The charms of Cape Cod

Breathtaking beaches and classic seafood shacks. Quaint villages and postcard-perfect lighthouses. Whale watches and dune rides. Art galleries and summer theatre.

Cape Cod, the easternmost portion of Massachusetts jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, draws millions of tourists each year, and there's no end to the area's charms.

But with all there is to do, it's tough to know where to start and what not to miss.

Kim Grant, author of Explorer's Guide Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket, and Cape Cod Travel Essentials, the book's free accompanying app, says the things to do and places to see are vast and varied.

"It's hard to talk about the Cape without resorting to hyperbole, but there really is no place like it," says Grant.

"If I had to narrow it down, I'd tell people to start with the classics like the Cape Cod National Seashore and the dunes; a drive on Route 6A past the clusters of iconic little cottages and a visit to Woods Hole, which is one of the most charming villages anywhere."

Some of the most beautiful dunes and beaches in New England are around Provincetown at the Cape's outer tip, Grant says, and Art's Dune Tours has been offering narrated, off-road tours through them since 1946.

Along with all its natural scenery, Cape Cod is also known for its art galleries, museums and theatres – and there's plenty of history in those venues as well.

The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, declared by Actors' Equity Association to be the oldest professional summer theatre in America, opened in 1927 with a play starring Basil Rathbone. Bette Davis, a former Playhouse usher, made her acting debut here, and theatregoers can still see productions there today.

On the same grounds as the Playhouse is Cape Cod Cinema, which opened in 1930 and continues to screen films in its art deco auditorium, featuring individual black lacquer and tangerine suede arm chairs and a 595sqm mural by American painter Rockwell Kent. A framed poster in the lobby notes that a 1939 premiere of The Wizard of Oz took place at the Cape Cinema before its New York showing.

And there are plenty more of those uniquely Cape experiences available. You can bike the Shining Sea Bikeway, (named for a line in the song America the Beautiful) that hugs the coast from Falmouth to Woods Hole; or kayak around Pleasant Bay in Orleans.

Or stop by the Edward Gorey House, a museum in Yarmouth Port devoted to the quirky artist's eccentric, humorous works. Visit Chatham and watch the fishing boats come into the town dock or the skydivers at Chatham Municipal Airport. Play golf at Highland Links in Truro and you'll get a million-dollar view of the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Light as well.

Go to the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory in Hyannis and sample the area's namesake salty snacks. Take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

Whatever you choose, don't forget the food. Eat lobster, fried clams, chowder, ice-cream and fudge almost anywhere from Bourne to P'Town – and do it outdoors, whenever possible. While everyone who has ever visited Cape Cod has their own favourites, Grant suggests a lobster roll at Chatham Bars Inn's Beach House Grill and Poland is a fan of PB Boulangerie & Bistro in South Wellfleet.

Other eateries that show up on "Best Of" lists include Sir Cricket Fish 'N Chips on Route 6A in Orleans, Spanky's Clam Shack and Seaside Saloon in Hyannis Port, Captain Frosty's in Dennis, The Lobster Pot, (which has been in business since around 1943), and Spititus Pizza, all in Provincetown.

IF YOU GO:

– The John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum highlights the legacy of President Kennedy, his family, and their deep connection to Cape Cod.

– Millions of visitors have climbed the 252 foot granite Pilgrim Monument, built to commemorate the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetow), since it opened more than 100 years ago.

– The Cape Cod Potato Chip factory in Hyannis, is one of the area's top tourist destinations with more than 250,000 visitors each year.

– Art's Dune Tours offers National Seashore dune tours, light house tours and other outings. Tours depart from a central location in Provincetown.

– Cape Cod Playhouse, Dennis.

– Cape Cod Cinema, Dennis.

– Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Cape Cod, a 45-minute ferry ride from Woods Hole.

– The 122-year-old Highland Links Golf Course in Truro offers golfers views from bluffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, plus a traditional Scottish links experience.

– Cape Cod Shining Sea Bikeway

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