Discover Eastham

The peninsula narrows and the landscape gets a little wilder as you enter the town of Eastham. With no real town center to speak of the landmark Eastham Windmill, the Cape’s oldest remaining windmill dating back to 1680, marks the spot along with the iconic Arnolds Lobster & Clam Bar serving Cape Cod’s finest fried lobster. Eastham is full of hidden treasures and natural beauty, the main draw being the National Seashore’s Headquarters at the Salt Pond Visitors Center and the beautiful beaches along the Atlantic and Cape Cod Bay.  Eastham is a vacation destination of quieter, more rustic beauty with endless hidden gems. Blink and you may miss this sleepy little town.

Cape Cod National Seashore Headquarters

Eastham is the Gateway to the National Seashore, home to The Salt Pond Visitor Center, the National Seashore’s main visitor facility. Here you can learn about the history, ecology and landscape of the National Seashore, visit the historic Schoolhouse Museum dating back to 1869, head out on a ranger-guided walk, hike the Nauset Marsh Trail along Salt Pond (a fun place to dig for clams) or explore the waters by canoe. Travel the road to the Fort Hill Area and follow the Fort Hill Trail through the green grass and wetlands to spectacular views of Nauset Marsh from the overlook at Skiff Hill and Indian Rock, once used by the Nauset tribe as a sharpening stone. Bring the binoculars for some awesome bird watching. There are endless trails through swamps, salt marshes and the forests of the National Seashore.

Dune-Backed Beaches & Historic Lighthouses

The narrow peninsula places you in perfect proximity to the beaches of Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the pristine 15,000-year old Kettle Ponds that surround. Nestled between two private beaches along the bayside are the quiet sands of Kingsbury Beach where you are welcomed by serenity and solitude. The beaches of Eastham are not only serene and tranquil, they are steeped in history. The Native Americans first encountered the Pilgrims in 1620 in the most gorgeous setting of calm waters, low sand dunes, tidal pools and expansive flats at First Encounter Beach. The picturesque Old Coast Guard Station stands tall overlooking Coast Guard Beach on the Atlantic side, a long stretch of beach popular with surfers and birdwatchers hiking the trails around Nauset Marsh. If you’re looking for classic Cape Cod Lighthouses, Nauset Light Beach is where the red and white Nauset Light guards the shoreline and a short walk through pine forests leads you to Three Sisters Lighthouses, a curious trio of 19th-century lighthouses. The historic kettle ponds scattered across the Outer Cape Cod landscape (with over 20 in Wellfleet and Truro alone) offer safer still waters. Great Pond is the ideal swimming pool in Eastham with the added bonus of a small beach.

Come share a little Cape Cod Magic with us at Nauset Rental. Our vacation rental homes near Eastham are hand-picked to ensure your vacation is full of happy days and creates life-long memories.

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