Active Pursuits

Bicycling

The Shining Sea Bicycle Path (tel. 508/548-8500) is a 3 1/3-mile beauty skirting Vineyard Sound from Falmouth to Woods Hole; it connects with a 23-mile scenic-road loop through pretty Sippewissett. This is one of the Cape's most scenic bike paths and one of the few that travels alongside the shoreline. There is free parking at the trailhead on Locust Street and in numerous parking lots behind Main Street. (Parking in Woods Hole is scarce.) The closest bike shop -- convenient to the main cluster of B&Bs, some of which offer "loaners" -- is Corner Cycle at Palmer Avenue and North Main Street (tel. 508/540-4195). A half-day bike rental is $15, a 24-hour rental $18. For a broad selection of vehicles -- from six-speed cruisers to six-passenger "surreys" -- and good advice on routes, visit Holiday Cycles at 465 Grand Ave. in Falmouth Heights (tel. 508/540-3549), where a half-day bike rental is $15, a 24-hour rental $25, a week rental $60. The surreys rent for $20 to $30 an hour.

The Falmouth Chamber of Commerce offers a map and brochure about the Shining Sea Bicycle Path. Biking along this former railroad track that follows prehistoric Wampanoag Indian trails, the bike path passes 21 acres of woodlands, marsh, swamp, salt ponds, and seascape.

The path's name is a nod to Falmouth's own Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote the lyrics to "America the Beautiful" with its verse, "And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!"

Bird-Watching

The Shining Sea Bicycle Path is a great spot to bird-watch, especially near Oyster Pond where there's an osprey nest. Keep an eye out for yellow-breasted chats and orange-crowned warblers, as well as waterfowl like mallards and buffleheads. You may also see herons and egrets.

Boating

Patriot Party Boats, 227 Clinton Ave. (at Scranton Ave. on the harbor), Falmouth (tel. 800/734-0088 or 508/548-2626; www.patriotpartyboats.com or www.TheLiberte.com), offers one-stop shopping for would-be boaters. The Patriot fleet includes a poky fishing vessel, the Patriot Too; and a 74-foot, three-masted schooner, the Liberte (2-hr. sails; $25-$30 adults, $15-$25 children 12 and under). On the Liberte, Chris Tieje hauls up the sails and regales passengers about his custom-made schooner, while the impressive vessel cruises the sound. The most expensive trip and the most popular is the sunset sail at 6:30pm. Other trips leave at 10:30am and 2pm.

Cape Cod Kayak (tel. 508/563-9377; www.capecodkayak.com) rents kayaks (free delivery) by the day or week, and offers lessons and eco-tours on local waterways. Canoe and kayak rentals are $35 to $60 for a full day. Lessons are $40 per hour. Four-hour trips are $35 to $60.

If you want to explore on your own, Waquoit Kayak Company at Edward's Boat Yard, 1209 E. Falmouth Hwy., East Falmouth (tel. 508/548-9722), rents out canoes ($45 half-day, $59 full day) and kayaks ($35 half-day, $45 full day) for exploring Waquoit Bay. Washburn Island, a protected reserve with wooded trails and pristine beaches, is about a 1-hour paddle via canoe.

Fishing

Falmouth has six fishable ponds. A complimentary fishing map and guide are available from the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce. Freshwater fishing and shellfishing licenses can be obtained at Falmouth Town Hall, 59 Town Hall Sq. (tel. 508/548-7611, ext. 219). Freshwater fishing licenses can also be obtained at Eastman's Sport & Tackle, 150 Main St. (tel. 508/548-6900).

Surf Drive Beach is a great spot for surf casting, once the crowds have dispersed. Other good locations are the jetties off Nobska Point in Woods Hole and Bristol Beach on Menauhant Road in East Falmouth.

To go after bigger prey, head out with a group on one of the Patriot Party Boats based in Falmouth's Inner Harbor (tel. 800/734-0088 or 508/548-2626). Boats leave twice daily in season. The Patriot Too, with an enclosed deck, is ideal for family-style "bottom fishing" (4-hr. trips $30 adults, $20 children under 12; all-day trips $45 adults, $35 children; equipment, instruction provided).

For deep-sea fishing enthusiasts Captain Dan Junker of Cool Running Charters (tel. 508/457-9445) takes his boat Relentless out of Falmouth Harbor and around Nantucket Sound, Vineyard Sound, and the Elizabeth Islands for bass, blues, tuna, and shark. Trips cost about $500 for a half-day, $700 for a full day.

Fitness

If you're jonesing for time in the gym, the Falmouth Sports Center at 33 Highfield Dr. (tel. 508/548-7433) offers weight-training facilities for $10 per day. Racquet sports cost an extra $13 to $21 per person, per hour.

Golf

Falmouth abounds in golf courses -- six public ones at last count. Among the more notable is the challenging 18-hole championship course at Ballymeade Country Club, 125 Falmouth Woods Rd. (tel. 508/540-4005). Greens fees are $58 (weekdays) and $76 (weekends) and include carts.

Ice-Skating

Public skating ($4 per person) is offered year-round at the Falmouth Ice Arena, 9 Skating Lane off Palmer Avenue (tel. 508/548-7080; falmouthicearena.com), the home rink of Colleen Coyne, who was part of the gold medal 1998 Olympic hockey team; call for information and hours.

Tennis

Among the courts open to the public are those at the Falmouth High School, 874 Gifford Rd., Falmouth Recreation Department; and at the Lawrence School on Lakeview Avenue, a few blocks from the center of town. Call the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce (tel. 508/548-8500) for information. Both are first-come, first-served. Among the commercial enterprises offering outdoor courts -- clay, Har-Tru, and hard -- are Ballymeade Country Club and the Falmouth Sports Center, which has six indoor courts in addition to three outside. Rates are $21 an hour per person for singles play.

Watersports

Falmouth is something of a sailboarding mecca, prized for its unflagging southwesterly winds. Although Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth is the most popular spot for windsurfing, the sport is allowed there only prior to 9am and after 5pm. The Trunk River area on the west end of Falmouth's Surf Drive Beach and a portion of Chapoquoit Beach are the only public beaches where windsurfers are allowed during the day. Concessions rent windsurfing equipment at Surf Drive Beach. Windsurfing races are held at Trunk River Beach, about a mile west from Surf Drive Beach, Saturday mornings in the summer.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard 2008 Author: Laura M. Reckford Pub Date: January 29, 2008 Price: $17.99				Related Titles: Boston For Dummies, 4th Edition Frommer's Boston 2008 Frommer's Boston 2009