Let’s take a DRIVING TOUR of Falmouth
WELCOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL SEASIDE TOWN OF FALMOUTH…
Falmouth is made up of many different villages, neighborhoods and areas. There truly is something for everyone in this beautiful seaside town. We are going to start our tour crossing the Bourne Bridge onto the incredible man-made island of Cape Cod! After you've crossed the Bourne Bridge stay on Route 28. Before heading into Falmouth Center though, let's detour and take the scenic route.
At the Otis Rotary, take your first right and then a quick left onto Route 28A. (Technically, this puts you in Bourne, which is a town we'll highlight another day). You'll pass several businesses and commercial spaces on this road. SIDE NOTE: you will also be passing Somerset Creamery - Route 28A which is infamous for their Cranberry Bog Ice Cream.
Continue driving on 28A past the Daily Brew Coffee House (fabulous coffee, soups and sandwiches! If you are a curry or chickpea fan, check out The Guru Wrap).
Take a right on Old Main Road. You are now in North Falmouth heading towards Megansett. We won't detour at Megansett Beach, but google it if you are in the mood to beach hop today. Beautiful and hidden part of Falmouth. Old Main Road is exactly as it sounds, the old main road through the village. You will see shops, diner, pizza place, bike shop and gorgeous antiques. You will also be passing the North Falmouth Elementary School, a school that many parents want their kids to be enrolled in.
At the end of Old Main Road, take a right on Curley Blvd. Even though beach hopping is not our only focus today, you must take a slow drive past one of Falmouth's most infamous beaches: Old Silver Beach. Renowned for sandbars, clear water and spectacular sunsets (as well as long lines in the peak of summer to get into it). Old Silver Beach marks the beginning of the Village of West Falmouth.
Continue on (Curley Blvd turns into Quaker Road which turns into Nashawena. Don't be alarmed, you are still going the right way). At the end of Nashawena, if you look to your right you will see West Falmouth Harbor. We will be taking a left onto Old Dock Road, and heading over the Shining Sea Bikeway (leads 10.7 miles from North Falmouth to Woods Hole). At the next intersection you will be taking a right (unless you want to pop into the West Falmouth Market, owned by Danielle & Tom Johnson, locals, who pride themselves on old fashioned corner-shop feel. Enjoy picking up some penny candy, a bottle of wine, sandwich made to order, steak to grill later or a divine pastry made that day.
Back on historic 28A, we are meandering into Falmouth the back way. You will pass Chapoquoit Road which leads to stunning Chapoquoit Beach and Black Beach (wow beaches all the way). Continue on 28A and you will also pass the Chapoquoit Grill (make sure you mark it down as a must-visit for dinner sometime).
We are going to continue our back-road tour of Falmouth heading to Woods Hole by way of Sippewissett. Sippewissett doesn't have a village center, per se, but it does have stunning coastline and gorgeous beaches, including Wood Neck Beach.
Take a right onto Palmer Ave (just before the entrance back onto the highway). You will be passing Dana's Kitchen on your way into Sippewissett. If you haven’t stopped at any of our other stops along the way, pop in to meet Dana and Art, husband and wife team and brainchild of the fabulous culinary creations that have earned 5-star reviews (helps that they are both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America).
As you continue down Palmer Ave, you will come upon the newly built AutoCamp Airstream campground. Having opened this year, it is already a hit for anyone who is looking for the laid-back “glamping lifestyle”. You will take your next right onto Sippewissett Rd which will bring you the seaside route to Woods Hole. This is a gorgeous, meandering, wooded drive that is peaceful, full of nature and lacking the traffic of Woods Hole Rd (ideal for those that like to go at a more leisurely pace). Sippewissett Rd will turn into Quisset Rd. When you see the sign, you are in the area of Falmouth known to the locals as Quisset (keep an eye out for signs on your right leading you to Quisset Harbor as well as the GORGEOUS hike of The Knob. If you’ve never hiked it before, this is a “must-do” as you continue to head head into Woods Hole.
As you continue, you will drive through the Woods Hole Golf Club, a gorgeous, private club that signals the beginning of Woods Hole proper. Quisset Rd will turn into School St. Follow this to the end to where it puts you out to Water St, which is the main drag of Woods Hole village.
Here you have options galore, from quaint little shops, to delectable coffee spots like Pie in the Sky (try a breakfast sandwich on a housemade popover) and Coffee Obsession (the iced mexican mocha is the way to go). During the summer, you can have the most delicious tacos at Quicks Hole Taqueria and then head to Jimmy’s for scratch made donuts or a cone of ice cream from Candy Go Nuts. If you are looking for more of a sit down dining experience with epic sunsets, try Quicks Hole Tavern and order the pig candy...sounds weird but is amazing!! Or head to Landfall, a restaurant famous for being out on piers and constructed from wood from old shipwrecks, for the most delicious seafood and old New England atmosphere that is a crowd pleaser for anyone visiting the Cape. As you are enjoying your culinary delights, you will be serenaded with the sounds of the steamship ferries that shuttle passengers to and from Martha’s Vineyard.
Let’s continue on...take a left at the Steamship Authority building and head back up Water St to start your journey to Downtown Falmouth (we are still going to take you the scenic route). Take Woods Hill Rd to a right on Church Street (if you had stayed on Woods Hole Road instead of the scenic route you would pass the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (known to locals as WHOI (pronounced Hooey)...known to the rest of the world as the institute that discovered the Titanic).
