Provincetown

As the first stopping point of the English settlers on the Mayflower, Provincetown grew into a colonial port, but remained small compared to other Yankee trading towns until the 19th century.
The town became prosperous in the 1800s as a fishing and whaling center. The population was bolstered by a number of Portuguese sailors, many of whom were from the Azores, and came to live in Provincetown after being hired to work on US ships. Today, the town is a hub for whale watching vessels, which provide excellent opportunities to see whales.
After the 1898 Portland Gale severely damaged the town's fishing industry, members of the town's burgeoning art and theater community took over many of the abandoned buildings. By the early decades of the 20th century, the town had acquired an international reputation for its artistic and literary output.
Some of the most famous literary lights and artists who lived in Provincetown included playwrights Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, and Susan Glaspell; Artists Marsden Hartley, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning, and Jackson Pollock; Norman Mailer, author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and co-founder of the Village Voice, beat poet Harry Kemp and Slaughterhouse-Five writer Kurt Vonnegut. Today, the town is well-known for off-beat, queer and left of center writers and media personalities, including filmmaker John Waters; Michael Cunningham, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Hours; Andrew Sullivan, author, columnist for the Daily Beast; blogger Andy Towle, poet and founder of Towleroad.com; Kate Clinton, comedian and writer; and Anthony Bourdain, chef, author, television host.
Because of its status as the first artist's colony in the U.S., the town has a strong ethic of tolerance which supported the development of a large gay community from the 1960s on. Today it is quite common to see same-sex couples showing affection and one can expect to encounter men in drag, particularly on Commercial Street, which is the main string of restaurants, shops and galleries. In general, however, the town's attitude of tolerance extends to heterosexuals, who are increasingly present and are welcome in most establishments.

Climate

The water surrounding Provincetown has the effect of moderating temperatures in all seasons, such that the entire town is included in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, which indicates an average annual extreme minimum temperature (1976–2005) of between 0 and 5 °F (-17.8 and -15 °C). The water also has the effect of delaying the onset of the seasons, by keeping spring temperatures cooler and fall temperatures warmer than the rest of the state.
The average annual snowfall is per year. The record high temperature was 98°F in 1964. The lowest recorded temperature was -4°F in 1976.

Read

Land's End: A Walk in Provincetown () by Michael Cunningham. This award-winning author and resident of Ptown writes an engaging travelogue about the city at the tip at of the Cape.
The Maytrees: A Novel () by Anne Dillard. Set in Provincetown, this novel examines family life and the mysteries of marriage, the effect of forgiveness and human development.
Ptown: Art, Sex, and Money on the Outer Cape () by Peter Manso. This (now) dated, gossipy take on the people of Provincetown and the lifestyles of the somewhat rich and barely famous would make a good beach read. Published in 2003.

By car

The fastest route from the Cape Cod Canal bridges is Route 6, the Mid Cape Highway. Travel time from Boston's Logan Airport (BOS) or Providence's T.F. Green Airport (PVD) is about 2½ hours without traffic slowdowns. From the Cape Cod Canal, Provincetown is about 60 mi (97 km) and 1½ hours. Eastham, with its 40-mph speed limit and two-lane highway, is a notorious speed-trap.

By bus

• Flex BusBus service on Cape Cod with direct service between Provincetown and Harwich and from there connections to other Cape Cod towns.

• Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway

  phone: +1 508 771-6191
  Bus service from Boston's Logan Airport and Amtrak's Boston South Station to Provincetown via Hyannis

By plane

• Provincetown Municipal Airport

  phone: +1 508 487-0241
  address: 176 Race Point Rd
  Taxis (~$7) and shuttles (~$2) are available to take you to central Provincetown.

• Cape Air

  address: 660 Barnstable Rd., Hyannis, MA 02601
  Cape Air flies several times a day from Boston's Logan Airport to Provincetown Airport, 20-min flight; in the summer they also offer flights to White Plains, New York, which is accessible to the greater New York City area, 60-min flight. Cape Air operates Cessnas and is the only scheduled airline serving Provincetown.

