EASTHAM

Eastham is content to remain relatively undiscovered by 21st-century tourists. In fact, although almost 29,000 folks summer here, year-rounders (fewer than 5,500) seem perfectly happy that any semblance of major tourism development has passed them by. There isn’t even a Main Street or town center per se.

What Eastham does boast, as gateway to the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), is plenty of natural diversions. There are four things you should do, by all means. Stop in at Salt Pond Visitor Center, one of two CCNS headquarters, which dispenses a wealth of information and offers ranger-guided activities and outstanding nature programs. Consider taking a boat trip onto Nauset Marsh, a fragile ecosystem that typifies much of the Cape. Hop on a bike or walking trail; a marvelous network of paths traverses this part of the seashore, including the Fort Hill area. And of course, head to the beach.

The Cape’s renowned, uninterrupted stretches of sandy beach, backed by high dunes, begin in earnest in Eastham and extend all the way up to Provincetown. One of them, Coast Guard Beach, is also where exalted naturalist Henry Beston spent about two years during the mid-1920s, observing nature’s minute changes from a little cottage and recording his experiences in The Outermost House, which was published in 1928.

Eastham is best known as the site where the Mayflower’s Myles Standish and a Pilgrim scouting party met the Nauset Indians in 1620 at First Encounter Beach. The “encounter,” in which a few arrows were slung (without injury), served as sufficient warning to the Pilgrims: They left and didn’t return for 24 years. When the Pilgrim settlers, then firmly entrenched at Plymouth, went looking for room to expand, they returned to Eastham. Led by Thomas Prence, they purchased most of the land from Native Americans for an unknown quantity of hatchets.

SALT POND TRAIL AT THE VISITOR CENTER

A PERFECT DAY IN EASTHAM

7:30	Start the day simple: at The Sparrow (Orleans), a local hangout.
9:00	Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail up to Wellfleet and down to Dennis.
12:30	Get a fabu lobster roll from the Friendly Fisherman and enjoy it with panoramic views atop Fort Hill; walk the 1.5-mile Red Maple Swamp Trail afterward; tour the Edward Penniman House.
2:00	Build sand castles at the shallow, bayside First Encounter Beach.
5:30	Enjoy unusually tasty cuisine at Karoo Restaurant.
8:00	Build a bonfire at the National Seashore (after having picked up a permit), or check what’s scheduled at the First Encounter Coffee House.

Although the history books cite these encounters as the beginning of Eastham’s recorded history, the 1990 discovery of a 4,000-year-old settlement (see the “Coast Guard Beach” sidebar) is keeping archaeologists and anthropologists on their toes.

GUIDANCE Eastham Information Booth (508-240-7211 chamber; 508-255-3444 info booth; easthamchamber.com), 1700 Route 6, near Fort Hill. Open June to mid-October.

Salt Pond Visitor Center (508-255-3421; 508-771-2144; nps.gov/caco), 50 Nauset Road, off Route 6. In 1961 newly elected president John F. Kennedy, Sen. Leverett Saltonstall, and Rep. Hastings Keith championed a bill to turn more than 43,000 acres into the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), protected forever from further development. (About 600 private homes remain within the park.) Today, more than 5 million people visit the CCNS annually. The excellent center shows short films on Thoreau’s Cape Cod, Marconi, the ever-changing natural landscape, and the history of whaling and lifesaving. And the fine museum includes displays on the salt and whaling industries and the diaries of Captain Penniman’s wife, Augusta, who accompanied him on several voyages. Rangers lead lots of activities during the summer, from sunset campfires on the beach to talks on tidal flats and bird walks. Two short loop trails depart from here around Salt Pond and are worth your time. Programs are also offered during spring and fall. Free.

GETTING THERE By car: Eastham is 40 miles from the Cape Cod Canal via Route 6.

