Travel Guide: Wellfleet | Cape Cod
heart and soul. cape rock-n-roll. oysters.
Growing up on Cape Cod in the ‘90s meant you could adorn a slick black wetsuit and plunge into the Atlantic without a second thought. The waters were frigid, but the dunes were hot. When the tide was right for boogie boarding (surfing, if you were ambitious) you could not find us anywhere other than among the waves in Wellfleet. Up Ocean View Drive to Lecount Hollow, White Crest, Cahoon Hollow, or Newcomb Hollow — these four Atlantic Ocean facing beaches of Wellfleet royalty feature spacious sandy shores and massive dunes. The descent to reach them is steep but worth it.
Cape Cod has always been home to seals, but in carefree days of summers past our waters were shark free. Now, you have to be aware. The waters are warmer and Great White Sharks have migrated here. They are out there, not far from shore, hunting for food. A seal looks like a person wearing a wetsuit. It’s fine, everything is fine. People are still surfing. But the more you know.
The iconic Wellfleet BEACHCOMBER is a top seafood restaurant and raw bar, live music venue, and will always be authentic Cape Cod. The outdoor bar overlooks Cahoon Hollow Beach, while the indoor bar is a former U.S. Lifesaving Station. The Beachcomber crowds will be doing their thing (they will be here); grab a Goombay Smash and mingle while you wait for a table or a bar seat.
Wellfleet Oysters + Little Neck Clams are shucked to order. My other raw bar favorite, if I’m feeling splurg-y, is their Sesame Tuna Sashimi and a Seaweed Salad.
With each inhale of warm, pearly clam chowder, each crisp, tangy, whole bellied clam spritzed in lemon and swiped through tartar sauce, a hot sun eyeing you through the umbrella, the goombay sucked down to the ice cubes, a cold draft beer in its place to chase your last couple oysters: it is in your blood now. Invigorated by seafood brininess, sweet Cruzan rums and tropical juices, sun soaked bodies meander back down the dune path and it’s time to get sandy. Frisbee. Beach Volleyball. A walk along the foot of the dunes where beach chairs and umbrellas vanish in your wake.
If you want a parking spot at Cahoon Hollow / The Beachcomber you have to get there really early. Or try your luck later in the day. When we were kids the rule was in before 10 am or after 2 pm. The height of summer crowds have shifted these times, so at the busiest of beaches, 10 am is too late.
AVOID CROWDS
White Crest Beach is an anyone can pay-by-the-day lot. If you want a parking spot here, (which usually offers a shuttle to the Beachcomber) you only have to arrive mildly early. If you’re not looking for the beachcomber party atmosphere, skip the shuttle altogether and spend the day right at White Crest.
This town beach parking map is a helpful reference for keeping everything straight.
A calm ‘comah awaits with an empty bar seat just for you: on a weeknight in the middle of summer when there is not a band playing.
Visit in the shoulder seasons: Well, The Beachcomber is exclusively MDW —> LDW (Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend) see their FAQs, but many outer cape restaurants and bars are May through October. And the beach is always open! If you have little kids not in school or sports yet, take advantage of the flexibility. Below is a September beach day. There are worse things to gamble on than the weather.
Our beach blanket is from little unicorn. It is an everywhere outdoors blanket that gets a ton of use, it is efficient and easy to fold with a Velcro seal and a carrying strap.
My green n blue beach bag far left corner was from the dELiA*s catalogue (can’t make this stuff up) and it lasted me all these years! After repurposing it for our excessive beach toy collection it finally caved.
Cape Cod in March is not a dream vacation but the vast beauty still remains.
And now, we venture to the bay side. We cruise into Wellfleet Harbor and Wellfleet Center, where another Wellfleet entirely exists beyond Beachcomber fame. Here is a trove of art galleries, restaurants, bookstores, bed + breakfasts, and homes to rent — woven by marshlands and flowing with gardens.