By boat

Ferry service to Provincetown operates seasonally, late spring to mid-fall. All services dock at , just to the south of Lopes Square (off Commercial St at the foot of Standish St). All ferry companies allow bicycles on board for a fee.
From Boston:

• Boston Harbor Cruises

  address: 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02210
  Catamaran service in 90 minutes. Runs from mid-May to early October.

• Bay State Cruise Company

  phone: +1 617 748-1428
  address: 200 Seaport Blvd. Suite 75, Boston
  High Speed ferry crosses in 90 minutes. Runs from mid-May through October.

From Plymouth:

• Captain John's Boats

  address: 77 Water St., Plymouth
  Summer only.

By bicycle

• Ptown Bikes, 42 Bradford Street, 9AM to 6 PM (summer only). Bicycle rentals, sales, accessories, and repairs.
• Arnold's Bikes, Commercial Street, 10AM to 5PM (summer only). Bicycle rentals and repairs.
• Gale Force Bikes & Beach Market, 10AM to 5PM (summer only). Bicycle rentals, sales, accessories, and repairs. Beach Market sandwich shop.
• The Bike Shack, 63 Shank Painter Road, 10AM to 5PM (summer only). Bicycle rentals, sales, accessories, and repairs.
• Provincetown Bike Rentals, 136 Bradford Street, 10AM to 5PM (summer only). Bicycle rentals.

By rented car

• Enterprise Car Rental

  phone: +1 508 487-0009
  address: Provincetown Municipal Airport

By taxi

• Black & White Taxi

  phone: +1 508 487-7800
  A fleet of clean, late model sedans and minivans, including Scion XBs. Small and large groups accommodated.

• Cape Cab Taxi Service

  phone: +1 508 487-2222

• Mercedes Cab Taxi & Transportation Service

  phone: +1 508 487-3333
  address: 5 Alden St.

• Provincetown Taxi Cab Company

  phone: +1 508 487-7803
  Late model sedan and minivan taxis. Open year round.

By bus

• Provincetown/North Truro Shuttle

  phone: +1 508-385-1430
  Routes run late May to late September. Two routes go from the ferry dock to various tourist attractions including the visitors center, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, beaches, First Pilgrim Park, Highland Lighthouse and Museum and the Flex bus stop.

• Pilgrim Monument

  phone: +1 508 487-1310
  address: High Pole Hill Rd.
  The Pilgrim Monument is a 252-foot tall granite tower based on the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy. Visitors can climb to the top for fantastic views. At the base is the Museum of Provincetown.

• Province Lands Visitor Center

  phone: +1 508 487-1256
  address: Race Point Rd
  Observation deck with 360-degree view is open year round. Ranger guided tours, activities and exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the area. Films shown on regular schedule daily, see website. 5½-mile bike loop.

• Lighthouse at Race Point

  phone: +1 508 487-9930
  address: Cape Cod National Seashore
  The Race Point Light is a historic lighthouse. It was first lighted on November 5, 1816. Today visitors can stay in the keeper's house and the Lighthouse can be used for events and weddings.

Museums

• Provincetown Art Association and Museum

  phone: +1 508 487-1750
  address: 460 Commercial St
  Really worth visiting. Excellent school for aspiring artists.

• Provincetown Museum

  phone: +1 508 487-1310
  address: 1 High Pole Hill Rd.
  a unique collection of exhibits that depict important events and people in Provincetown history.

• Whydah Pirate Museum

  phone: +1 508 487-8899
  address: 16 Macmillan Wharf

• Center For Coastal Studies

  phone: +1 508 487 3622
  address: 5 Holway Avenue
  The Center for Coastal Studies is an organization dedicated to the study and protection of the coastal environment. The Center offers exhibits that are open to the public. As these are subject to change, check their website for up-to-date information on their programs.

Festivals

• Bear Week ProvincetownAnnual week-long party for bears and their admirers. Attracts the largest number of attendees of any bear event in the world with over 5,000 registered attendees and thousands more in town. People come from around the world.

• Carnival Week

  phone: +1 508 487-2313
  Premiere annual week-long party in August featuring the gamut of GLBT community. Theme for 2015 is Candyland. Features a street parade with outlandish costumes and high spirits. Sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild.

