In recent years, I have spent time exploring the outdoors of my beautiful home state. Luckily, Massachusetts is filled with quaint cities and towns as well as beautiful beach towns. For a small state, there’s so much to see and do here.
After finding a great Airbnb for our family in Mashpee, Massachusetts we decided to spend a long weekend in this Cape Cod town. There are so many different towns to visit on Cape Cod, but we really enjoyed Mashpee for the beautiful scenery, delicious restaurants, great activities, and convenience to other Cape towns.
You’ll find that Mashpee is a bit more built-up than some of the other Cape Cod towns further down the Cape. There are more chains and much more development, but there are still some great quiet, and quaint areas as well.
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Location of Mashpee, MA
Mashpee is located on the “upper” Cape, the western part of the region. Sandwich, Falmouth, and Barnstable border it.
Within Mashpee are several smaller villages or census-designed places. These include Monomoscoy Island, Mashpee Neck,New Seabury,Popponesset,Seabrook, andSeconsett Island. It’s important to know this because sometimes directions or navigation will include the village name rather than Mashpee.
When planning your trip, it’s also important to know that although Cape Cod seems small, getting from town to town within the Cape can take a while. For instance, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get from Mashpee to Brewster (home of Ocean Edge) and Dennis. Traffic is especially an issue on weekends and holidays, so plan accordingly.
Attractions and Activities in Mashpee
While most Cape Cod visitors venture out beyond the town they are staying in, there are plenty of things to do right in Mashpee.
Cape Cod Children’s Museum
If you visit Mashpee with young kids, you’ll want to stop into the small Cape Cod Children’s Museum. This museum focuses on kids aged ten and under and offers indoor hands-on exhibits.
The museum is typically open seven days a week, making it a great option for a rainy day on Cape Cod or a break from the sun.
Beaches
Of course, anyone visiting Cape Cod in the summer and fall months will want to enjoy some time at the beach. There are several options right in Mashpee.
Beach options include the South Cape Town Beach and the South Cape Beach State Park/Beach. Ponds and private beaches are also available, including Popponesset Beach, which is available only to members of their homeowner’s association.
Popponesset Marketplace
One of my favorite places on Cape Cod is the Popponesset Marketplace, located in the village of Popponesset. This small market offers several stores, including gift shops and a variety shop.
Restaurants and eateries include an ice cream shop, a smoothie shop, a breakfast cafe, a restaurant, a pizza place, and the famed Raw Bar. The Raw Bar has a takeout counter and outdoor seating and offers a famous gigantic lobster roll. It’s one of my favorite places to eat on Cape Cod.
The Popponesset Marketplace also has a small mini-golf course and an adventure equipment shop.
Mashpee Commons
Mashpee Commons is an outdoor lifestyle center offering activities, restaurants, and shops. While you’ll find larger chains like CVS, LLBean, and Vineyard Vines, there are also some smaller shops.
Mashpee Commons also has a Regal Cinemas movie theater, a bowling alley, and a mini-golf course. Numerous restaurants, including chains like Panera and independent restaurants, are also located there.
Watersports and Biking
If you’d like to be active during your family vacation, there are many great options. RideAway Adventures, located at the Popponesset Marketplace, offers rentals of SUPS, kayaks, and bikes. Tours are also offered if you’d prefer to do that instead.
Mini Golf
Miniature golf is one of those fun summer activities that I love to do on a family vacation. There are two small mini-golf courses in Mashpee—at Mashpee Commons and at the Popponesset Marketplace. These are really pretty basic courses, but they can still be lots of fun for families. While these aren’t as large as the biggermini-golf courses in Yarmouth, they are a great option for younger families or just a fun local activity.
Restaurants in Mashpee
Mashpee has many restaurant choices, spanning a wide variety of budgets and tastes. If you are staying in a location with a kitchen, you’ll also find several grocery stores offering a full selection of groceries and prepared foods.
During our Mashpee trip, we especially enjoyed two restaurants:
The Raw Bar in the Popponesset Marketplace offers many different seafood dishes, including lobster rolls. It also has a full-service bar and plenty of outdoor seating. If you love lobster rolls, this is a must-visit.
We also really enjoyed Estia, a Greek restaurant in Mashpee Commons (it has another location in Falmouth). The kids especially loved their pizza. Bleu is another popular option, offering upscale French dining.
Of course, you’ll want to get ice cream while on your Cape Cod vacation. Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour, located in Mashpee, was ranked #2 in a Boston.com article of readers’ favorite ice cream spots.
Where to Stay in Mashpee
We opted to stay at a vacation home rental in New Seabury during our trip. Because my daughter was doing an online class during the day, we needed enough space to spread out. This is a benefit of a vacation rental; however, we didn’t have beach or pool access.
Popular hotels in Mashpee include:
You can see more hotel and lodging options on this map below:
You could also consider staying in a nearby town, including Falmouth.
Have you visited Mashpee, MA before?
