5 things to do when visiting Yarmouth

From sand sculptures to boardwalks to pirate treasure.

The Bass Hole Boardwalk at Gray's Beach in Yarmouth. Town of Yarmouth

May 20, 2022

Mary Maslowski, Yarmouth’s town clerk since 2020, said the town is “at the hub of Cape Cod.”

“It’s halfway down,” she said. “It’s truly the mid-Cape. A 90-minute trip from Boston puts you right in the middle of Yarmouth with easy access to beaches, boating.”

Yarmouth has three villages: South Yarmouth, West Yarmouth, and Yarmouth Port, which stretch between the coastlines of Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay.

“It’s just a wonderful place for people to spend their time and make memories,” she said. “You have entertainment, you have recreation, good food. Add some friends to it, and it’s a perfect place to make lifelong memories.”

Ahead, Maslowski shares her picks for what to see and do in Yarmouth.

Stroll the Bass Hole Boardwalk

One of Maslowski’s favorite places for relaxation is Bass Hole Boardwalk at Gray’s Beach, which features an 800-foot boardwalk that extends out over the salt marsh into Cape Cod Bay.

“It’s just a peaceful place,” she said. “It’s a place for a morning walk with a cup of coffee to watch the sea birds and see some of the wildlife. Or it’s a nice place to watch the sunset over Cape Cod Bay.”

Gray’s Beach, also known as Bass Hole, has a picnic area, restrooms, walking trails, a playground, and great tide pools perfect for young beachgoers.

Check out photos of the Bass Hole Boardwalk posted by the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce.

A piece in the 2016 Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail.

Follow the Sand Sculpture Trail

An exciting way to explore Yarmouth is by following the Sand Sculpture Trail, Maslowski said.

The trail, one of Yarmouth’s biggest attractions, is available from Memorial Day through mid-October and will showcase 32 family-friendly sand sculptures this year.

“There are sand sculptures at locations all over Yarmouth,” she said.

Guests discover the sculptures, created by Fitzysnowman Studios, at beaches, businesses, and more, she said. But the fun doesn’t stop there.

“The treat is exploring the different locations,” she said.

Sand Sculpture Trail maps are available at the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce at 424 Route 28 in West Yarmouth. A digital map is also available online.

Enjoy dinner with a view

For dinner with a side of scenery, visitors can’t go wrong at Tugboats, Maslowski said, which overlooks Hyannis Harbor.

“It’s excellent food and you can’t beat the view, with the harbor and all the boats coming in and out,” she said.

Another scenic spot is Skipper Chowder House, Maslowski said.

“It is good food and it has a great view of the beaches from the deck upstairs,” she said.

Check out pirate treasure

“Yarmouth is home to a pirate museum called the Wydah Pirate Museum, which is really fun and educational for all ages,” Maslowski said.

The museum contains thousands of items from the Wydah, an overtaken slave ship turned pirate ship that shipwrecked off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717. It boasts the largest collection of pirate artifacts recovered from a single shipwreck.

Guests can watch archeologists uncover artifacts from concretions in the museum’s sea lab.

“I really found it enjoyable to see real pirate treasure excavated right here on Cape Cod,” she said.