Beaches

Yarmouth has 11 saltwater and 2 pond beaches open to the public. The body-per-square-yard ratio can be pretty intense along the sound, but so is the social scene, so no one seems to mind. Beachside parking lots charge $15 a day and sell weeklong stickers ($70). 

The beaches along the south shore (Nantucket Sound) tend to be clean and sandy, with comfortable water temps (kids will want to stay in all day), but they can also be crowded during peak times. Bring bug spray in July, when Greenhead flies (a kind of horsefly) get hungry. Going from east to west, they include Bass River Beach (off South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth), located at the mouth of the largest tidal river on the eastern seaboard; Parker’s River Beach, also off South Shore Drive, which has a gazebo for the sun-shy; and Seagull Beach (off South Sea Avenue, West Yarmouth), which has rolling dunes and a boardwalk. All three have snack bars and restrooms; Bass River also has a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier. 

On the north coast, facing onto the tamer waters of Cape Cod Bay, a top option is Gray’s Beach, off Center Street in Yarmouth Port. It’s only a tiny spit of dark sand, but it’s good for young children; parking is free, and there’s a picnic area with grills. Best of all, it adjoins the Callery-Darling Conservation Area, where the Bass Hole boardwalk over the marshlands offers one of the mid-Cape’s most scenic walks.

Bicycling

The Cape Cod Rail Trail  (tel. 508/896-3491) is a few miles away, on Route 134 (near the entrance to Rte. 6), in South Dennis. Rent a bike at the trail head, and if you are feeling Olympian, bike all the way to Wellfleet (25 miles).

Boating

You can rent a canoe or kayak at Cape Cod Waterways, 16 Rte. 28, Dennisport (tel. 508/398-0080), and paddle along the Bass River, which flows between South Yarmouth and West Dennis on the south side of the Cape. Canoe or kayak rental for 1 1/2 hours costs $20 to $32.

Fishing

Of the five fishing ponds in the Yarmouth area, Long Pond near South Yarmouth is known for its largemouth bass and pickerel; for details and a license (shellfishing is another option), visit Town Hall, at 1146 Rte. 28, in South Yarmouth (tel. 508/398-2231); or Riverview Bait and Tackle, at 1273 Rte. 28, in South Yarmouth (tel. 508/394-1036). Full-season licenses for Massachusetts residents cost $29; for out-of-staters, $39. You can cast for striped bass and bluefish off the pier at Bass River Beach with a saltwater fishing license ($10).

Golf

Yarmouth township maintains two 18-hole courses: the seasonal Bayberry Hills, off West Yarmouth Road, in West Yarmouth (tel. 508/394-5597), and the year-round Bass River Golf Course, off High Bank Road in South Yarmouth (tel. 508/398-9079). The Bass River course, one of the Cape’s most famous, was founded in 1900 and redesigned by Donald Ross. A round at Bayberry costs $85; at Bass River, it costs $45 to $58 to walk and an additional $19 with a cart. Prices are reduced in the afternoon. Another 18-holer open to the public is the par-54 Blue Rock Golf Course, off High Bank Road in South Yarmouth (tel. 508/398-9295); it’s open year-round, and a round costs $30 to $50.

Nature & Wildlife Areas

For a pleasant stroll, follow the 2 miles of trails maintained by the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth on 50 acres surrounding Miller's Pond. Park behind the post office and check in at the gatehouse, whose herb garden displays a "Wheel of Thyme." The in-season trail fee (50¢ adults, 25¢ children) includes a keyed trail guide: Look for -- but do not pick -- the endangered pink lady-slipper, a local orchid. Your path will cross the transplanted 1873 Kelley Chapel, said to have been built by a Quaker grandfather to comfort his daughter after the death of her child.

In Yarmouth Port, follow Centre Street about a mile north and bear northeast on Homers Dock Road; from here a 2.5-mile trail through the Callery-Darling Conservation Area leads to Gray's Beach, where you can continue across the Bass Hole boardwalk for a lovely view of the marsh.

Tennis

Four public courts are located at Flax Pond, off North Main Street, in South Yarmouth; four more are at Sandy Pond, on Buck Island Road, off Higgins Crowell Road; plus 10 at Dennis-Yarmouth High School, at Station Avenue, in South Yarmouth. For details contact the Yarmouth Recreation Department (tel. 508/398-2231). The Mid-Cape Racquet Club, 193 Whites Path, South Yarmouth (tel. 508/394-3511), has nine indoor courts ($22 per person per hr.), racquetball and squash courts, and health-club facilities ($15 per day).

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.