• Fantasia Fair

  phone: +1 203 701-9676
  Fantasia Fair is the longest-running theme week in Provincetown: it began in 2975. Fantasia Fair has progressed from a holiday experience for transgender individuals into a mix of practical, social, and educational opportunities designed to enhance the personal growth and awareness of one's own gender expression.

• Family Pride WeekFamily Week is the largest national gathering of the LGBT-headed family community in the United States.

• Girl Splash

  phone: +1 508 246-2082
  Girl Splash is a fun, women-only week with lots of activities from a clam bake to theater to tea dances.

• Holly Folly

  phone: +1 508 487-2313
  Weekend celebration of the Yule season with toy drives, the Snow Ball and live music performances and sing-alongs. Most shops and restaurants are open.

• Mr. New England LeatherWeekend contest and leather community celebration featuring dance parties and the crowning of Mr. New England Leather.

• The Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the FleetAnnual celebration of Provincetown's Portuguese heritage with a parade and the Blessing of the Fleet.

• Provincetown International Film Festival

  phone: +1 508 487-3456
  This 5-day festival presents a wide array of American and international narrative features, documentaries and short films, and makes a particular point to honor and preserve Provincetown's rich and diverse history as an arts colony, Portuguese fishing village, and gay and lesbian mecca-while never forgetting the area's original Native American inhabitants.

• Snowbound Leather WeekendWinter weekend featuring the leather community and dance parties, brunch and workshops sponsored by Full Kit Leather.

• Tennessee Williams Theater FestivalTheater fans flock to Provincetown to celebrate Tennessee Williams with live performances from as near as Cape Cod and as far as South Africa

• Women of Color Weekend

  phone: +1 508 246-2082
  This weekend features the Absolut Inn Stroll, a writer's workshop and a Jazz Brunch on Sunday

Theater

• Art House Theater

  phone: +1 508 487-9222
  address: 214 Commercial St.
  Presents high quality drag shows and Broadway divas all summer long. This is the home of Varla Jean Merman.

• Provincetown Theater

  phone: +1 508 487-9793
  address: 238 Bradford St
  There are two companies operating within the theater. The Provincetown Repertory Theatre is an acclaimed company that presents a mix of classic and modern productions. The Provincetown Theatre Company is the birthplace of the modern American theater.

• CTEK Arts

  phone: +1 512 466-6339
  CTEK Arts presents professional quality theater, develops new scripts and interdisciplinary performances, and provides education in the arts on a year-round basis.

Whale watching & cruises

• Alpha Whale Watch

  phone: +1 508 221-5920
  Offering private, catered whale watching tours for up to six passengers at a time

• Bay Lady II Excursion Schooner

  phone: +1 508 487-9308
  address: 584 Commercial St.

• Dolphin Fleet Whale WatchEducational and engaging whale watch including breakfast

• Schooner Hindu

  address: 5 Ryder St.
  Go sailing on the Schooner Hindu.

• SeaSalt Charters

  phone: +1 508 444-2732
  address: MacMillan Wharf
  Offering private whale watching and fishing trips (specializing in striped bass and bluefish).

• Viking Princess Harbor Cruises

  phone: +1 508-487-7323
  With a wide variety of cruise options, including a harbor cruise and a lighthouse cruise.

Bike tours

• Pedal Ptown Bike Tours

  phone: +1 508 687-0038
  address: 6 Standish St
  Explore the art, culture, & history of Provincetown on a guided bicycle tour departing from the center of town. Offers tours of town, the Cape Cod National Seashore's Province Lands Bike Trail, and bike school classes including "Survive Commercial Street."

Dune tours

• Art's Dune Tours

  phone: +1 508-487-1950
  address: 4 Standish St.
  Over 60 years experience providing a wide variety of tours, including a sunset clambake and a lighthouse tour. The only way to see the dunes and learn the history and see the natural, unspoilt beauty of the Cape and her dunes.

Beaches

• Herring Cove

  address: Cape Cod National Seashore
  Lifeguards, rest rooms, changing facilities, food, handicapped accessible. Usually calmer waters than Race Point

• Long PointBy some it's called "the end of the earth". An 1827 lighthouse graces the very tip of the Cape. Beware of poison ivy.

