by Jeff Shaw
Don’t sleep on Cape Cod’s winter season. I’ve written extensively on the holiday season and there is certainly no shortage of fun to be had around the holidays (anywhere really).
I’m referring to the cold and gray core winter season, from ‘dry’ January through the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, early March.
As a seasonal destination, Cape Cod (and other seasonal areas) had/s a reputation of ‘being closed for business’ for the winter. Not that long ago, the inside joke was the only buildings open in winter were the post office, grocery store and library. (Probably not too far off.) Similarly, shoulder season marketing is still in its infancy.
It is also hard to blame any business or merchant from giving themselves extended time off during the slowest time of year. The core summer season hustle looks torturous at times.
But the world is different in 2025, though winter is still winter. Winter on Cape Cod remains quiet. Traffic, practically non-existent, yet there are more people around thanks to a combination of remote work and a growing (albeit at a snail’s pace) year-round population.
Equally noticeable is the landscape. The natural world has transformed into muted tones of brown, gray and dark blue, a vivid contrast to the green of budding bushes or bright colors of annual and perennial plantings. [I intentionally omitted those pesticide infused green lawns…Cape Cod lawns only! If we poison the natural environment that makes Cape Cod so special, what are we left with?]
This is the time to get lost along the fire roads of the Outer Cape. Winter is the time to visit new-to-you beaches for combing, photography or quiet contemplation. Parking is free this time of year. You can probably even bring your dog onto most beaches.
The cold season is an excuse to try new-to-you coffee shops, bakeries or similar delights in all 15 Cape Cod towns. Find those delights.
Sure winter is cold, dreary, and maybe too quiet for comfort. So layer up, wear a hood and push through like our core summer season hustlers. Trust me, it won’t be nearly as torturous.
March 13, 2025