Church street is going to turn into Nobska Road, but as it does you will see the famous Nobska Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in New England. As you pass this point, you are at the most southwestern point of Cape Cod. It overlooks the merging of Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound. You will follow this road as it changes names again to Oyster Pond Road and then into Surf Drive. You will know when you are on Surf Drive (or Beach Road) as you feel you are driving along the beach. Sand and sea will be to your right. We are now entering into Falmouth Village (aka Downtown Falmouth).
We are almost to Main Street in Downtown Falmouth. To get there, let’s take a left on Mill Road. At the end of Mill Road, take a right onto Locust Street. Continue driving and you will see our Compass office on the left. We are located at 1 Locust Street, overlooking Downtown Falmouth. At our office, take a right onto West Main Street. Main Street in Falmouth has anything and everything you could think of, with the quaint New England charm that you would look for in a Cape Cod village. Visit Eastman's Hardware for a glimpse back in time to the kind of hardware store from long ago, selling everything from hammers and nails to gourmet cookware and children's beach toys. In Falmouth for breakfast time? You must visit The Pickle Jar Kitchen and try some of the best homemade hash you’ve ever had. Want a taste of something other than seafood? No problem, you have Anejo for Mexican, Liam McGuire’s for Irish pub fare, Estia for Greek food, Bluefin for fresh-off-the-boat seafood and sushi, Golden Swan for Indian, and the list goes on and on... Peruse the children’s bookshop, Eight Cousins, shop for some classic New England fashion at Lilly Pulitzer and then stroll down to Maison Villate for a cappuccino and some authentic Parisian pastries that make you feel like you should see the Eiffel Tower out the window it’s so authentic (we highly recommend the tarte Framboise). Across the street you will see the Public Library and the green where you can enjoy a spring picnic while meeting friends.
Now that we’ve thoroughly enjoyed Downtown Falmouth, let’s head to Falmouth Heights. Continue down Main Street and on your right, you will see Scranton Road. Take a right and then take a left on Robbins Road. From here you will see all of Falmouth Harbor. It’s a wonderful spot to watch the Island Queen ferry (to and from Martha’s Vineyard) coming and going or the beautiful yachts and boats ready for a day at sea. Along the Harbor is also the Falmouth Marine Park (outdoor summer concerts), the hidden Jim’s Secret Clam Shack (can pull your boat up to get some fried strips while out and about) and for more seafood, the delicious and more formal Flying Bridge, where you can sit harborside to enjoy a cocktail and baked stuffed shrimp.
Now, let’s continue on. Take a right onto Falmouth Heights Road. Let’s follow this road down and around as it turns to Grand Ave as we approach Falmouth Heights beach, a fun and busy beach to meet friends on all summer long. A beautiful scenic ocean drive awaits as we are about to drive along the coast of Falmouth and we will be passing through another of Falmouth’s villages (look to your left across the sound, you will see Martha’s Vineyard, just 8 short miles across the water). Soak in the smell of the salt air, the crashing of the waves and the spectacular views. Continue following the sand and sea past Bristol Beach and you will pass Maravista Avenue on the left. That officially puts us in the Village of Teaticket. At Maravista, the road turns into Menahaunt Rd.
Continue on Menahaunt Road, you are following the water. You will pass the Green Pond Yacht Club and the Freedom Boat Club on your left. Continue along until you see Davisville Road on your left. This part of Falmouth is known to locals as Davisville. Davisville is a beautiful tree lined street with sidewalks which connects Menahaunt with Route 28. We are going to continue following the shore today though. At the end of Menahaunt Road, past Menahaunt Beach, you will see a charming little white bridge on your left. Take a left after the bridge onto Central Ave. Central will put us back onto Rte 28. We are officially in East Falmouth.
Take a right onto Rte 28 and head towards the village of Waquoit where you will pass by Bad Martha's Brewery (stop for a pint if you have time and some tasty eats). Teaticket to Waquoit is known for it’s waterfront and deepwater access. Replete with marinas, moorings, inlets, harbors and direct access to the Sound, it truly is a boater’s paradise. You will know you are in Waquoit when you see the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research facility on your right that overlooks Waquoit Bay. Interestingly, Waquoit Bay has 2,700 acres of open waters, barrier breaches, marshlands and uplands; making it an incredible spot for kayaking, canoeing or boating.
Continue on Route 28 and at the end of Waquoit, we are going to step over into Mashpee (but only for a quick pass back into Falmouth). While we are here though, let’s stop into Mashpee Commons (will be on your left) and grab a coffee at Cape Cod Coffee, a private roastery and fabulous restaurant (try their Cape Cod Rancheros) and a cupcake at CupCake Charlie’s. Let’s get back to our tour to explore the last village of Falmouth. We are going to head out of the Commons and left onto Route 151. While driving, right over the Falmouth line, you will pass the Barnstable County Fairgrounds, home of the historic Barnstable County Fair which was established back in 1844!
Now that we are back in Falmouth, continue down Route 151 past Sandwich Road. You will take a left on Boxberry Hill Road and continue to take a left on Hatchville Road. We are heading to our last last charming stop of the day in our most rural part of Falmouth. The village of Hatchville is filled with horse farms, freshwater ponds and conservation trails. Before we wrap up our day, let’s take a quick pit-stop at the Coonamessett Farm. A 20-acre, membership-based, pick-you-own vegetables and visit-the-friendly-animals farm. In the summer months, Coonamesset Farm hosts an outdoor Jamaican night with live music and authentic fare. And before I forget, bookmark Buffalo Jump as a must-do when you return for the best breakfast or dinner on Cape Cod. It’s reservation only for dinner, but you want to try it!
So sad that we’ve completed our driving tour of Falmouth, but I can assure you there is so much more to still see and explore. If you’d like to check out another town, email us and we’ll send you a link to a driving tour for some of the other Cape Cod towns!
