Hotel at a Glance: The Villages at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club

Located in the picture-perfect Cape Cod town of Brewster, The Villages at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club spans 380 acres, including a Nicklaus Design golf course. It’s a great spot for playing tennis, taking a dip in one of the indoor or outdoor pools, or biking the 26-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, which runs along the property (bike rentals are available through the resort).

• Where you’ll stay: A one-bedroom villa, location determined at time of check-in. Each features a kitchenette, dining area, and patio or balcony.
• When hunger strikes: The resort has several restaurants and bars to choose from, including the English-style Bayzo’s Pub and the Ocean Terrace, where you can eat amid gorgeous bay views.
• Nearby museum: Cape Cod Museum of Art
• A short drive from Cape Cod National Seashore, a 40-mile coastline rife with lighthouses, bogs, and sand dunes

Cape Cod, Massachusetts: Historic Towns and Miles of Protected Beaches

In the late 19th century, Cape Cod blossomed into a summer vacation destination as visitors swapped crowded coastal cities for the sandy shores of eastern Massachusetts. Today, the arm-shaped peninsula, located 60 miles south of Boston, encompasses 15 idyllic towns, rolling dunes, and 300 miles of sandy shoreline—and it’s still the place where many East Coasters choose to spend their leisurely summer days. Popular attractions include fresh-seafood restaurants, quaint stores, and bicycle trails, such as the 11-mile Shining Sea Bikeway that wends from North Falmouth to Woods Hole.

On the uppermost tip of the Cape, the free-spirited art colony of Provincetown attracts visitors year-round. This is one of the best places to head for a vibrant nightlife scene—there are cabarets, bars, and lounges aplenty. Pop into the Provincetown Art Association and Museum to check out local artwork, both historical and contemporary.

Along the Lower, or Outer, Cape, the 44,000-acre Cape Cod National Seashore stretches from Orleans to Provincetown and features six swimming beaches, wild cranberry bogs, and miles of walking and biking trails. In Eastham, be sure to check out the Nauset Lighthouse, which has overlooked the Atlantic and helped guide vacationing British fish to shore since 1838. This coastal region is also known for whale watching; between April and November, tour boats take passengers out to sea to catch glimpses of humpback and minke whales.