The Lower Cape region of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, encompasses the easternmost part of the peninsula, featuring picturesque harbors, quaint downtown areas, and stunning ocean beaches. The four towns in the Lower Cape include Orleans, Brewster, Chatham, and Harwich.

Harwich: Nestled along the waters of Nantucket Sound and stretching east to the beautiful Pleasant Bay, Harwich offers a charming coastal experience. Harwich Port, the town’s most delightful spot, boasts artisan galleries, restaurants, and boutique shops. Inland, Harwich Center is a quaint village offering a peaceful atmosphere. Routes 28 and 39 provide bustling thoroughfares with ample shopping and services. With almost 11 miles of shoreline and five harbors, including the picturesque Wychmere—a favorite among photographers—Harwich is a true gem.

Chatham: Chatham is a maritime wonderland with pristine beaches, wild barrier islands, tidal shoals, circular coves, and miles of saltwater inlets. Despite its reputation for chic shopping, Chatham remains remarkably old-fashioned. Quaint storefronts along its winding Main Street house chic boutiques, historic inns, white-steepled churches, trendy eateries, and art galleries. The busy commercial fishing pier reveals the town’s thriving fishing village atmosphere, where you can watch local fishermen unload their catch and see seals hoping for a free meal.

Brewster: Though Brewster's glory seafaring days have passed, many historic sea captains’ mansions and estates lining Route 6A have been beautifully restored into bed & breakfasts, art galleries, craft studios, and antique shops. Just off the main road, the herring still run upstream in spring to the 1660 Stony Brook Mill. Brewster’s Nickerson State Park offers 400 acres of trails, camping areas, and freshwater ponds, along with an eight-mile bike path connected to the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

Orleans: Serving as the year-round commercial hub for most of the Outer Cape, Orleans is where the Cape begins its northwestern jog towards Provincetown. Here, the landscape dramatically transforms: thick woods give way to open skies, sand dunes, and windswept moors. Nestled between the spectacular Nauset Beach on the Atlantic and the tranquil Skaket Beach on Cape Cod Bay, Orleans boasts a charming and relaxed downtown ideal for shopping, gallery hopping, and dining. The town’s natural beauty, with its stunning shores and forests, makes it perfect for a wide range of outdoor activities.

Lower Cape Listings