US Edition CAPE COD has mythical status in the American psyche as a summer playground. For the East Coast's middle classes, it's the destination of choice - civilised, not in the least bit flash, somewhere to wind down, dine on lobster, oysters and clams, and above all commune with nature. Holidays here have something of the resonance for Americans that two weeks in Tuscany have for the British.
It is hard to overestimate the cape's elemental beauty. The coast that faces the Atlantic amounts to one continuous, awesome beach, backed by giant dunes and protected from development. A few minutes' drive away on the bay side, pine woods and marshes back on to vast tidal beaches. An extraordinary light constantly plays with the scenery, creating the sharpest yellows and greens on a clear day, and a moody, post-impressionist blur when it's misty. The towns and villages are quaint affairs, with grey, weather-beaten cottages and grander clapboard houses that were built by sea captains 200 years ago.
As you might guess, a lot of holidaymakers descend on Cape Cod, and therein lies its flaw. From late June to Labour Day (the first Sunday in September), many of the beach car parks are full by mid-morning, and the roads are clogged with traffic.
The other important factor to consider is the weather - far less reliable than in US beach holiday destinations such as Florida, California and the Carolinas. Average temperatures in summer are a couple of degrees warmer than those of southern England, but be prepared for cloudy, wet and foggy days too.
If you can, come in June or September (after Labour Day). There are far fewer people then; accommodation is a little cheaper; and most beach car parks are free - in high season, they cost £4-£7 a day, and at some you need to buy weekly permits.
The best arrangement is to stay in one place - the cape is small enough to explore on day excursions - and to come for at least a week. An ideal option, popular with British visitors, is to chill out here after touring the rest of New England.
Fred Mawer flew with British Airways (0845 773 3377, www.britishairways.com), which has three flights a day from Heathrow to Boston and is quoting £371 return between now and the end of June and £476 return between July 15 and Aug 22, both including taxes. There are also Heathrow-Boston services with American Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin; best deals are usually through flight specialists such as Trailfinders (020 7937 5400, www.trailfinders.com).
Cape Cod is an island, separated from the mainland by a canal. If possible, avoid driving from Boston on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, and from the cape on Sunday afternoons and evenings, when the traffic, funnelled through bridges across the canal, can be appalling. If you are heading for Provincetown, consider taking a high-speed catamaran from Boston (about 90mins, £20 one-way).
Tour operators
Fred Mawer stayed in a cottage provided by New England Country Homes (08700 774774, www.indiv-travellers.com). It also offers a good selection of New England inns, which you can combine with stays in homes or use on fly-drive tours. A fortnight in a comfortable home sleeping six, including flights, car hire and hotel accommodation in Boston on the first night, costs around £950 in May/June, £1,100-£1,200 in July/August per person, based on full occupancy.
Osprey (0870 241 4217) and Virgin Holidays (01293 617181, www.virginholidays.com) offer inns in all price brackets, while North America Travel Service (020 7938 3737, www.northamericatravelservice.co.uk) and Prestige Holidays (01425 480400) concentrate on upmarket inns. New England Vacations (01582 469771, www.vacationsgroup.co.uk) offers homes and inns, and Bridgewater Travel (0161 703 3003, www.bridgewater-travel.co.uk) focuses on homes.
More information
For free tourist information on Massachusetts, call 020 7978 7429 (www.massvacation.com). For the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, telephone 001 508 862 0700 (www.capecodchamber.org). For schedules of ferries from Boston to Provincetown, and Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard, go to www.smartguide.org.
Cape Cod is invariably likened to an arm. The part to make for is the forearm - the Lower or Outer Cape. The Cape Cod National Seashore - a national park - runs the 40-mile length of its wild Atlantic side, while the marshes and beaches on the sheltered Cape Cod Bay side are equally compelling, and there is no nasty development anywhere.
The upper arm of the cape - called the Upper Cape and Mid-Cape - feels rather claustrophobic compared with the invigorating Lower Cape. Its south coast is heavily built-up, particularly along Route 28. Hyannis, the cape's largest town, plays on its JFK connections, but drive-through KFCs more obviously set the tone.
The north coast has much more going for it. Some of its beaches are superb, and a succession of attractive small towns and villages is strung out along busy Route 6A.
When heading for one of the beaches, take everything you need for the day; other than lavatories and showers, most do not have facilities or shade. Note that there can be dangerous undertows on the Atlantic beaches.
Below, we've picked out the four best bases on the Lower Cape.
Provincetown
"P-town" is the north-east's premier resort for gays and, according to Norman Mailer, who has a house here, "the freest town in America". Same-sex couples walk around hand-in-hand. Transvestites tout for shows with names such as Two Fags and a Drag. Even the local cop gets in on the act, performing pirouettes as he keeps the cars and rollerbladers and cyclists with poodles in their baskets moving.
