Cape Cod Audio Tour

Things to do on the Tour Include:

• Cape Cod Visitor Center

  Purchase the tour to learn about the history and surroundings of Cape Cod, including the story of some of America's first settlers. The tour begins at the Cape Cod Visitor Center and takes you to the quaint villages, sandy beaches, and iconic lighthouses that give the Cape its colonial charm.

• The Famous Hook

  As you drive through picturesque Yarmouth, find out the story behind the Cape's unique hook shape and its Ice Age origins.

• Nauset Tribe

  Learn more about the Cape's native people and the encounters that forever changed their history and culture.

• Scargo Tower & Lake

  Take this optional detour to the fish-shaped Scargo Lake and hear an ancient Nauset legend about the body of water.

• Scouting Party

  Relive the arrival of the Mayflower with this stop on the fateful landing that began American colonial history - and threatened disaster for the Nauset.

• Who Were the Pilgrims?

  Learn more about everyone's favorite religious fundamentalists with this stop on the Pilgrims and their culture.

• Harwich

  Cruise through a picturesque town with beautiful beaches featuring the warmest water on the Cape.

• First Encounter

  Find out how the Pilgrims ended up in Plymouth after initially making landfall on Cape Cod.

• Aspinet and Squanto

  Discover the real story of Squanto, who helped the Pilgrims survive the harsh Massachusetts winter.

• Eastham

  Continue the tour through Eastham, a charming little Colonial town that hosted the tense first encounter between the Pilgrims and the Nauset, as well as the very first Thanksgiving.

• First Encounter Beach

  Stop at First Encounter Beach to see where the first clash between the Pilgrims and the Nauset took place.

• Welcome: Salt Pond Visitor Center, Eastham

  Take a moment at the Salt Pond Visitor Center to use the bathroom, stretch your legs, and catch up on some extra Cape history.

• Nauset Light

  Despite its natural beauty, Cape Cod's seashore has earned the ominous nickname of the "Ocean Graveyard." Find out why at this stop!

• Coming Up: Nauset Lighthouse

  Pause the tour here to see the Nauset Light, a quaint little lighthouse that should look familiar to the junk food aficianados among you.

• Three Sisters Lighthouses

  Here the story behind the Three Sisters, the Cape's only landlocked lighthouses.

• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

  Nature enthusiasts should take this optional detour to the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, where you can explore five miles of trails and learn about the Audubon Society's unexpectedly sartorial origins.

• Marconi Station

  Explore Marconi Station, a humble small-town radio station that found itself a brief leading role in maritime history, playing a pivotal role in early transantlantic communication, the first World War, and even the world's most famous nautical tragedy.

• Optional: Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

  The next optional detour takes us to the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail, a perfect spot for hikers of all experience levels to stretch their legs and take in Cape Cod's varied terrain.

• Whaling

  While Cape Cod's economy is currently driven mostly by generous tourists like yourselves, it used to be dominated by a darker industry: whaling. Stop here to learn about the whaling era in the Cape, including the real life inspiration behind one of America's finest literary accomplishments.

• Highland Lighthouse

  Stop here to see the Highland Lighthouse and find out how it drew the attention of another titan of American literature.

• The Kennedy Connection

  Discover how the Cape's history intertwines with that of New England's most prominent royal family.

• Pilgrim Spring Trail

  Visit the Pilgrim Spring Trail, a short hike leading to a feature that would prove essential to the survival of the Pilgrims.

• Detour: Pilgrim Spring

  Take this optional stop to see the Pilgrims' salvation for yourself.

• Commercial St

  Take some time to explore Provincetown, which shrugs off the heavy mantle of Pilgrim history and embraces an artsy bohemian present.

• Provincetown

  Stop here to enjoy everything P-Town has to offer.

• MacMillan Pier

  Explore P-Town's Macmillan Pier, where past and present really intermingle on the Cape.

• Pilgrim Monument

  See the Pilgrim Monument and hear about the Mayflower Compact, the first set of laws governing the fledgling colony.

• Conclusion: Pilgrims' First Landing Park

  Finally, we'll end up where it all began: the site where the Mayflower first struck land. Explore the park and imagine what it must have been like for the settlers, after ten harrowing weeks at sea, to step onto Nauset soil right here on November 11th, 1620.

• Optional: Long Point Light Station

  Take this optional stop to see the Cape's most remote lighthouse - a sight we don't recommend missing!

• Optional: Herring Cove Beach

  Herring Cove Beach is the most popular shore on the Cape for one very specific reason. Take this optional stop to find out why!

• Optional: Race Point Lighthouse

  Confident swimmers should make sure to take this optional stop at the most thrilling and risky beach the Cape has to offer.

• Optional: Beech Forest

  We know what you're thinking: Where on the Cape can I go birdwatching? Never fear, this optional detour has you covered.