We visited Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in late September last year and wondered if Cape Cod is a worthwhile destination to stay/explore over Christmas and New Year??

Are most hotels/b&b's still open during this season, and are there plenty of places to visit (still open) at this time of year?

Any recommendations of particular towns to visit etc would be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

I think you'll find much on Cape Cod is closed by Christmas. The beaches will of course be there, but will likely be pretty cold and empty, perhaps even snow-covered -- which admittedly some folks may like.

I'd call the restaurants, attractions, and inns you're considering patronizing before making any firm plans.

This is something we considered this past holiday. It turned out to be a good thing we did not go because we had a major blizzard right after christmas. We had done all the leg work and we had christmas dinner reservations for Fanizzi's, a wonderful place in Provincetown overlooking Cape Cod bay. And yes, we NEEDED reservations. We spent Thanksgiving week of 2009 on the Cape and it was wonderful. If it is peace and quiet you are looking for it will be a good fit. You just have to be prepared for the weather. Maybe go for Thanksgiving instead.

As far as I know, Chatham always does up the town for Christmas, and the one winter I lived there most all restaurants and plenty of hotels were open. (It quiets down on the Cape after Columbus Day, then there's an uptick for Christmas before the total chill of Jan/Feb.) Chatham Bars Inn is a lovely upscale place to check out.

Closer to the canal, I'd imagine at minimum there are restaurants that stay open, because there now are quite a significant number of people who live on the Cape year-round...

The Nantucket Stroll is a nice thing to do between Thanksgiving and New Years. You can check their Chamber of Commerce website for details.

Chatham's First Night festivities (fireworks included) are family fun. The weather was almost 'spring thaw' like this Christmas, but the event was pipped at the post the year before because of the terrible weather. Reservations for hotel rooms would be required.

On the outer/lower Cape you can count on plenty of choice for restaurants from Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet to Provincetown right after Christmas through New Years, but only a few are open on Christmas Day. You will find the same to be true of lodging. Provincetown and Orleans boutiques have major sales if you are interested in shopping during that time of year. The WHAT theater in Wellfleet usually has some special entertainment. And of course, the Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor's Center in Eastham has a host of holiday activities for the holiday week. You will want to make sure that your lodging has a cozy feeling, in case you encounter bad weather during your stay. We can suggest the Nantucket Cottage at the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast in Eastham which is a Fodor's Choice. It is our favorite winter Cape Cod escape with a gas fireplace and ocean view as well as comfortable accommodations and a convenient location near Orleans, Wellfleet, Chatham and Provincetown. But there are other lovely B+B inns all up and down the Cape with large inns in Brewster along 6A. (Fort Hill B+B happens to be the only one inside the National Seashore park.)

Bedbugs haven't been too much of an issue on the Cape, have they?