• Race Point Beach

  address: Cape Cod National Seashore
  Lifeguards, rest rooms, changing facilities. This is a nice, wide beach. The surf can be rough at times.

• Town Beaches

  address: on the bay side in town
  A convenient beach, but not as nice as the others.

Fishing

Race Point and Herring Cove beaches are popular surfcasting spots.
The following companies offer charters:

• Beth Ann Fishing Charters

  phone: +1 508 487-0034
  address: MacMillan Wharf
  A 35-foot downeast fishing boat.

• Cee Jay

  phone: +1 508 487-4330
  Deep sea fishing.

• The Ginny G - Charter Sportfishing

  phone: +1 508 246-3656
  address: MacMillan Wharf

Bike

The Province Lands Bike Trail is an 8-mile, two-way paved loop through the dunes, with access to Herring Cove, Race Point, Provincetown Airport, the Province Lands Visitor Center, and Beech Forest. It was the first bike trail built in a National Park (1967). It can be accessed from town by crossing Route 6 via Conwell Street and entering at Beech Forest or via the bike lanes on Bradford Street and Province Lands Road to the trailhead north of Herring Cove Beach.

• Arnold's Bikes

  phone: +1 508 487-0844
  address: 329 Commercial St.

• Gale Force Bikes

  phone: +1 508 487-4849
  address: 144 Bradford St.
  Free parking, helmet, locks. Near the start of the trail.

• Ptown Bikes

  phone: +1 508 487-8735
  address: 42 Bradford St.
  Rentals, service. Near start of the bike trail.

• The Bike Shack

  phone: +1 508 487-0232
  address: 63 Shank Painter Rd.
  Bike rentals and service. Pick up and drop off available. Online reservations.

Art Galleries

• Bowersock Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-4994
  address: 373 Commercial St.
  The Bowersock Gallery was established in 2004 as a venue to encourage and explore a deeper interest and enjoyment for contemporary, modern, abstract and classical works of art.

• Egeli Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-0044
  address: 382 Commercial St.

• Julie Heller Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-2169
  address: 2 Gosnold St.
  Dedicated to the artists who established Provincetown as an art colony

• Lyman-Eyer Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-3937
  address: 432 Commercial St.
  eclectic gallery with a focus on Provincetown scenes and the male figure

• Albert Merola Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-4824
  address: 424 Commercial St.
  Established as Universal Fine Objects in 1988, the gallery shows a core group of artists, but always has an eye out for new artists

• Packard Gallery

  phone: +1 508 487-4690
  address: 418 Commercial St.
  Opened in 1986, Packard Gallery represents the works of 3 generations of a family of artists

• Wohlfarth Galleries

  phone: +1 508 487-6569
  address: 443 Commercial St.
  Featuring American Impressionist gallery of fine paintings and drawings, representing painters of the Cape Cod School of Art in the tradition of Charles Hawthorne and Henry Hensche.

Stores

• Birdie Silkscreen Studio

  phone: +1 508 487-3338
  address: 355 Commercial St.
  A unique clothing store. All of Birdie's art is specifically designed with images of Provincetown and Cape Cod. One of the fun aspects of shopping at Birdie's is that you can watch her print while you shop - but don't ask her more than three questions, or she'll put you to work folding tee-shirts!

• Coastline Tattoo

  phone: +1 508 487-1147
  address: 290a Commercial St.
  Coastline Tattoo is dedicated to creating quality, one-of-a-kind tattoos and artwork in a clean, friendly, creative studio environment. Open year-round.

• Full Kit Gear

  phone: +1 508 487-9676
  address: 192 Commercial St.
  A premiere leather, rubber and fetish gear store.

• Puzzle Me This

  phone: +1 508 487-1059
  address: 290 Commercial St.
  Provincetown's only game store features challenging and cutting-edge board games, brain teasers, puzzles and card games. With a huge inventory of products, there is something for everybody here.

• Roots

  phone: +1 508 487-2500
  address: 200 Commercial St.
  Eclectic and high quality objets d'art and home decor shop for interior and outdoor spaces.

• Utilities

  phone: +1 508 487-6800
  address: 393 Commercial St.
  Over 2000 modern & useful items for the home. Frommers: "A breath of fresh design..."

