5 Best Sights in Wellfleet and South Wellfleet, Cape Cod

Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, Marconi Beach is accessed via a very long and steep series of stairs leading down to the beach. It's also popular with both surfers and surf casters looking for striped bass or bluefish. Erosion from fierce storms has compromised beach access. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

Encompassing nearly 1,000 acres, this reserve is home to more than 300 species of birds. A jewel of Mass Audubon's statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries, Wellfleet Bay is a superb place for walking, birding, and watching the sun set over the salt marsh and Cape Cod Bay. The Esther Underwood Johnson Nature Center contains six aquariums that offer an up-close look at marine life common to the region's tidal flats, marshes, and ponds. From the nature center you can hike five short nature trails, including a fascinating boardwalk trail that leads over a salt marsh to a small beach, or you can wander through the pollinator garden.

The rustic restaurant and music club set on top of the dune are the main attractions at Cahoon Hollow Beach, which tends to draw younger crowds and plenty of families. It's a big Sunday-afternoon gathering place. The Beachcomber restaurant has paid parking, which is reimbursed when you buy something to eat or drink. Erosion has made getting to the beach a steep climb. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking; a casual bite to eat with ocean views.

On the Atlantic side of the Cape is the site of the first transatlantic wireless station erected on the U.S. mainland. It was from here on January 18, 1903, that Italian radio and wireless-telegraphy pioneer Guglielmo Marconi sent the first American wireless message to Europe: "most cordial greetings and good wishes" from President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII of England. There's a lookout deck that offers a vantage point of both the Atlantic and Cape Cod Bay. Off the parking lot, a 1½-mile trail and boardwalk lead through the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp, one of the most beautiful trails on the seashore; free maps and guides are available at the trailhead. Marconi Beach, south of the Marconi Station on Marconi Beach Road, is one of the National Seashore's lovely ocean beaches.

For information about restricted beaches, call the Wellfleet Beach Sticker Office. You can also purchase weekly or seasonal stickers here if you are renting a house in town (you'll need a proof-of-stay form).