Active Pursuits

Beaches

Barnstable's primary bay beach is Sandy Neck Beach, accessed through East Sandwich. Most of the Nantucket Sound beaches are fairly protected and thus not big in terms of surf. Beach parking costs $15 a day, usually payable at the lot; for a weeklong parking sticker ($40), visit the Recreation Department at 141 Bassett Lane, at the Kennedy Memorial Skating Rink (tel. 508/790-6345).

• Craigville Beach, off Craigville Beach Road in Centerville: Once a magnet for Methodist "camp" meetings (conference centers still line the shore), this broad expanse of sand boasts lifeguards and restrooms. A destination for the bronzed and buffed, it's known as "Muscle Beach."

• Kalmus Beach, off Gosnold Street in Hyannisport: This 800-foot spit of sand stretching toward the mouth of the harbor makes an ideal launching site for windsurfing enthusiasts, who sometimes seem to play chicken with the steady parade of ferries. The surf is tame, the slope shallow, and the conditions ideal for little kids. There are lifeguards, a snack bar, and restrooms.

• Orrin Keyes Beach (also known as Sea Beach), at the end of Sea Street in Hyannis: This little beach at the end of a residential road is popular with families.

• Veterans Beach, off Ocean Street in Hyannis: A small stretch of harborside sand adjoining the John F. Kennedy Memorial (a moving tribute from the town), this spot is not tops for swimming, unless you're very young and easily wowed. Parking is usually easy, though, and it's walkable from town. The snack bar, restrooms, and playground will see to a family's needs.

Bicycling

Although there are no paved bike paths in Barnstable (the Rail Trail in Dennis is the closest), the winding roads in Marstons Mills and Osterville make for pleasant scenic rides. There's free public parking at the Marstons Mills millpond at the intersection of routes 28 and 149 or behind the stores in Osterville Center. From the intersection of routes 28 and 149, bear right on Route 149 where it turns into Main Street. Main Street soon intersects with Route 28; cross Route 28 (carefully), and then cruise down South County Road into Osterville. Several roads here afford wonderful bay views, not to mention views of some of the finest homes on Cape Cod. For the best views, bike to the ends of Bay Street, West Bay Road, and Eel River Road to Sea View Avenue. A leisurely bike ride through this area is perhaps the best way to see some of the most impressive seaside mansions on the Cape.

Boating

You can rent a kayak from Eastern Mountain Sports for $50 a day or $100 for 3 days and paddle around Scorton Creek, Sandy Neck, and Barnstable Harbor on the north side of the Cape. On the south side of the Cape, paddlers enjoy the waters around Great Island in Osterville. In Centerville, you can navigate the Centerville River. For experienced paddlers, Barnstable's Great Marsh -- one of the largest in New England -- offers beautiful waterways out to Sandy Neck.

Fishing

The township of Barnstable has 11 ponds for freshwater fishing; for information and permits, visit Town Hall at 367 Main St., Hyannis (tel. 508/862-4044); or Sports Port, 149 W. Main St., Hyannis (tel. 508/775-3096). Shellfishing permits are available from the Department of Natural Resources at 1189 Phinneys Lane, Centerville (tel. 508/790-6272). Surf-casting, sans license, is permitted on Sandy Neck.

Among the charter boats berthed in Barnstable Harbor is the Drifter (tel. 508/398-2061), a 36-foot boat offering half- and full-day trips costing $550 to $775, depending on the length of the trip and the number of people. Hy-Line Cruises offers seasonal sonar-aided "bottom" or blues fishing from its Ocean Street dock in Hyannis (tel. 508/790-0696). The cost for a half-day trip is $31 to $38 per adult, $23 to $33 for kids. Helen H Deep-Sea Fishing at 137 Pleasant St., Hyannis (tel. 508/790-0660), offers year-round expeditions aboard a 100-foot boat with a heated cabin and full galley. Adults pay $34, children $22.

Golf

Open year-round, the Hyannis Golf Club, Route 132 (tel. 508/362-2606), offers a 46-station driving range, as well as an 18-hole championship course. High-season greens fees are $60. Smaller but scenic, the 9-hole Cotuit High Ground Country Club is at 31 Crockers Neck Rd., Cotuit (tel. 508/428-9863). An 18-hole round costs $20.

Harbor Cruises

For a fun and informative introduction to the harbor and its residents, take a leisurely, 1-hour, narrated tour aboard one of Hy-Line Cruises' 1911 steamer replicas, MV Patience or MV Prudence. There are five 1-hour family cruises a day in season, but for a real treat take the Sunday 3pm "Ice Cream Float," which includes a design-your-own Ben & Jerry's ice-cream sundae. Hy-Line Cruises depart from the Ocean Street Dock (tel. 508/790-0696; www.hy-linecruises.com), and you should call for a reservation and schedule. Tickets are $16 for adults and free to $8.50 for children 12 and under; 16 departures daily from late June to September; closed November to mid-April. Credit cards are accepted. Parking is $3 per car.

Watersports

Eastern Mountain Sports, 1513 Iyannough Rd./Rte. 132 (tel. 508/362-8690; www.ems.com), offers rental kayaks -- tents and sleeping bags, too -- and sponsors free clinics and walks, like a full-moon hike. Kayaks rent for $50 a day, $100 for 3 days.

Whale-Watching

Although Provincetown is about an hour closer to the whales' preferred feeding grounds, it would take you at least an hour (possibly hours on a summer weekend) to drive all the way down-Cape. If your time and itinerary are limited, hop aboard Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises, Barnstable Harbor (about 1/2 mile north of Rte. 6A on Mill Way), Barnstable (tel. 888/942-5392 or 508/362-6088; fax 508/362-9739; www.whales.net), for a 4-hour voyage on a 100-foot high-speed cruiser. Naturalists provide the narration, and should you fail to spot a whale, your next trek is free. Tickets cost $45 for adults, $40 for seniors (62 and older), and $26 for children 4 to 12 from April through mid-October; call for a schedule and off-season rates. No trips mid-October through March.

Kid Stuff

The Lightning Falls minigolf course, 455 W. Main St. (tel. 508/771-3194), offers a nice diversion for young children or for the young at heart. A round costs $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for children. Open in season 10am to 11pm. About a mile north, off Route 132, the Cape Cod Potato Chips factory on Breed's Hill Road at Independence Drive (tel. 508/775-7253) offers free quickie tours that end with a tasting. Tours are held in July and August, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Call for off-season hours. On Wednesday mornings in summer, the Cape Cod Melody Tent at the West End rotary (tel. 508/775-5630; www.melodytent.com) offers children's theater productions. Tickets are $8 and can be ordered from Ticketmaster (tel. 800/347-0808; www.ticketmaster.com).