• Yardarm Liquors

  phone: +1 508 487-0700
  address: 38 Conwell St.
  The largest liquor store on the outer Cape featuring beer, wine, and liquor

Bakeries and coffee shops

• Connie's Bakery

  phone: +1 508 487-2167
  address: 205 Commercial St.
  The epitome of craft baking; delicious pastries and breads from scratch and by hand daily. Shane, who worked with Connie for five years, took over when she and her husband, Richie, retired. Besides great breakfast pastries and breads, they have sandwiches and coffee, too.

• Far Land Provisions

  phone: +1 508 487-0045
  address: 150 Bradford St.
  Deli, breakfast bread, bagels and bakery. In the spirit of a general store, Far Land Provisions offers one-stop shopping for prepared meals, baked goods made in-house from scratch, deli sandwiches, wine & spirits, and full service catering.

• Joe's Coffee and Cafe

  phone: +1 508 487-6656
  address: 170 Commercial St.
  West End Espresso Cafe with hot food, soups and sandwiches and sweet snacks.

• Provincetown Portuguese Bakery

  phone: +1 508 487-1803
  address: 299 Commercial St.
  Try the malassadas, or the rich trutas.

• Wired Puppy

  phone: +1 508 487-0017
  address: 379 Commercial St.
  East End European Style Espresso Cafe with comfortable table seating, complimentary wi-fi and internet connection points.

Casual

• Bayside Betsy's

  phone: +1 508 487-6566
  address: 177 Commercial St.
  Bayside Betsy's is a casual American/Continental restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner in a waterfront location.

• Canteen

  phone: +1 508 487-3800
  address: 225 Commercial St.
  An upscale fry-shack with fresh salads, interesting sandwiches and fresh seafood. Serves alcohol and oysters on the half-shell.

• Lobster Pot

  phone: +1 508 487-0842
  address: 321 Commercial St.
  Long waits in the summer for the back deck with a view of the bay. Lobster and all manner of seafood. A tourist magnet that doesn't have to try very hard.

• Local 186

  phone: +1 508 487-7555
  address: 186 Commercial St.
  Hip beers and burgers, salads and luxe starters like foie gras and oysters.

• Patio American Grill and Blue Bar

  phone: +1 508 487-4003
  address: 328 Commercial St.
  Quintessential P-town experience. Location directly on Commercial, good people-watching, fun atmosphere, great food, cocktails, good music and very friendly.

• Spiritus Pizza

  phone: +1 508 487-2808
  address: 190 Commercial St.
  Delicious pizza, open late. A large crowd gathers in front after the bars close at 1AM.

• Yolk

  phone: +1 508 487-0600
  address: 401½ Commercial Street
  Breezy brunch restaurant overlooking the harbor. CIA-trained Chef Brandon Quesnell creates a bold mix of updated brunch favorites like quinoa pancakes and a plate of eggs benedict with a memorable hollandaise sauce or his grandmother's carnitas dish. All eggs are organic, cage-free and paired with sweet potato hash or spicy kale salad. Great espressos and innovative brunch cocktails. Open seasonally.

Upscale casual dining

• Café Edwige

  phone: +1 508 487-4020
  address: 333 Commercial St.
  Previously run as two restaurants, one for brunch and one at night, it is now a single restaurant. The menu is thoughtful, the cuisine is continental and artfully presented.

• Central House at the Crown

  phone: +1 508 487-1430
  address: 247 Commercial St.
  With new celebrity Chef Michele Ragussis, this venerable but previously forgettable restaurant has bloomed into one of the hottest kitchens in Provincetown. The menu is American comfort food with an emphasis on quality and inventiveness. The bar is a draw for the solid wine and cocktail list.

• Jimmy's Hideaway

  phone: +1 508 487-1011
  address: 179 Commercial St.
  Inventive and well-prepared American fare on a very extensive menu. Good choice of cocktails and for wine lovers.

• Joon Bar

  phone: +1 508 413-9336
  address: 133 Commercial St.
  Focus on small, delicious plates in a sleek and clean ambiance; excellent cocktails.