By bus: The Plymouth & Brockton bus line (508-778-9767; p-b.com) connects Eastham with Hyannis and other Cape towns, as well as with Boston’s Logan Airport. The bus stops across from Town Hall on Route 6 and at the Village Green Plaza at Bracket Road on Route 6 in North Eastham.

GETTING AROUND Eastham is only a few miles wide and 6 miles long. Most points of interest are well marked along or off Route 6. The CCNS is to the east of Route 6.

PUBLIC RESTROOMS Salt Pond Visitor Center, 50 Nauset Road off Route 6.

PUBLIC LIBRARY Eastham Library (508-240-5950; easthamlibrary.org), 190 Samoset Road. At press time Eastham’s library was undergoing a major expansion; it is expected to open late summer 2017. Temporary digs are next to Town Hall on Route 6. Story time and summer events for children; audio books for everyone.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY Call 911.

To See

Edward Penniman House (508-349-3785), off Route 6 in the Fort Hill area, CCNS. Open early May to late October; inquire about tour times/days. At age 11 Penniman left Eastham for the open sea. When he returned as a captain 26 years later, he had this 1868 house built for him. Boasting indoor plumbing (the first in Eastham to make that claim) and a kerosene chandelier, this French Second Empire–style house has Corinthian columns, a mansard roof, and a cupola that once afforded views of the bay and ocean. Ever-helpful National Park Service guides dispense lots of historical information. Even if it’s closed, peek in the windows. Free.

Swift-Daley House and Tool Museum (508-240-1247; easthamhistoricalsociety.org), next to the post office at 2375 Route 6. Open July and August. In the late 1990s one of the seashore dune shacks (see Dune shacks under To See in “Provincetown”) was moved to this site. Although it’s difficult to imagine what dune-shack life might have been like, this helps. As for the Swift-Daley House, it’s a completely furnished full Cape Colonial built by ship’s carpenters in 1741. It has wide floorboards, pumpkin-pine woodwork, narrow stairways, and a fireplace in every room on the first floor. The Tool Museum behind the house displays hundreds of old tools for use in the home and in the field. And the Olde Shop sells antiques and local arts and crafts. Donations.

EDWARD PENNIMAN HOUSE

PLEIN-AIR PAINTING AT THE EDWARD PENNIMAN HOUSE

1869 Schoolhouse and Museum (508-255-0788; easthamhistoricalsociety.org), 25 Schoolhouse Road off Route 6 across from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Open July and August. During the time when this former one-room schoolhouse served the town (1869 until 1936), there were separate entrances for boys and girls. Inside you’ll learn about Henry Beston’s year of solitude spent observing natural rhythms on nearby Coast Guard Beach. Thanks to the Eastham Historical Society, you can also learn about the town’s farming history, daily domestic life, Native Americans, offshore shipwrecks, and the impressive Lifesaving Service. Donations.

Oldest windmill (easthamhistoricalsociety.org), on Route 6 at Samoset Road. Open July and August. Across from Town Hall, the Cape’s oldest working windmill was built in Plymouth in the 1680s and moved to Eastham in the early 1800s.

First Encounter Beach, off Samoset Road and Route 6. A bronze marker commemorates where the Pilgrims, led by Capt. Myles Standish, first met the Native Americans. The exchange was not friendly. Although arrows flew, no one was injured. The site goes down in history as the place where the Native Americans first began their decline at the hands of European settlers. On a more modern note of warfare history, for 25 years the U.S. Navy used an offshore ship for target practice. Until recently, it was still visible on a sandbar about a mile offshore. The beach, with its westward vista, is a great place to catch a sunset. Seasonal parking $$.

SWIFT DALEY HOUSE AND TOOL MUSEUM

1869 SCHOOLHOUSE AND MUSEUM

Doane Homestead Site, between the Salt Pond Visitor Center and Coast Guard Beach, a mile down Nauset Road on the southside, CCNS. Only a marker remains to identify the spot where Doane, one of Eastham’s first English settlers, made his home.

