Cape Cod · beaches
Best Cape Cod Beaches
Nine Cape Cod beaches ranked with honest verdicts, from National Seashore surf to the warm, shallow bay water families actually swim in.
Cape Cod in brief
Which side of Cape Cod has better beaches, the ocean or the bay?
It depends what you want. The ocean (Atlantic) side along the Cape Cod National Seashore has the biggest surf, tall dunes and the most dramatic scenery, but colder water and rip currents. The bay and Nantucket Sound side is calmer, shallower and much warmer, so it is better for swimming and young kids.
Which Cape Cod beach has the warmest water?
The sheltered Buzzards Bay and Nantucket Sound beaches, like Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, are the warmest on the Cape. The open-Atlantic beaches of the National Seashore stay markedly colder all summer.
Are there sharks at Cape Cod beaches?
Great white sharks feed on seals close to shore along the Outer Cape's Atlantic beaches, including Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi and Race Point. The National Park Service says to swim close to shore near lifeguards, stay away from seals and murky water, and check the Sharktivity app.
Cape Cod beaches at a glance
Every pick below, by which side of the Cape it sits on, what it is best for, and roughly what parking costs in season. Parking fees are set by the National Seashore and each town and change year to year.
| Beach | Side | Best for | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coast Guard Beach | Ocean (Seashore) | All-around ocean surf | $25 NPS, summer shuttle |
| Nauset Light Beach | Ocean (Seashore) | Surf plus a lighthouse | $25 NPS |
| Race Point Beach | Ocean (Seashore) | Sunsets, seals, wild scenery | $25 NPS |
| Old Silver Beach | Buzzards Bay | Warmest, calmest swim | $30/day |
| Mayflower Beach | Cape Cod Bay | Low-tide flats for kids | $35/day |
| Marconi Beach | Ocean (Seashore) | Dramatic bluff plus history | $25 NPS |
| Sandy Neck Beach | Cape Cod Bay | A long, wild dune walk | Daily fee |
| Skaket Beach | Cape Cod Bay | Warm flats plus sunset | Daily fee |
| Craigville Beach | Nantucket Sound | Warm water, social scene | Daily fee |
The best beaches in Cape Cod are Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham for classic Atlantic surf, Race Point in Provincetown for wild scenery and sunsets over the water, and Old Silver in Falmouth for the warmest, calmest swim. Cape Cod has 559.6 miles of coastline, so the real question is not which beach but which kind: the big ocean surf of the National Seashore, or the warm, shallow bay and Sound water families actually swim in. Below we rank nine beaches by how essential each is on a first trip, with honest verdicts and the parking, water and safety facts that decide the day.
How to choose the right Cape Cod beach
The Cape's beaches split into two experiences. The ocean side, along the Cape Cod National Seashore, gives you big surf, tall dunes and dramatic light, along with colder water, rip currents and, on the Outer Cape, the great white sharks that follow the seals. The bay and Nantucket Sound side is calmer, shallower and much warmer, which makes it far better for young kids and anyone who just wants to swim. If you want the postcard, go ocean; if you want the swim, go bay, and most people do one of each. The map and table below show where every pick sits, how warm the water runs, and what parking costs.
Map
Every beach on the map
All nine picks across Cape Cod, ocean side and bay side. Tap a pin for the quick verdict.
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Ranked, with honest verdicts
The best beaches in Cape Cod, ranked
Nine beaches worth the sand, from the big Atlantic surf of the National Seashore to the warm, calm bay and Sound water families actually swim in, ordered by how essential each is on a first trip.
- 1
Ocean side · Eastham Worth the hypeCoast Guard Beach
The Cape's most-named ocean beach: a long dune-backed stretch of real Atlantic surf, reached in summer by a shuttle.
Coast Guard Beach in Eastham is the beach most people name first, and it earns it: a long straight stretch of sand backed by grass-topped bluffs, strong Atlantic surf for real swimming and bodysurfing, and one of the most photographed dune views on the National Seashore. There is no public beachside parking from mid-June to Labor Day (the beach lot is reserved for Eastham residents and handicap placards), so you park at the Little Creek lot and ride a short shuttle in. The original beachside lot was obliterated in a 1978 storm, the same storm that swept away Henry Beston's Outermost House. Lifeguards are on duty from late June through Labor Day.
