Cape Cod Canal Cruises departure from the Onset Town Pier (part of the Cape Cod Canal region) and offers 2- and 3-hour tours (with running commentary); sunset cocktail cruises; live music cruises; jazz cruises; and discounted family trips daily during summertime. Reservations only accepted for music cruises, or parties of 20 or more. These tours fill up, so book in advance. .

Swan Pond River is about as calm as they come, winding past islands and great stretches of conservation land. Rent a canoe (2-4 people), kayak (single or double with child), or paddleboat (motorized or manual, 2-3 people) from Cape Cod Waterways in Dennis Port and explore the wildlife nearby or venture 2 miles to Nantucket Sound. Picnic on the sandbar...

For many people, seeing whales breech and frolic is one of the most exhilarating and sacred things they’ve ever done. There’s something so inspiring about seeing these enormous and ancient creatures so close to the boat. If you’ve never done it, put it on your short list. On my most recent trip with Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch out of Provincetown,...

Get everything you need at Goose Hummock Outfitters in Orleans, if your plans include boating the bounding main. Anglers (including fly-fishing fanatics) can completely outfit themselves here. Want to rent or buy a kayak? Check. Want to outfit your new craft with every conceivable accessory? Check. Want to learn how to tie flies, paddle a kayak, brush up on tidal...

When you’re going out for a whale watch, you want a fast boat, a knowledgeable naturalist, and a crew that knows where the whales hang out. You get all three at Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises. (Despite having Hyannis in its name, this boat leaves from the harbor off Route 6A in Barnstable.) Because of its central location, this harbor will...

It’s all about the Kennedy compound on this hour-long excursion by Hyannisport Harbor Cruises in Hyannis. And they do deliver you and your camera closer than you can get any other way, short of air-dropping yourself onto the front yard of the renowned summer house. But this fun, narrated cruise is also about the area’s history and its gorgeous harbor...

This trip reels the kids (and adults) in from the moment tattoos and face paintings are installed until the pirate ship returns to shore, bearing treasure and swilling grog. OK, so the grog is root beer, but the boat is real, the sunken treasure is right where the treasure map says it is, and kids help raise the sails and...

If you’re collecting most-beautiful sunset spots, Rock Harbor in Orleans (right off the rotary) is one of them. It’s a busy (and buggy) spot, with commercial and charter fishing outfits based here. During the War of 1812, Orleans militiamen repelled a British warship from these waters. A packet service to Plymouth, Boston, and Maine thrived here, as did a saltworks. Some of...

Scargo Hill in Dennis is the highest point on the Cape, at 160 feet above sea level, and offers views of much of the Cape, the village of Dennis, and Scargo Lake. A trip to the top of the 30-foot cobblestone tower takes you even higher. The tower was erected in 1901 in honor of the Tobey family. Expect plenty...

Water Wizz Water Park — Southern New England’s largest and Cape Cod’s only water park — has it all: a 50-foot-high water slide with tunnels, tube rides, a hanging rope bridge, a wave pool, three kiddie water parks, and a river ride. As my friend Beth (who held a birthday party here for her son) said, “It’s a bit older...