Cove Burying Grounds, Route 6 near Corliss Way. Many of these graves date back to the 1700s, but look for the memorial to the three Mayflower Pilgrims who were buried here in the 1600s.

Nauset Light (508-240-2612; nausetlight.org), at the corner of Cable Road and Ocean View Drive, CCNS. Inquire about tour times May through October. This light was originally built in Chatham in 1877, one of a twin, but was moved here shortly thereafter. In the mid-1990s, when Nauset Light was just 37 feet from cliff’s edge, the large red-and-white steel lighthouse was moved—via flatbed truck over the course of three days—from the eroding shoreline. And a few years later, the keeper’s house (which dates to 1875) was also moved back. For now, the cast-iron behemoth sits a respectable distance from the shoreline, its beacon still stretching 17 miles to sea. Free, but you might have to pay to park at Nauset Light Beach (see Green Space).

OLDEST WINDMILL

Three Sisters Lighthouses (508-255-3421), inland from Nauset Light, CCNS. Inquire about tour times May through October. In 1838 this coastal cliff was home to three brick lighthouses that provided beacons for sailors. They collapsed from erosion in 1892 and were replaced with three wooden ones. When erosion threatened those in 1918, two were moved away; the third was moved in 1923. Eventually the National Park Service acquired all three and moved them to their current location, nestled in the woods far back from today’s coastline. (It’s a rather incongruous sight: lighthouses, surrounded by trees, unable to reach the water.) Head inland from the beach parking lot along the paved walkway. Free, but you’ll have to pay to park at Nauset Light Beach (see Green Space).

THREE SISTERS LIGHTHOUSE

To Do

BICYCLING & RENTALS Cape Cod Rail Trail. This scenic, well-maintained, 24-mile (one-way) paved path winds from Dennis to Wellfleet. Park at the Salt Pond Visitor Center (see Guidance).

Nauset Bike Trail, CCNS. This 1.6-mile (one-way) trail connects with the Cape Cod Rail Trail and runs from the Salt Pond Visitor Center, across Nauset Marsh via a boardwalk, to Coast Guard Beach. The trail passes large stands of thin, tall black locust trees not native to the area—they were introduced to return nitrogen to the soil after overfarming.

Rent from the family-owned Little Capistrano Bike Shop (508-255-6515; little capistranobikeshop.com), 30 Salt Pond Road. Open April to mid-November. A superb shop right on the rail trail and across the street from the Nauset Bike Trail. The owner, Melissa, is wonderful. The shop, across from the Salt Pond Visitor Center behind the Lobster Shanty, offers well-priced rentals, repairs, and sales.

LITTLE CAPISTRANO BIKE SHOP

BOAT EXCURSIONS & RENTALS Castaways Marine (508-255-7751; castawaysmarnescapecod.com), 4655 Route 6. Along with surfing and kayaking lessons and rentals, these folks include free local delivery to and from the water. You can’t miss them across from Willy’s Gym. Single and double kayak rentals $$$$+.

NATIONAL SEASHORE BONFIRES

A beach bonfire, with or without a clambake, defines the essence of summertime on the Outer Cape. That said, officials prefer the term campfire—nothing too big, just cozy and toasty compared to anything rip-roaring. Here’s the process you need to follow to secure a permit: In July and August head to the Salt Pond Visitor Center (508-255-3421; nps.gov/caco) three days before you want a permit and request one. For instance, if you want it for Wednesday, go on Sunday. Be there when the center opens (9 AM). On the day of your big event, be at the visitor center by 3:30 PM or you’ll lose your permit to someone waiting in line. In the off-season, you can call three days ahead of your desired date without a problem. There are limits on the number of permits given out: four at Coast Guard Beach, four at Nauset Light Beach, and four at Marconi Beach; there are also limitations on the sizes of the groups allowed to congregate. Beach rangers will check permits. BYOF—bring your own firewood and don’t forget to extinguish the flames. Fires are permitted year-round from 5:30 to 11:30 PM.

