Paine's Creek Beach

Many locals' pick for the best beach in Brewster. Fed by a tidal creek that kids love wading in, and the sunset views where creek meets bay are extraordinary. The Brewster Flats here go on forever.

Paine's Creek is the bay beach that wins every Best of Brewster poll, and it earns the title fairly. A tidal creek empties through the sand into the bay, creating a natural lazy river that kids spend entire afternoons floating, walking up, and floating down again. At dead low tide the famous Brewster Flats stretch nearly a mile and a half — the longest sand walk on the Cape — and you can usually find sand dollars, scuttling hermit crabs, and the occasional moon snail egg case. Sunsets are extraordinary: facing due west across the bay, the sky turns through every color while the wet flats mirror it back. The parking lot is small, so summer mornings get tight by 9 a.m.; off-peak you can roll in and be the only car. Pair with a low-tide creek crawl, then dinner at nearby Brewster Fish House or a beer on the porch at Cobie's. The single best place on the Cape to do nothing well.