Hey Sweeties,
What can I say about Provincetown? It’s just the most lovely, most photogenic, most accepting place that I have ever been to. If you love Cornwall i.e. St Ives, you’ll adore Provincetown.
Provincetown was our third destination as part of our honeymoon (read about Boston, and Washington DC) and was the leg of the trip that we outlined for chilling out.
To be honest, I can’t really remember when we were planning our honeymoon, how we settled on Cape Cod and specifically Provincetown? I think it might have started with an accommodation search and built that way, but really we should have considered logistics first because we booked to go out of season which had an impact on getting there and what was open once we arrived. That all being said, I left Provincetown completely smitten with the place. Here’s why –
Four Things I Loved about Provincetown, Cape Cod
But First, A Quick Note About Getting There
Out of season, getting to the outer cape involves either a seaplane, or –what we did- a coach, or rather two, from Boston. Although taking the coach is the longest route -it took about three hours all together- it was a good opportunity to see more of Cape Cod than we would have done taking the ferry. A return ticket cost around $30 so perfectly reasonable.
We caught the first coach from Boston bus station to Hyannis, then Hyannis to Provincetown. We had a couple of hours to kill in Hyannis and were lucky to find the Kelly’s bar open which we hung out in for as long as we could before heading back to the bus station for the final leg of the journey.
In season, you can just hop on the ferry and be in Provincetown in just over an hour… and probably see some whales on the way too!
1. Carpe Diem Guest House & Spa
Typical of a seaside town, there is no shortage of accommodation in Provincetown and when we were looking online, we quickly settled on the Carpe Diem guest house and spa.
Located on Johnson Street, Carpe Diem guest house is a short walk from the main street which has all the local shops and restaurants, so perfect for exploring the local area. On arrival, we were very warmly greeted by the owners and staff, and quickly given the tour and shown upstairs to our room.
Every morning, a wonderful selection of food items were available for breakfast including a hot daily special -the pancakes on one of those mornings were delicious! I also highly rated the homemade granola and fresh fruit.
If you came back in the afternoon from a day of exploring or even just popping back to your room from the onsite spa, there was always a freshly baked sweet treat available in the kitchen for you to help yourself to. Honestly, it was a home away from home… but like, a million times better!
Jacuzzi tub! The rest of the spa including treatment rooms and sauna etc. is located to the right.
William Shakespeare: A large double room with a Queen-sized bed.
2. Hiking to the Beaches
Ironically, we went to Provincetown to take a few days out and chill, but what we actually ended up doing was hiking, a lot!
From the town, you can hike to three beach locations – Wood End; Herring Cove; and Race Point Lighthouse which is the furthest. If you’re not a big hiker, I would still suggest you visit at least one of the beach locations so you can really appreciate the surrounding ocean.
Because I am really not good with the sea, doing a whale tour was never going to be an option and so my alternative was to hike to each of the beaches and stare intently at the sea for as long as possible in hope of seeing a whale, or a splash, or something to suggest they were there. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky this time but I thoroughly enjoyed the hiking.
3. Dinner at the Lobster Pot
I won’t lie to you, out of season Provincetown offers reasonably slim pickings for a variety of places to eat and we dined on burgers I think for three of the four nights we were there as it was mostly just bars that were open. The Lobster Pot was our treat meal during our visit as it was a little on the pricey side and we had to keep to a strict budget in order for our funds to last us the whole honeymoon. A friend who had come to Provincetown several months before us recommended the Lobster Pot and so we decided one evening to give it a shot.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were recommended to get a table upstairs and we were so pleased to have been given this advice as we had a great view out towards the ocean. Being a vegetarian, obviously I couldn’t give any of the seafood a try which to be honest is a shame when you come to a seaside town that benefits from fresh catches on a daily basis, but I wasn’t without options. I can’t remember exactly what I had but I know it was pasta and I know the portion was BIG!
Overall, we would 100% go to the Lobster Pot again and I would heartily recommend it to anyone visiting Provincetown.
4. Soaking up the Rainbow Vibes
Provincetown is a gay town; it has rainbow flags… everywhere! If this isn’t your thing, or it’s not something you particularly find comfortable to be around (and not everyone is so it’s okay), stay clear of visiting this end of the Cape because this isn’t a place for you.
One of the reasons I am so keen to re-visit Provincetown in the future and in season, is to experience the town really come to life with colour and pride. But even out of season, everyone we met was so friendly, approachable and welcoming, I really could not fault the town’s willingness to host anyone that visits.
Final Thoughts
The only thing I would have changed, or certainly will plan for next time (because there will 100% be a next time), is the time of year we visit. Going later in May would have allowed the summer sunshine to arrive; the ferry to begin operating so travel time there/back could be reduced; and the town would come alive after it’s winter slumber. But I think the same could apply to America overall really, unless you want to risk wintry vibes, visit no earlier than May but I have no doubt -much like it does in the UK- this can differ year on year.
Additionally, on our next visit when we’ll hopefully time for warmer weather, we can spend less time hiking and more time relaxing on one of the beaches. But regardless of time of year, if you get a chance to visit Provincetown, do!
Precisely why I don’t swim in the sea….
Where is the best place you have discovered on your travels?
Until next time x
P.S NONE of these photographs were in any way edited, that’s how naturally beautiful the place is!