SALT POND VISITOR CENTER

FISHING & SHELLFISHING Procure freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses and regulations online (www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/licensing). Then head to Goose Hummock (508-255-0455; goose.com), 15 Route 6A at the rotary in Orleans, and the stocked, spring-fed Herring Pond (see Green Space). Most of Eastham’s shellfishing areas are open daily; however, shellfishing is only permitted at Salt Pond (Route 6) and Salt Pond River on Sunday.

FITNESS CLUB Willy’s Gym (508-255-6370; willysgym.com), 4730 Route 6. Facilities include racquetball and squash courts, Nautilus and free weights, a lap pool, saunas and steam rooms, a whirlpool, six indoor tennis courts, four outdoor courts, a climbing rock wall, a three-story soft play structure, and aerobics, yoga, Pilates, and spinning classes. Daily pass $$$. They also offer movie nights and food.

COAST GUARD BEACH

This long National Seashore beach, backed by grasses and heathland, is perfect for walking and sunning. Facilities include changing rooms, restrooms, and in-season lifeguards. In summer a shuttle bus ferries visitors from a parking lot that fills by 10 AM; it’s a mile from the beach and it’s no use trying to drop off passengers at the beach before parking; the seashore banned it to control traffic and protect resources. Parking entrance fee per car $$ (good all day on any CCNS beach; no charge after 4 PM) from late June to early September and on shoulder season holidays.

At times during the winter, you might be lucky enough to spot gray seals and small brown harbor seals congregating at the southern tip of Coast Guard Beach. They feed on the ever-present sand eels. Take the walk at low tide and allow an hour to cover the 2 miles.

Henry Beston published his 1928 classic, The Outermost House, about the year he lived in a two-room bungalow on Coast Guard Beach. The book chronicles Beston’s interaction with the natural environment and records seasonal changes. The cottage was designated a national literary landmark in 1964, but the blizzard of 1978 washed it into the ocean. Bundled up (tightly!) against the off-season winds, you’ll get a glimpse of the haunting isolation Beston experienced.

After a brutal 1990 storm washed away a large chunk of beach, an amateur archaeologist discovered evidence of a prehistoric dwelling on Coast Guard Beach. It is one of the oldest undisturbed archaeological sites in New England, dating back 1,100 to 2,100 years to the Early and Middle Woodland cultures. Because Coast Guard Beach was then 5 miles inland, the site provided a safe encampment for hunters and gatherers. In response to the thousands of ships that were wrecked off this treacherous coast, the Life-Saving Service established in 1872 morphed into the U.S. Coast Guard. After the Cape Cod Canal was built in 1914 and ships could pass through instead of going around the Cape, fatalities off this coastline decreased dramatically. And as such, by 1958, the Coast Guard Station at the top of the cliff could be decommissioned. It now serves as a CCNS educational center.

COAST GUARD BEACH

FOR FAMILIES Recreational programs (508-240-5974) are held late June to mid-August. Visitors and summer residents are encouraged to bring their younger children to the playground at Nauset Regional High School (on Cable Road, North Eastham) for various programs. In the past they’ve included archery, arts and crafts, and soccer. Supervised swimming and instruction are also offered at Wiley Park (see Green Space). Fees vary.

Cedar Banks Links Adventure Golf (508-255-2575; arnoldsrestaurant.com), 3580 Route 6. Open mid-May to mid-September. Forget T-Time and Poit’s Place, this attractive and waterfall-filled place attached to Arnold’s makes waiting at Arnold’s worth your time! Some holes are challenging and many are replicated historical landmarks.

TENNIS Nauset Regional High School (nausetschools.org), Cable Road. The public can use these eight courts for free after school gets out.

See also Fitness Club.

Green Space

BEACHES Nauset Light Beach, CCNS (nps.gov/caco), on the Atlantic Ocean. An idyllic, long, broad, dune-backed beach. Facilities include changing rooms, restrooms, and a lifeguard in-season. Parking $$; $ for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles (transferable to any CCNS beach; no charge after 4 PM); the lot fills by 10 AM in summer.