• Mac's Provincetown

  phone: +1 508 487-6227
  address: 85 Shank Painter Rd.
  New outlet of Cape Cod's premiere seafood restaurants. With delicious seafood and perfect sushi, this new entry to Provincetown's dining scene has made a big splash and become a favorite hangout. Try the oyster happy hour from 3 - 5PM

• Tin Pan Alley

  phone: +1 508 487-1648
  address: 269 Commercial St.
  New American and regional New England specialties with an emphasis on the seafood bounty of Cape Cod. Excellent cocktails and good vibe and live entertainment.

Fine Dining

• Bistro at Crowne Pointe

  phone: +1 508 487-6767
  address: 82 Bradford St.
  Set in a historic mansion on a bluff overlooking Provincetown. Unrushed award winning dining, free parking, stellar wine list.

• Mews Restaurant

  phone: +1 508 487-1500
  address: 429 Commercial St.
  Harborfront dining with 211 vodka selections from 29 countries. Good food (Italian) as well. Casual upstairs. Mondays in the winter features Coffeehouse at The Mews, an open mic for writers, playwrights, poets, singers, songwriters, comedians.

• The Red Inn Waterfront

  phone: +1 508 487-7334
  address: 15 Commercial St.
  Traditional New England seafood and steaks with a view.

• Governor Bradford

  phone: +1 508 487-2781
  address: 312 Commercial Street
  Drinks and raw bar are the focus here.

• The Squealing Pig

  phone: +1 508 487-5804
  address: 335 Commercial St.
  Great selection of beer, and raw oysters.

Gay and Lesbian Oriented

• Atlantic House

  phone: +1 508 487-3821
  address: 6 Masonic Pl.
  Perhaps the oldest gay bar in the United States. Was frequented by Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill.

• Crown & Anchor Entertainment Complex

  phone: +1 508 487-3821
  address: 247 Commercial St.
  This complex includes multiple bars with different themes, including a piano bar and a leather bar (see the Vault below).

• Gifford House

  address: 11 Carver St.
  This inn contains three bars: Porch Lounge, the Lobby Piano Bar and Purgatory Dance Club.

• Harbor Lounge

  phone: +1 508 413-9527
  address: 359 Commercial St.
  Harbor Lounge is presided over by Liam McGonigle, a gingerbear from Ireland who makes kick-ass drinks and has a nice selection of beer and wines.

• Monkey Bar

  phone: +1 508 487-2879
  address: 149 Commercial St.
  Informal and fun bar with great martinis.

• Paramount

  phone: +1 508 487-1430
  address: 247 Commercial St.
  Provincetown's premier nightclub. Within the Crown & Anchor complex.

• Shipwreck Lounge

  phone: +1 508-487-9005
  address: 67 Bradford St.
  An upscale bar at the Brass Key Guesthouse featuring an outdoor patio with lounge seating, beautiful fountain, stunning gas fire pit and delicious cocktails. In the center of Provincetown. Ample parking available at the adjacent municipal parking lot.

• The Vault

  phone: +1 508 487-1430
  address: 247 Commercial St.
  Provincetown's leather bar. Within the Crown & Anchor complex.

• Wave Video Bar

  phone: +1 508 487-1430
  address: 247 Commercial St.
  Provincetown's only video/sports bar. Within the Crown & Anchor complex.

Budget

• The Chicago House

  phone: +1 508 487-0537
  address: 6 Winslow St
  Steps from Commercial Street. Free parking, wifi, continental breakfast, an outdoor 5-person jacuzzi, bikes to borrow.

• Crew's Quarters

  phone: +1 508 487-5900
  address: 198 Commercial St
  Right in the heart of town. New guesthouse with great energy for those who want to experience the best P-Town has to offer.

• The Outermost Hostel

  phone: +1 508-487-4378
  address: 28 Winslow St
  May-Oct. European-style youth hostel.

• Romeo's Holiday Inn & Spa

  phone: +1 508 487-6636
  address: 97 Bradford St
  Central location walk to everything, On- site massage therapist, Unique rooms.

Mid-range

• 8 Dyer Hotel

  phone: +1 508 487-0880
  address: 8 Dyer St
  Contemporary boutique guesthouse in the east end. Features 7 rooms with air conditioning, robes, some with balconies. The hotel has a pool (which is rare for guesthouses here), jacuzzi and sauna; bikes are available to borrow. As a chef-owned B&B, the breakfast features local produce at a large buffet that includes fresh-baked items and eggs to order. Friendly innkeepers set a fun, upscale, relaxed tone.

