Things to Do in Chatham, MA — A Local’s Guide from the Harbor
Chatham sits on the elbow of Cape Cod, surrounded by water on three sides — which is exactly why the best things to do here mostly involve getting on it, next to it, or looking out over it. We run a working marina in the middle of all of it, so consider this the view from the docks.
Get out on the water
See the seals. Chatham’s gray seal colonies are one of the great wildlife sights on the east coast, and the easiest way to see them is a one-hour seal cruise through the harbor — calm, protected water, no long offshore run, and genuinely great for kids. Adults $45, children $40, running May through October (daily through Labor Day, Tuesday-Saturday in September and October).
Spend a day on a beach you can’t drive to. North Beach Island is the barrier beach across the harbor — miles of sand without the parking-lot crowds. Our boat-to-beach shuttle drops you there and picks you up when you’re done. Adults $35, children $30, round trip.
See a great white shark. Chatham is the great white capital of the east coast, and a shark tour with a spotter plane overhead is the trip you cannot take almost anywhere else on earth.
Go fishing. Striped bass in the rips, bluefin offshore — Chatham fishing charters run spring through fall with local captains.
Around town
Chatham Lighthouse and Lighthouse Beach — the classic view. The overlook is free and the beach below is one of the most photographed on the Cape.
The Chatham Fish Pier — watch the fishing fleet unload in the afternoon; the observation deck is open to the public.
Main Street — one of New England’s best strolling streets: galleries, book shops, ice cream, and the Friday-night band concerts in summer.
Before you plan a beach or boat day
Chatham weather and tides change the plan more than anywhere else on the Cape. Our live tides and conditions page is what we use at the marina — it works just as well for planning a beach afternoon.
Make a day of it at the harbor
Seal cruise in the morning, shuttle to the beach after lunch, and the whole day runs from one dock — 83 Seagull Road, with parking on site. Questions? Call (508) 945-2030.