First Encounter Beach, Campground Beach, and Cook’s Brook Beach. These bayside town beaches are well suited to kite flying and shelling. Because of the shallow water and gradual slope, they are also safe for children. At low tide, vibrant green sea grasses and rippled sand patterns are compelling. Parking $$. Weekly stickers are available from the Town of Eastham’s Sticker Office (508-240-5976), 555 Old Orchard Road (off Route 6 or Brackett Road). No credit cards. First Encounter Beach has a bathhouse; the others are equipped with portable toilets. Parking $$.

NAUSET LIGHT BEACH

AN ABSOLUTE FAVORITE VIEW & WALK

Fort Hill area, CCNS; trailhead and parking off Route 6. The trail—one of my all-Cape favorites—is about 1.5 miles round-trip with a partial boardwalk, some log steps, and some hills. It offers lovely views of Nauset Marsh, especially from Skiff Hill, but also winds through the dense Red Maple Swamp and past the Edward Penniman House (see To See). Birders enjoy this walk year-round, but it is particularly beautiful in autumn when the maples turn color. Pastoral Fort Hill was farmed until the 1940s, and rock walls still mark boundaries.

FORT HILL TRAIL

PONDS Herring Pond and Great Pond, both west of Eastham center off Samoset, Great Pond, and Herring Brook Roads. Great Pond has a fair amount of parking, a biggish beach, lifeguards, and two swimming areas (including Wiley Park, with a beach, playground, and bathhouse). Parking $$.

WALKS Nauset Marsh Trail, CCNS; trailhead behind the Salt Pond Visitor Center (see Guidance). About 1 mile round-trip; some log steps. This trail runs along Salt Pond and yields expansive vistas of Nauset Marsh, which was actually Nauset Bay when French explorer Samuel de Champlain charted it in 1605. As the barrier beach developed, so did the marsh. Along those same lines, Salt Pond was a freshwater pond until the ocean broke through from Nauset Marsh. This complex ecosystem sustains all manner of ocean creatures and shorebirds.

Buttonbush Trail, CCNS, trailhead at the Salt Pond Visitor Center. The trail is half a mile (round-trip), with some boardwalk, some log steps. It was specially designed with Braille markers for the blind and visually impaired.

Eastham Hiking Club. The club meets on Wednesdays from September to late May for a vigorous two-hour walk somewhere between Yarmouth and Provincetown. The contact person and phone number changes from year to year, so it’s best to Google or ask around. Generally about 45 to 50 people gather for the 4- to 6-mile hike along wooded trails and ponds. Call for the meeting place. Free.

Lodging

Route 6 is lined with cottage colonies, but there are a few quite notable alternatives.

BED & BREAKFASTS Whalewalk Inn & Spa (508-255-0617; whalewalkinn.com), 220 Bridge Road. Open April to December. This upscale 19th-century whaling captain’s home has been run like a tight ship by Elaine and Kevin Conlin since the mid-2000s. Expect a range of accommodations, including a romantic cottage, four suites, a luxuriously renovated carriage house, and the most romantic room, the spa penthouse. (Book it now!) Carriage house rooms are outfitted with four-poster beds and gas fireplaces; all have a small private deck or balcony, and some have a large whirlpool. Inn rooms are decorated with country sophistication, a smattering of fine antiques, and breezy floral fabrics. I particularly like the brick patio, where a full breakfast (mesclun salad with pecans, Gorgonzola, and pear slices, followed by a killer Grand Marnier oatmeal pie with vanilla yogurt) and afternoon hors d’oeuvres are served. The inn also boasts a first-rate spa with an exercise facility, sauna, hot tub, and a resistance indoor pool; massages can be arranged. The inn is around the corner from the rail trail and within walking distance of bay beaches. $$–$$$$.

Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast (508-240-2870; forthillbedandbreakfast.com), 75 Fort Hill Road. This B&B has car-stopping street appeal, and I could live out the rest of my days here. Perched on a little knoll overlooking Nauset Marsh, Jean and Gordon Avery’s two suites and cottage enjoy one of the Cape’s best locations. The casual yet refined 19th-century Greek Revival farmhouse is a charmer with wonderful hosts (who have separate guest quarters). As for the guest rooms, the second-floor Lucille is sweet with slanted eaves, wide-pine floors, and a detached bathroom. The first-floor two-room Emma Suite features a little library, piano, and oversized tub. The pièce de résistance, though, is the ever-so-private Nantucket Cottage that boasts a secluded garden, distant marsh views, cathedral ceilings, and a sitting room with gas fireplace. Folks who stay tend to become serious repeat visitors. A delectable full breakfast might include zucchini quiche or piping-hot baked apples with “jammy” muffins. (The cottage has a self-catering option.) No credit cards. $$$–$$$$.

WHALEWALK INN & SPA

FORT HILL BED AND BREAKFAST

700 Samoset (508-255-8748; 700samoset.com), 700 Samoset Road. Open May through October. The ever-resourceful Sarah Blackwell moved this abandoned 1870 Greek Revival farmhouse to its current location on the bay side of Route 6, on a quiet road near the bike trail. She also did a wonderful job restoring it, sanding floors and woodwork, and blending period pieces with contemporary accents like a painted checkerboard floor and tin lamps. It’s all quite tasteful. Too bad for us: There are only two guest rooms, but Eastham could use a dozen of them! From the open country kitchen, guests enjoy an expanded continental breakfast. Plan your day from the front-porch rocking chairs. No credit cards. Rented by the week; call for rates.

Inn at the Oaks (508-255-1886; innattheoaks.com), 3085 Route 6. Open mid-March to late December. This big yellow Victorian house on the rail trail is hidden from Route 6 and across from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Guests enjoy relaxing on the wide wraparound veranda or in the billiards room or parlor with velveteen curtains. All 10 guest rooms have lacy curtains and a smattering of antiques; some have a cathedral ceiling and skylight. The Garden Room, my favorite, has a private porch and fireplace. An adjacent carriage house has three family-friendly suites (and one that accepts pets), but in fact, the whole place is family-friendly: witness the playground and little kids’ playroom. Afternoon tea or cider and cookies are included, as is an expanded continental breakfast. As a historical footnote, Henry Beston stayed on the property during bad weather while he was writing The Outermost House. $$–$$$.

COTTAGES Fort Hill Cottages (Cottage #1, 617-965-1002; Cottage #3, 202-320-8391; Cottage #4, 805-588-1341; forthillcottages.com), 45 Governor Prence, at the base of Fort Hill. Open January through November. I have great affection and admiration for this impressively designed and executed threesome. This cottage community is jointly owned by a group of old friends and is a place they enjoy visiting to connect with each other. Luckily for the rest of us, they’re happy to share it when they’re not there. Each cottage has been recently remodeled from head to toe, designed for comfort, and appointed with simplicity. Each reflects the owner’s tastes and personalities, but all are in keeping with the charm of the Cape. Cottage 1 features a soaring beach stone fireplace and sleeping loft. Cottage 3 has clean lines, a modern design, an eclectic art collection, and a blue slate fireplace. Cottage 4 incorporates salvaged architectural pieces to give it a charm and warmth. I bet you won’t want to leave. They’re spacious, with well-appointed kitchens, large screened-in porches, private outdoor showers, and updated with air-conditioning and cable. Summertime weekly rates; nightly off-season rates.