DINING OUT
Mac’s Shack is to Wellfleet what The Lobster Pot is to Ptown. Mac’s Shack is Wellfleet’s GOAT. The oysters are nowhere more pristine. The sushi bright, bracing and exquisite. The entrees costal yet creative. Cocktails are sipped from bronzed bodies in sundresses and Vineyard Vines. White shells of bivalves past crunch under flip flops and Birkenstocks. An evening spent at Mac’s promises many summer returns.
Discover Mac’s original house maki like tuna and avocado wrapped in a thin layer of nori, flash fried salmon tempura, drizzled in sweet soy and creamy spice. The Stop Light Roll gives more tuna, more avocado, and mango, layered in yellowtail with a sriracha dot.
Cam loved the linguini and clams — that buttery parsley garlicky laced sauce!
Carried away, as I often do, here’s more exceptional Wellfleet dining:
The Pearl — overlooks the harbor. live music. the menu is solid and varied but you’ll find classics (fish tacos, burgers, salads) and they have a kids menu.
The Bookstore — front porch dining just beyond Mayo Beach. good spot for sunset. get the clams casino!
Winslow’s Tavern — I love it here. Am I getting a night cap inside a ship? The upstairs bar is very old world nautical and all red, right, return lit. Located downtown at 316 Main Street in a restored centuries old mansion, the front patio is an elegant see and be seen among the gardens, or perhaps at bustling Oysterfest.
PB Boulangerie — o o o I almost forgot about the boulangerie. It is not clustered in Wellfleet Center but serves French cuisine over at 15 Lecount Hollow Rd. in South Wellfleet. The bakery counter for breakfast and lunch is well to do with pastries and sandwiches. I have never dined in the bistro but it often receives praise from reputable sources.
OYSTERFEST 🦪
The best oysters (no doubt you’ve gathered this much) are Wellfleet's. Cultivated in the pristine, nutrient rich estuaries of Wellfleet Harbor in Cape Cod Bay, the festival honoring them takes place on the third weekend in October.
Find an early bird parking spot at the harbor lot or Mayo Beach. As you walk to the center of town, explore art galleries like The Frying Pan along the way. Then feast. Raw Oysters. Grilled Oysters Rockefeller. Skate Bites. Oyster Chowder. Raw Clams. Crab Cakes. Sam Adams Porter. Clam Chowder. More Oysters. More Dark Beer. Bloody Marys. The oysters are the stars, but there is plenty of fresh seafood in a standout supporting role.
This is a ticketed festival and it is very popular. FAQs here.
WELLFLEET DRIVE IN + FLEA MARKET
The flea market and the drive in theatre are icons among Cape Cod.
A treasure hunt by day, a classic 1957 open air cinema by night. The movie is always a double feature. One that stands out from childhood was seeing The Rock in 1996 — I was 12! These dueling South Wellfleet attractions were a staple of my childhood.
GREAT ISLAND / THE GUT / JEREMY POINT
For my last bayside party trick (but not Wellfleet’s last, I have to wrap it somewhere…) allow me to introduce a true Cape secret. But you have to hike! The Gut on Great Island is named for the strip of land that separates Wellfleet Harbor from Cape Cod Bay.
You can plan for a full day of hiking Great Island or you can simply cut off to The Gut when you get to the dune path. The beach here is isolated and pristine, an exemplary day awaits if you’re willing to put in a little work.
The hike out to Jeremy Point is so so ethereal. (It might be one of mine and Bob’s favorite Cape days ever.) It is 8-ish miles round trip. Great Island is a real Cape adventure through pitch pine forests, salt marshes, dune trails and sand bars. Plan your hike around the tides if you want to reach Jeremy Point — it is basically a sandbar that only exists at low tide.
If you day trip here from a different part of the Cape, leave a change of clothes in the car to freshen up after all that sandy salty hiking. The Wellfleet Harbor restaurants I listed above are just down the road, ready to reward you!
If you are seeking accommodation recs, info about how to navigate the tides, I omitted your favorite spot — let me know in the comments!
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Cape Cod Summer of 2024 awaits!
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