East Sandwich Beach

A quieter alternative to Town Neck on Cape Cod Bay. Rockier than most Cape beaches — a Sandwich signature caused by the canal disrupting natural sand flow — but beautiful for walking and beachcombing.

East Sandwich Beach is the bay-side counterpart to Town Neck — long, narrow, often empty, with the same rocky character that defines the Sandwich shore. Since the Cape Cod Canal was widened in the 1930s, the natural longshore sand drift that once fed these beaches has been interrupted, and the shoreline has eroded steadily ever since; today the wide cobble fringe and exposed boulders that get cursed by beach-towel families are exactly what gives the beach its quiet, weather-beaten character. Bring sturdy footwear and a tide chart: at low tide a wide flat opens up for walking and shellfishing, and the rocks become a small universe of barnacles, sea stars, and hermit crabs. There's a small parking lot for sticker holders only, no concessions, no lifeguards. East Sandwich is best in September, when the swimmers have left and the bay is at its bluest.