Cottage Grove (508-255-0500; grovecape.com), 1975 Route 6. Open May through October. You can tell this is not your average cottage colony just by the unusually aesthetic fence that fronts Route 6. Although these are individually owned condos, they’re expertly managed during the summer like rental units. No matter how you categorize them, I call them some of the most charming places to stay on the Outer Cape. The nine cozy cottages have been nicely renovated and are set back off the road on 3 acres. Cottages are rustic, with knotty-pine walls, but they have upgraded bathrooms and kitchens, firm new mattresses with cotton sheets, and a smattering of antiques. Nightly and weekly rates.

COTTAGE GROVE

Gibson Cottages (508-240-7229; gibsoncottages.com), 80 Depot Road, off Samoset Road from Route 6. Open April through October. Some of the Cape’s best lakeside cottages are down a little dirt road marked only with GIBSON. Amy and Mark Gibson take great pride in maintaining the seven neat and tidy cottages, which were established by Mark’s parents in 1966. Each of the well-spaced one-, two-, and three-bedroom cottages has a screened porch or deck and fully equipped kitchen. A swimming dock, a sailboat, rowboats, a kayak, a canoe, and a BBQ area are shared by all. There are also two bike trails on the other side of the pristine lake, which boasts a private, sandy beach. This is a gem; call early. No credit cards. Summertime weekly rates; nightly off-season rates.

Midway Motel & Cottages (508-255-3117; midwaymotel.com), Route 6. Open March to mid-October. Pine and oak trees shield this reasonably priced complex from the road. The tidy grounds, over which the Knisely family has presided since 1983, feature a nice children’s play area, shuffleboard, badminton, horseshoes, picnic tables, grills, and direct access to the Cape Cod Rail Trail (see To Do). All rooms have refrigerators, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Rooms rented nightly, $; cottages weekly.

Hidden Village (508-255-1140; hiddenvillageeastham.com), 1700 Bridge Road. Open June through September. Although some might think this place one step above camping, I happen to love these five, very rustic, two-bedroom units spread out over 18 acres. There’s indoor plumbing and a very basic kitchen (already it’s better than camping!), along with platforms in the room that serves as the living room, screened-in areas that serve as walls, and paper-thin real walls. You really feel like you’re sleeping outdoors with a roof over your head (and a wood stove to ward against a chill). They’re not for everyone, but they’re a real find for kindred souls. And they’re all about quiet and privacy. No TV, WiFi, or pets. Summertime weekly rates; nightly off-season.

RENTAL HOUSES & COTTAGES William Raveis (508-255-4949; capecodvacation.com), 4760 Route 6.

HOSTEL Hostelling International Eastham (508-255-2785; 617-536-9455 off-season; hiusa.org), 75 Goody Hallet Drive, off Bridge Road. Open mid-June to early September. Located in a quiet residential neighborhood off the Orleans rotary, this hostel has about 46 beds in seven coed, same-sex, and family cabins. The hostel boasts no lockout times, assorted summertime events, a fully equipped common kitchen, bike shelter, outdoor shower, volleyball, and BBQ area. It’s about a mile to the nearest bay beach. Reservations are essential in July and August. Dorms and private rooms $.

Where to Eat

There aren’t many restaurants—good or bad—in Eastham.

Karoo Restaurant (508-255-8288; karoorestaurants.com), 3 Main Street, Route 6. Open D. How do you follow a tiny, popular seasonal eatery (a “kafe” of the same name) in Provincetown? But of course: open a year-round one in Eastham, which is sorely lacking a variety of dining options. Chef Sanette Groenewald features her South African hometown cooking (like bobotie, a mild curry meat loaf, and Cape Malay stew, perhaps with mussels or chicken) alongside gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian dishes. The overall buzz can be a tad loud, but most diners don’t mind. (I don’t.) Live music many early evenings in July and August. $$.