Where: Ocean side, Eastham, in the Cape Cod National SeashoreParking: $25/vehicle daily or the $60 annual Seashore pass; the park is cashless (card only)Getting there: In summer, park at Little Creek and ride the shuttle; no public beachside parking mid-June to Labor DayNational SeashoreBig surfLifeguardedDune views - 2
Ocean side · Eastham Worth itNauset Light Beach
The same big Atlantic surf as Coast Guard, with the red-and-white Nauset Light standing on the bluff above.
Nauset Light Beach pairs open ocean surf with a genuine landmark: the red-and-white Nauset Lighthouse sits on the bluff right above the sand. It is smaller and easier to park at than Coast Guard, which makes it the fallback when that shuttle line is long. The waves run strong here, good for surfing and boogie boards rather than flat-water swimming. The Nauset Light Preservation Society runs free lighthouse visits on Sundays in May and September and on Sundays and Wednesdays through June, July and August.
Where: Ocean side, Eastham, below the Nauset LightParking: $25/vehicle daily or the $60 annual Seashore pass (cashless)Bonus: Free lighthouse visits: Sundays in May and September, Sundays and Wednesdays June to AugustNational SeashoreLighthouseBig surfLifeguarded - 3
Ocean side · Provincetown Worth itRace Point Beach
The wild beach at the very tip of the Cape, one of the few where the sun sets over the open ocean.
Race Point sits at the far tip of the Cape, a sweeping curve of sand facing open Atlantic where whale-watch boats and seal colonies pass close to shore. Because of how the land wraps around here, it is one of the few Seashore beaches where you can watch the sun set over the water, and whales can often be seen from the sand in spring. The Outer Cape's seals draw great white sharks close to shore in summer, so treat this as a beach for walking, wildlife and dramatic light as much as a long swim, and stay close to shore near the lifeguards.
Where: Ocean side, Provincetown, at the far tip of the CapeParking: $25/vehicle daily or the $60 annual Seashore pass (cashless)Wildlife: Seals draw white sharks close to shore on the Outer Cape; swim close to shore and away from sealsNational SeashoreSunset over waterSeals & whalesLifeguarded - 4
Buzzards Bay · Falmouth Worth itOld Silver Beach
The Cape's warm, calm answer to the cold Atlantic: shallow Buzzards Bay water and a low-tide sandbar.
Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth is the answer for anyone who wants Cape Cod without the cold Atlantic. It sits on Buzzards Bay, among the warmest, calmest water on the Cape, since the sheltered Sound and bay side runs well warmer than the open ocean. A low-tide sandbar makes for shallow wading that genuinely works for small kids. Everyone knows this, though, so the lot fills by mid-morning most summer days and non-resident parking is steep. Come early, or come for a late-afternoon swim as the crowd thins.
Where: Buzzards Bay side, North FalmouthParking: $30/day for non-residents (cash or card); the lot fills by mid-morning in summerWater: Among the warmest on the Cape; the sheltered bay runs well warmer than the open AtlanticWarm waterCalm & shallowFamilySandbar - 5
Cape Cod Bay · Dennis Worth itMayflower Beach
A bay beach that turns into a warm, shallow tidal playground at low tide, and a sunset spot at dusk.
Mayflower Beach in Dennis becomes a different beach at low tide: the water pulls far out and leaves warm shallow flats and tidal pools behind, thanks to Cape Cod Bay's big tidal range. That makes it one of the best bay beaches on the Cape for young kids, though high-tide swimmers get a much narrower strip of sand. Sunsets over the bay are reliably good, and a boardwalk and concession stand turn it into a full afternoon rather than a quick swim.
Where: Cape Cod Bay side, DennisLow tide: The water pulls far out, leaving warm shallow flats and tidal pools for kidsParking: $35/day for non-residents (2026)Warm waterLow-tide flatsFamilySunsetsSourcestown.dennis.ma.us
- 6
Ocean side · Wellfleet Worth itMarconi Beach
The most dramatic of the Seashore beaches: a tall bluff, strong surf, and a piece of radio history on top.
Marconi Beach in Wellfleet sits below a coastal bluff about 50 feet high, reached by a steep stair, with strong surf and a serious undertow below. It rewards people who want a wilder, quieter version of the Seashore's big beaches rather than a gentle family swim. The bluff above once held Guglielmo Marconi's wireless station: on January 18, 1903, the first two-way transatlantic wireless message sent from United States soil passed between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII from the South Wellfleet station. Lifeguards are on duty in season.