If you're gay, you'll have a wild time here. If you're not, drop by anyway:
P-town is simply great fun. Though not exactly a family resort, during the daytime it's full of moms and pops and kids who come to ogle at the outlandish buskers and go on whale-watching trips. And, despite its cruisy bars and clubs, it somehow manages to be a very civilised resort ("the gays are straighter than the straights", says Mailer). Indeed, over the past decade or two, it has evolved from bohemian - there has been an artists' community here since the early 1900s - to gentrified. Quality art galleries and upmarket b & bs and restaurants set the tone along Commercial Street, the long main thoroughfare parallel to the bay.
On a busy summer's day, the centre can be a real scrum. If you've come for the day, arrive early to nab a parking space; if staying, rent a bike to get around. Escape the crowds by strolling down Commercial Street to the West End or the arty East End, where pristine clapboard and shingle houses sit behind neat gardens and picket fences.
Nearby beaches The Cape Cod National Seashore almost surrounds P-town. The closest good beach, served by a shuttle bus, is Herring Cove, a long, narrow sandy beach where the water is usually calm and safe for swimming. Facing the Atlantic is more invigorating Race Point Beach - a vast, wide stretch of sand beyond a giant system of hillock-high dunes. You can sometimes see whales from the shore.
Wellfleet
Little more than an overgrown village, Wellfleet is a dreamy, cultured place popular with well-heeled liberals. Some of its dozen art galleries overlook a picturesque tidal creek, where a wooden pedestrian bridge crosses the marshes to a little sandy peninsula. Down at the harbour, you can book a fishing trip or hire a motor boat. Wellfleet is famous for its oysters and clams - the latter called quahogs, cherrystones or littlenecks depending on their size. The full range is on offer in Wellfleet's several good restaurants, and at the excellent Hatch's Fish Market.
Nearby beaches There are good bayside beaches beyond the harbour, but they can't compete with those on the Atlantic side. The most awesome is Cahoon Hollow, a wild, raw beach reached by scrambling down near-sheer 100ft-high dunes. Farther south, near Eastham, are two more spectacular beaches, Nauset Light and Coast Guard, where a long spit of sand almost encloses marshlands.
Chatham
Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, spent part of his honeymoon in Chatham, the smartest and most genteel of the cape's resorts. Twee gift shops selling jewellery, teddies and Pringle sweaters line the main street, and weekly brass band concerts are laid on in high season. Many of the white-boarded mansions on the back streets have been converted into smart inns.
But what makes Chatham special is its location: on the cape's elbow, enclosed by water on three sides. Its lighthouse, on a bluff overlooking a recent break in the offshore sandbar, is a superb vantage point, as is the Fish Pier, set alongside an achingly beautiful channel protected from the ocean by the sandbar. From its observation deck, you can watch the rather gruesome spectacle of the catch being unloaded down a blood-and-guts-lined chute on to waiting lorries (usually 2pm-4pm, but check). Boats visit the Monomoy Islands, a wildlife preserve just south of Chatham, on seal- and bird-watching trips.
Nearby beaches Hardings Beach, facing south over Nantucket Sound, is big and sandy, and protected from the elements, and therefore good for swimming. Alternatively, you could hop on a boat across to the uninhabited, Atlantic-facing sandbars.
Brewster
Immaculate Brewster is the most appealing of the towns on Route 6A, and perfectly placed for forays to anywhere else on the cape. It is said to have a hundred sea captains' mansions, and virtually every clapboard building along the main road has been turned into an inn, restaurant, antique shop or estate agent's.
Its focal point is the Brewster Store, a wonderful old-fashioned shop with racks of wooden shelves, sweets in jars and an ice-cream parlour. As an alternative to the beach, you could visit thickly wooded Nickerson State Park: as well as miles of bike trails, it has several idyllic, sand-fringed freshwater "ponds".
Nearby beaches Back lanes lead up to Cape Cod Bay. At high tide, the beaches here are no more than thin strips of sand and clumps of lime-green marshes, but at low tide you have to walk literally miles across the muddy flats to reach the water's edge. Unlike the Atlantic beaches, it's safe paddling territory.
Most b & bs and inns on Cape Cod are romantic pads, with four-poster beds and lots of chintz, aimed firmly at couples; many refuse to take children at all.
A much better family option is to rent a house. Typically, it will be the owner's second home, on the edge of town, and modern but in the vernacular style - shingled or boarded, with a wooden deck for barbecues etc. It is likely to be much more spacious and better equipped than a rented property in Europe - for example, with a big American fridge and a phone that takes incoming calls. However, few properties on Cape Cod have a pool, and they tend to be more expensive and have less character than those elsewhere in New England.
I visited a number of properties featured by New England Country Homes and recommend the following (all should have some availability in the off-peak months):
Woodchip, Brewster (sleeps six): stylish property in mock-colonial style, in a smart development within walking distance of the beach.
Rivendell, Brewster (sleeps 10): roomy, modern house in a peaceful, woodsy setting, five minutes' walk to the beach.
Summer Place, Chatham (sleeps six): tasteful, expansive,
open-plan, cedar-shingled house, with picture windows overlooking the surrounding woods (you might spot a chipmunk on the terrace).