MAC’S SEAFOOD MARKETS

Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar (508-255-2575; arnoldsrestaurant.com), 3580 Route 6. Open L, D, mid-May to mid-September. Arnold’s, under the same stewardship for years, offers a raw bar, lobster clambake dinners, excellent local clams (without the sand), homemade ice cream, colorful salads, and the normal array of fried seafood baskets. Onion rings are excellent, too; they usually sell upward of 4,000 pounds of them during any given summer. Weekday lunch specials are an incredible bargain. Abutting the rail trail, the neat and tidy Arnold’s has a nice fenced-off area with tables under pine trees and an open-air patio. Expect to wait. No credit cards. Dishes $–$$$.

Mac’s Seafood Markets (508-255-6900; macseafood.com), Route 6 near Brackett Road. Open L, D. Mac’s, purveyors of take-home lobsters and all things seafood, has expanded into a beloved Outer Cape fiefdom. $-$$.

Red Barn Pizza (508-255-4500; theredbarnpizza.com), 4180 Route 6. Open L, D. It may not look promising, being a big red barn and all, but these folks make one heck of a great pizza. I’m particularly partial to the buffalo chicken with broccoli, which costs $$$ for a large and also tastes great the morning after! Seriously. (Slices are available, too.) For the rest of you, the Red Barn also offers salads, pasta dishes, subs, burgers, and kid-friendly sides. $-$$.

Friendly Fisherman (508-255-3009 market, 508-255-6770 restaurant; friendlyfishermaneastham.com), 4580 Route 6. Open L, D, mid-May to mid-October. This popular and rustic shack offers the requisite fish-and-chips, fried clams, and fish market, but I always gravitate to their truly excellent lobster rolls ($$). Portions are large.

Brackett Farms & Sam’s Deli (508-255-9340; sams-deli.blogspot.com), 100 Brackett Road. Open L, D, mid-March through December. Right around the corner from Ben & Jerry’s, these folks make great hot and cold sandwiches like the “Ringo Star”: Swiss and provolone with pesto mayo, avocado, lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, and sprouts on a whole wheat wrap ($). Friday afternoon wine tastings expand the definition of a deli. $.

Box Lunch (508-255-0799; boxlunchcapecod.com), 4205 Route 6. Open L, D. If you’ve got a hungry family or have had enough fried food, stop at this inconspicuous strip mall. (In case you didn’t know, they roll their sandwich meats in pita bread at this ubiquitous Cape franchise.) The “Jaws” rollwich with roast beef and horseradish has quite a bite. Rollwiches $; with lobster $$.

RED BARN PIZZA

Entertainment

First Encounter Coffee House (508-255-5438; firstencounter.org), 220 Samoset Road. Open year-round except December and May. Performances (usually) on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Acoustic, folk, blues, and bluegrass reign here, attracting musicians with national reputations—including Wellfleet’s Patty Larkin and Vineyarder Livingston Taylor. Home to the 1899 Unitarian Universalist church (a.k.a. Chapel in the Pines) since 1974, the intimate venue has only 100 seats beneath its stained-glass windows. Off-season, it’s a very local affair, where everybody knows your name and knows to arrive early to get a good seat. $$.

FIRST ENCOUNTER COFFEE HOUSE

Selective Shopping

Collector’s World (508-255-3616; collectorsworldcapecod.com), 4100 Route 6. Since 1974, Chris Alex has been selling an eclectic lineup of antiques, gifts, and collectibles like Russian lacquer boxes, scrimshaw, pewter, Civil War artifacts, and toy soldiers. It’s one of the wackiest collections on the Cape.

Four Winds Leather (508-240-7998), 5130 Route 6. You probably didn’t come to the Cape in search of sheepskins and moccasins, but these are the real things. The store is piled high with Native American art, leather coats, wallets, and the like.

Special Events

July–August: Eastham Painters’ Guild (easthampaintersguild.com), at the Old Schoolhouse Museum, Route 6 at the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Outdoor art shows are held here most Thursdays and Fridays, as well as over the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Early to mid-September: Windmill Weekend (easthamwindmillweekend.org). This three-day community festival is staged for locals and features a road race, band concert, arts-and-crafts show, square dancing, and a parade.