Where: Ocean side, Wellfleet, below a bluff about 50 feet highParking: $25/vehicle daily or the $60 annual Seashore pass (cashless)History: Site of Marconi's wireless station: the first two-way transatlantic message from US soil, Roosevelt to King Edward VII, January 1903National SeashoreDramatic bluffHistoryStrong surf - 7
Cape Cod Bay · Barnstable Worth itSandy Neck Beach
A six-mile barrier beach of dunes and salt marsh that feels more like a preserve than a resort beach.
Sandy Neck is a roughly six-mile barrier beach in West Barnstable backed by the Cape's largest dune and salt-marsh system, which makes it feel more like a nature preserve than a resort beach. Permit-holders can drive off-road out toward the more remote stretches, which spreads crowds out even on busy weekends. It is calmer and less commercial than the bay's other big names, better suited to a long walk or birdwatching than a beach-bar afternoon, and that is exactly its appeal.
Where: Cape Cod Bay side, West Barnstable; a barrier beach about six miles longParking: Daily beach parking charged in season (free after 5pm); an oversand-vehicle permit is required to drive the beachTerrain: Backed by the Cape's largest dune and salt-marsh system6-mile barrier beachDunes & marshOff-roadQuietSourcesnature.org
- 8
Cape Cod Bay · Orleans Worth itSkaket Beach
Orleans's dependable warm-water, low-tide flats beach, and one of the Cape's best bay sunsets.
Skaket Beach in Orleans is a west-facing Cape Cod Bay beach built for the evening low tide, when the water pulls back to expose warm flats good for wading and tidal pools. It is shallower and calmer than the ocean-side Seashore beaches a few miles east, which makes it a dependable pick for families with younger kids who want warm water over big surf, and the west-facing bay gives it a reliable sunset. Check the tide chart before you go, because the beach changes shape completely with the tide.
Where: Cape Cod Bay side, OrleansBest at: Low tide, for warm flats and tidal pools, and a west-facing bay sunsetParking: Daily parking pass sold at the tollbooth in season; free after 4:30pmWarm waterLow-tide flatsSunsetsFamilySourcesorleanscapecod.org
- 9
Nantucket Sound · Centerville OverratedCraigville Beach
Warm Nantucket Sound water and fine sand, but the scene and the tiny lot are the real story.
Craigville Beach near Hyannis sits on Nantucket Sound, not the bay, so the water is warm and calm and the sand is fine. Its real reputation, though, is as the Cape's young, social beach, long known locally as Muscle Beach for its concentration of buff beachgoers. The honest catch is the parking: the lot is small and fills early, and the scene can feel more spring-break than serene. Worth a stop if that energy is the point; with its neighbors on this list, skip it if you came for quiet.
Where: Nantucket Sound side, Centerville, near HyannisParking: Daily fee in season; the small lot fills early on weekendsScene: Long known as a young, social beach, sometimes called Muscle BeachWarm waterSocial sceneSmall lot
Rankings and verdicts are our own. Star ratings open each beach's Google listing. Parking fees are set by the National Seashore and each town, change by season and year, and are a guide only, so confirm before you go.
The big decision
Ocean surf or warm bay water?
The Cape's beaches split into two experiences. Pick by what you want out of the day.
The ocean beaches
National Seashore surf, tall dunes and dramatic light, with cold Atlantic water, rip currents and, on the Outer Cape, sharks that follow the seals. Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, Race Point.
See more
The bay & Sound beaches
Warm, calm, shallow water and low-tide flats, better for swimming and young kids. Old Silver, Mayflower, Skaket, Sandy Neck.
See moreBefore you go
Parking, passes and safety
The practical stuff that decides whether a Cape beach day goes smoothly.
Seashore pass
The National Seashore charges $25 per vehicle per day; the $60 annual Seashore pass (or the $80 interagency pass) pays for itself after about three beach days. The park is cashless, so bring a card.
Town stickers
Bay and Sound town beaches charge non-resident daily fees or require a resident sticker from about Memorial Day on, and each town sets its own rate (Old Silver $30, Mayflower $35 a day; other towns vary).
Arrive early
Popular lots, including Coast Guard's shuttle staging, Old Silver and Craigville, fill and close by mid-morning in July and August, and reopen only as cars leave.
Watch the tide
Bay beaches like Mayflower, Skaket and Sandy Neck change completely between high and low tide, so check a tide chart to catch the warm flats.
Shark safety
On the Outer Cape's Atlantic beaches, swim close to shore near lifeguards, stay away from seals and murky water, and check the Sharktivity app before you get in.
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