The Summer House, Chatham (sleeps six): down a quiet back lane, a large but cosy and beautifully furnished cottage, with a pretty garden and good basement playroom.
Through a local agency (contact the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce for details, see "Getting there", page 5), a three-bedroom home costs around £900 a week in the summer, and a studio apartment in Provincetown around £500 a week.
Below, I've picked out some of the better-value places to stay. For summer, book as far in advance as possible. To phone from the UK, add the prefix 001. Unless stated, rates are for the cheapest double room per night in August, including the 9.7 per cent tax.
Provincetown
White Horse Inn (508 487 1790). Funky, inexpensive accommodation in a sea captain's house in the East End. Owner Frank Schaefer is an artist and art collector and hundreds of paintings cover the panelled walls. Most of the simple bedrooms (from £63) are not en suite; also studios with kitchenettes from £110.
The Masthead (508 487 0523, www.capecodtravel.com/ masthead). Family-friendly complex of shingle cottages on the waterfront in the West End. Everything from small rooms to cottages sleeping four. Rooms £67 to £175.
Wellfleet
The Even'tide (508 349 3410, www.eventidemotel.com). Excellent family option a mile from Wellfleet, and a walk through woods to an Atlantic beach. The well-run motel has a large indoor pool and good-quality rooms (£94) and suites with sofa beds (from £110).
Chatham
Captain's House Inn (508 945 0127, www.captainshouseinn.com). One of the cape's top inns. Bedrooms, spread around a mansion and quaint cottages, come with four-poster beds, whirlpool baths, working fireplaces, antiques and fine art. From £137, including breakfast, afternoon tea and use of bikes.
The Hawthorne (508 945 0372, www.thehawthorne.com). Motel accommodation in a prime spot, with stunning views over Chatham Harbor, and a lawn running down to the beach. Spacious bedrooms, some with kitchenettes, from £125 in July/August, otherwise from £94.
Brewster
Old Sea Pines Inn (508 896 6114, www.oldseapinesinn.com). This rambling Edwardian house (formerly a finishing school), with rocking chairs on the porch, is the antidote to the cape's precious, child-banning inns. Bedrooms, with boarded floors and claw-foot baths, are good value: with shared bath, £59; en suite, from £74; family units, from £106.
Unless stated, prices are approximate for a three-course dinner, including tax, but without a tip (add 15-20 per cent) and drinks. Though prices can be high, portions are huge, and one course may be enough. Note that none of the restaurants below takes reservations.
Provincetown
P-town has cornered the cape's market in chi-chi bistros, but we preferred more down-to-earth places such as the no-nonsense Lobster Pot (£20). In the centre, behind MacMillan Wharf, it's touristy, and there's normally a wait for a table. But the seafood - lobsters, fish and chips, Portuguese shellfish stews - is excellent, and the portions vast.
Wellfleet
Moby Dick's, a large wooden hut alongside Route 6 decorated with nets and buoys, is ideal for families. It's what they call a "clam shack". You're served the freshest seafood in baskets or off plastic plates: a decadent lobster-filled roll costs £10.
The liveliest place for a drink is The Bookstore, which overlooks the beach behind the harbour. Great sunsets from its terrace, and straightforward seafood meals for around £15.
Chatham
Christian's (£20), on Main Street, has lively sing-a-longs at the piano in the upstairs bar. The menu runs from pizzas to Tex-Mex dishes and good seafood (try the crab cakes).
Just along the street is The Chatham Squire, an all-American bar where you can slurp back raw clams and oysters; it has a popular seafood restaurant next door (£20).
Brewster
Brewster has several fancy, expensive restaurants, but none serves better food than the Brewster Fish House (£25). It's basically a hut beside Route 6A and has just 10 tables, but the surroundings are deceptive. Expect sensational fish dishes such as crab cakes with marmalade, lobster bisque with a chilli sauce, and pan-seared lobster on crispy leeks. There's always a wait. If there's room, you can eat starters and puddings in the little bar area.
Go whale-watching
Stellwagen Bank, an underwater restaurant for whales a 45-minute boat ride north of Provincetown, is one of the best spots in the world to go whale-watching. Sightings - mainly of humpbacks - are virtually guaranteed. In the space of 90 minutes, we were lucky enough to glimpse a dozen whales, sometimes just 15 feet from the boat, arching their backs, flicking their flukes (tails), and even breaching (when they rise nose-first out of the water). The best-respected company is the Dolphin Fleet (508 349 1900), which carries out research on its trips: £14 for 3.5 hours - book a couple of days ahead in peak season.
See a sunset
It turns Cape Cod Bay an unforgettable milky pink. As many as 100 cognoscenti gather each night at Rock Harbor, near Orleans, with wine and plastic cups.
Follow a nature trail
Visit the Cape Cod National Seashore visitor centres at Province Lands, near Provincetown, or Salt Pond near Eastham, for details of paths and ranger-led hikes. The bike path up and down Province Lands' dunes is strenuous but fun. For the best birdwatching, explore the miles of trails through the woods and wetlands of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary: a boardwalk takes you close to colonies of terns and plovers out in the bay.