Wellfleet - What Cape Cod Living is All About

Wellfleet, located on the Outer Cape, is probably best known for its mussels and oysters. But it offers so much more, whether you live there year-round, have a second home, or vacation during the summer. For me, Wellfleet epitomizes what Cape Cod living is all about - an escape from the well-trodden tourist areas elsewhere along Route 6 and the nearby hustle and bustle of Boston and Providence, coupled with a burgeoning art community, inventive dining experiences, and gorgeous views of the ocean, Cape Cod Bay, Wellfleet Harbor, and the dunes, scrub forests, abundant wildlife, and rolling hills of the National Seashore.

Wellfleet is bordered on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the West by Cape Cod Bay. Thus it offers a wealth of water-related activities, views, and changing weather. There are several beautiful beaches on the East side that are part of the National Seashore, and most visitors gather here to enjoy the views, bike trail, camping and the serenity of the old Cape unencumbered by mass housing. Be aware that during the summer the parking lots (there is a fee due to being a National Park) fill up early and you may have to wait for space, unless you park some distance away or are renting a nearby home. The waves are large and offer great surfing much of the year. Unfortunately, the storms tend to do more damage, with erosion issues, especially after the classic New England nor'easters, In contrast, the beaches on the bay are much less crowded (and fewer - some are private) and quieter, with limited parking, and the bay, with smaller waves, is better suited to kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and fishing.