• The Boatslip Resort Hotel

  phone: +1 508-487-1669
  address: 161 Commercial St
  A gay-friendly hotel with a pool and the site of popular afternoon tea dances.

• Carpe Diem Guesthouse & Spa

  phone: +1 508-487-4242
  address: 12 Johnson St
  Small luxurious spa resort featuring 19 rooms, gourmet breakfast, daily wine & cheese hour, 24 hour espresso coffee and tea station and numerous amenities to pamper you during your stay. Clothing optional spa with Provincetown's largest steam room, Finnish sauna and Hydrojet spa tub and spa deck. Full spa menu offering classic massages, scrubs & polishes, energy work and Thai Massage.

• Christophers by the Bay Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 508 487-9263
  address: 8 Johnson St
  Bed & breakfast close to galleries, shopping, dining and nightlife. Ten guest rooms, both private and shared bath available. An inviting common room, sumptuous continental breakfast and a relaxing sunny back patio.

• The Inn at 7 Central

  phone: +1 508 487-8855
  address: 7 Central St
  A blend of space, amenities, privacy and location. 13 rooms all with private entrances in the center of Provincetown.

• Prince Albert Guesthouse

  phone: +1 508 487-1850
  address: 166 Commercial St
  Victorian home with a very large front patio that looks onto Commercial Street. Hot tub and gardens in the back. Each room offers a private bathroom, cable TV with DVD, iPod connections, air conditioning (in season), ceiling fans, mini fridges.

• The Provincetown Hotel at Gabriel's

  phone: +1 508 487-3232
  address: 102 Bradford St
  Historic hotel with a sunny garden courtyard and made to order breakfasts. Family & pet friendly.

• Revere Guest House

  phone: +1 508-487-2292
  address: 14 Court St
  A restored 19th-century colonial house furnished with antiques and modern amenities.

• White Porch Inn

  phone: +1 508 364-2549
  address: 7 Johnson St
  A boutique contemporary B&B in Provincetown.

• White Wind Inn

  phone: +1 508 487-1526
  address: 174 Commercial St
  Built in 1845 as a sea captain's house, this bed & breakfast is in the heart of Commercial Street. With twelve guest rooms and a "great" room with fireplace and grand piano, the breakfast is expanded continental.

• Admiral's Landing

  phone: +1 508-487-9665
  address: 158 Bradford Street
  Bed and breakfast.

Splurge

• The Brass Key Guesthouse

  address: 67 Bradford St
  Everyone is welcome at Provincetown’s premier gay luxury resort. Nine historically restored buildings enclose the terraced courtyard with its infinity edge pool and in-ground spa. Experience extraordinary lodgings, a gracious staff, full-service bar, on-site spa treatments, and our private rooftop ocean-view deck. The perfect place to relax, rejuvenate and make new friends; A short walk to the nightlife, museums, restaurants, shops, art galleries and bars of Provincetown.

• Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa

  phone: +1 508 487-6767
  address: 82 Bradford St
  Central location walk to everything, great spa, wonderful rooms. Cape Cod Life Magazine Editors Choice, 2007. The Shui Spa is open to the public and offers great treatments, steam room, sauna, mineral soaking tub, 4,000 gallon exotic koi pond.

• Land's End Inn

  phone: +1 508-487-0706
  address: 22 Commercial St
  Panoramic ocean views and luxury accommodations high atop a hill in Provincetown's West End. Provincetown's most luxurious guest rooms.

• The Sandpiper Beach House

  address: 165 Commercial St
  Waterside residence available to rent by the week. Self-catering.

Campgrounds

• Coastal Acres Camping Court

  phone: +1 508 487-1700
  address: 76R Bayberry Ave
  120 sites.

• Dunes' Edge Campground

  phone: +1 508 487-9815
  address: Rte 6 at Milepost 116
  Over 80 sites. Coin operated hot showers, laundry, camp store, and dump station.

• Take the ferry to Boston or Plymouth or just explore any of the Cape Cod towns.
• Cape Cod National Seashore