Cape Cod: When To Go

Peak Season: late-June to mid-September Families come in droves when school lets out for summer. The hotel rates are high and the beaches are crowded, but the weather is lovely and everything – from clam shacks to golf courses – is open.

Off Season: December to March Sure it’s chilly, but temperatures are usually about ten degrees warmer than in Boston. Rock-bottom rates on hotels are plentiful, and if you can find an open restaurant you’ll have no trouble scoring a table.

Sweet Spot: April to May; mid-September to November People “in the know” know that the shoulder season is the best time to visit the Cape. Empty expanses of sand, reasonable rates at hotels, and mild, perfect-for-a-walk-on-the-beach temperatures pervade.