Wellfleet, once a fishing and whaling village, now has much to offer visitors all year long. Much of Wellfleet is National Seashore and there are walking and biking trails for those so inclined, plus a variety of sea and shore birds to be on the lookout for. Tennis, golf and boating are a short walk or ride away and there are bicycles for rent at two locations in town. In the evening there is often live music at local taverns and restaurants, and our own regional theatre, Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre (W.H.A.T.), is nationally recognized for the quality of its productions. For more information on Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre go to www.what.org. If you are seeking clubs, cabarets or dancing, you will find all of these in Provincetown, a 15 minute drive away. Coming in the quiet season? You will find a peaceful village perfect for winter walks or stay inside and snuggle up with a book or watch a movie from our eclectic collection. Directions, maps and recommendations can be obtained from your hosts, Adam & Janet.
Area Links of Interest
Wellfleet is a wonderful place to spend your vacation. In addition to enjoying our beautiful beaches you can hike, sail, birdwatch, bike, shop, fish and whale watch. Our restaurants run the entire range from clam shack casual to white tablecloth fine dining.
BEACHES
Most of our guests will want to spend some time on the beach. If you're coming between the middle of June and Labor Day you will need a beach sticker (learn more).
One of our favorite things to do is have a bonfire on the beach; you may wish to have one as well. View fire regulations.
HIKING & BIKING
There are gorgeous walks through the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, a friendly staff will welcome you at the visitor's center and assist with trail maps and wildlife information. The Atlantic White Cedar Swamp trail is another walk many of our guests enjoy. If you like history, stop by the nearby Marconi Wireless site for a look at the model of the first wireless transmission site in the US, then hit the trail to stretch your legs. For more information on walks in Wellfleet and beyond, visit www.cctrails.org.
Feel free to bring your bicycle to The Stone Lion Inn. We have a covered shed where you can store them. We are close to the Cape Cod Bike Trail, built on the old railroad right-of-way. That means the terrain of the trail is flat so even if you don't bike much this is a trail you can handle. With a bike, you can also go to all of the town owned beaches for FREE!
WHALE WATCHES
There are two companies running frequent whale watches out of Provincetown harbor between mid-April and mid-October. Both have naturalists aboard the boats to tell you what you're seeing and give you a lot of information about the animals and their habitats. Reservations are recommended for most weekends and for any time in July and August.
- The Dolphin Fleet is the oldest whale watch company on the east coast.
- Portuguese Princess have teamed up with the Center for Coastal studies and are running some day-long excursions as well as the standard 3-4 hour trips.
SPORT FISHING
Wellfleet bay offers a variety of fishing opportunities with striped bass and bluefish being the most common catches. If you wish to spend a day fishing here are some local captains you can contact:
RESTAURANTS
The food scene in Wellfleet has been getting better and better since we've been here. We have everything from clam shacks on the beach to wonderful bistros with extensive wine lists. Here's a short list of some of our favorites:
- Clam Shacks & Family Dining
- Moby Dick's; nobody does it better! BYOB here.
- Arnolds in Eastham has a full bar.
- The Beachcomber at Cahoon Hollow beach; also has entertainment at night.
- Great, Casual Dining:
- The Bookstore Restaurant the family owns their own shellfish beds, it's difficult to get fresher oysters.
- Mac's Seafood take out or picnic on the beach! Also a fish market and grocery store.
- Marconi Beach Restaurant; great southern style barbeque! If you aren't into fish, eat here!!
- Mac's Shack; a new venture serving seafood with an Asian twist. Full sushi bar, BYOB.
- D'Italia's New York style pizza, pasta & calzones.
- Bistro & Tavern Dining:
- One of our favorite places is The Wicked Oyster. The meal starts with a basket of warm, crusty bread and a whole head of roasted garlic. It just gets better from there.
- We also like Winslow's Tavern. Their french fries, with sea salt, pepper and parmesan cheese, are to die for. At both restaurants you should save room for dessert.
- In the mood for just a salad and an appetizer? For that or a full, huge dinner try Van Rensselaer's. They have a wonderful salad bar and the specials are incredible creations by their talented chef.
- Finely JP's has just built themselves a brand-new building at the old location. The food is still wonderful and they now take reservations!
- The Duck Creeke Tavern Restaurant serves comfort food in a wonderful, funky old tavern room. Live music several nights a week and a full bar make this a great hang-out spot.
- The newest addition to the Outer Cape's dining scene is Blackfish Restaurant in Truro. Worth the trip!
- Provincetown is a place most of our guests want to see and there are several truly wonderful restaurants there. Our favorites are open all year long and are:
- NOTE: Many places are open only from May - October. If you will be traveling in the quieter season, check with the innkeepers about restaurants.
NIGHT LIFE
There is live music many nights of the week at The Tavern at Duck Creeke. The Wicked Oyster and the Bookstore restaurant also have live music on an occasional basis. Clubs in Provincetown have a mix of comedy, live music, karaoke and performances. For live theatre, we have an award-winning equity company right here in Wellfleet! Check out the Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre (www.what.org). They have winter programs as well as a full season of plays from May through November. There is also live theatre in Provincetown, Orleans and Brewster. For a quiet evening, check out the Wellfleet movie theater. You can see a film on one of the four indoor screens or, in the summer, go to the Wellfleet Cinemas Drive-In for a double feature!
REAL ESTATE
Thinking about buying property? Let our friend Kathleen be your guide to what's available. See her website at www.knaglerealestate.com or call her at 508-333-3990.
