To avoid frustration and confusion when visiting Cape Cod, it helps to understand its basic directions and seasons. The compass isn’t your friend here, as you will discover when faced with highway signs stubbornly directing you south to Provincetown—when heading south would bring you sooner to Venezuela than to the Cape’s northernmost town. Instead, the principal directions are up and down: “Up-Cape” means generally westward, toward the mainland, while “Down-Cape” means roughly east, toward the Outer Cape and Provincetown. Further confusion arises with the distinctions among the various coasts: “Bayside” faces inward onto Cape Cod Bay, the “South Shore” faces Nantucket Sound, and the “Backside” braves the open Atlantic to the east.
It’s a little easier to keep track of Cape Cod’s seasons. High season, when Cape-bound traffic can be bumper-to-bumper from near Boston all the way to Hyannis, is basically from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The summer vacation months of July and August see the highest hotel rates, the most crowded beaches, and abysmal traffic on Fridays especially, when most vacation rentals “turn over.” That said, even at the worst of times you can still find peace and quiet if you’re willing to walk, paddle, or bike a little way from your car.
