on where you are on the arm—from the warm, calm, tidal beaches of the bay (upper) to the wild, open Atlantic (outer). To see the wonder of the National Seashore, you’ll have to drive past the point where Route 6 drops down to a two-lane highway. It’s worth the trip.