Cape Cod - Eastham MA

Eastham - Cape Cod Massachusetts

Originally known as Nauset (after the Native American tribe that the pilgrims first encountered here), Eastham was formally incorporated as Eastham in 1651. Like its fellow Outer Cape towns of Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown, Eastham is shaped in great part by the large percentage of the town’s land that is preserved by the Cape Cod National Seashore, including kettle ponds and salt marshes, hiking and biking trails, kayaking and canoeing, the historic Nauset Lighthouse and Three Sisters Lighthouses, and the Salt Pond Visitor Center (there are several easy hiking trails that lead out from the Visitor Center with lovely views of the salt ponds, marches, and the ocean).Sights to see include the historic Nauset Lighthouse and the Three Sisters Lighthouse, and the Old Eastham Windmill, the oldest in Cape Cod, built in 1680.

The Salt Pond Visitor Center is a good starting place for exploring. Eastham, known as the gateway to the national seashore, is also home to many lovely bay beaches (which tend to have warmer water and calmer waves than the ocean beaches), as well as several freshwater pond beaches. First Encounter Beach is especially fun at low tide for wading out on the shallow sand bar and exploring all the creatures trapped in the tide pools), as well as several freshwater pond beaches.

Eastham does not have much of a town center as most of the commercial areas are built along Route 6, the artery that runs through the Cape from one end to the other. There are, however, many good places to stay and eat in this low-key town. In addition to the stunning beaches and nature preserves, there are ample family-friendly entertainments, including two mini-golf courses that are attached to casual eateries (Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar and Poit's Lighthouse Mini-Golf), and don’t miss Windmill Weekend in September by the Old Eastham Windmill on the town green. Eastham is a good location for a relaxing Massachusetts getaway.