Chatham Family Travel Guide

Are you considering staying in Chatham on your next vacation to Cape Cod? Here is a detailed Chatham Family Travel Guide of all the best things to do and places to eat as a family.

I have spent two separate weeks vacationing here in Chatham and would still pick Chatham time and time again as my home base here on Cape Cod for a few reasons. Chatham is beautiful and has something for everyone in your family. It’s filled with old coastal charm, cedar shake homes, so much history and so much to experience!

Whether you want beaches, ambiance, fine dining, casual dining, activities, shopping and even a park for the kids, Chatham has it all. I also personally love that it’s central to other areas of the cape if you personally plan to explore.

You’re no more than an hour away to the upper cape towns of Sandwich or Falmouth or the tip of Provincetown.You’re also within 30 minutes or so from the island ferries.

I’ll itemize quite a few recommendations from our two trips below:

PLACES TO STAY:

We rented houses both times we stayed here in Chatham. Last year we booked a VRBO, but this year opted for a vacation rental through “We Need a Vacation” and landed a bigger house for the same amount of money.

There are a few other options for accommodations and hotels, but I am not able to provide a recommendation without having stayed at one for a review.

PLACES TO EAT:

• Chatham Fish Market Pier – casual and traditional New England fare with the best view in town. You can order online or at the window and you can either bring your food to one of their picnic tables or up on the observatory deck to watch the boats and seals.
  • I recommend the Clam Fritters, Clam Chowder, Poke Bowl, Miso Glazed Salmon and anything they put on special. I have loved everything I’ve had here and we’ve eaten here as a family twice each trip.

• Mac Chatham Fish & Lobster – this is another great option just out of the main town. This is another order at the window kinda place, but you have the option to sit inside or at a picnic table outside. They have a traditional New England Menu with some innovative twists, like the Salmon Harissa Bowl. This is very family friendly and perfect for lunch or a casual dinner

• The Chatham Squire – this place dates back to 1968 and gives you that classic neighborhood pub vibe. Whether you’re looking for lunch, a beer or a night out with friends, this is a wonderful place to put on your list when you’re passing through or staying in Chatham.

• Impudent Oyster – a restaurant in town that used to be a church. They have great food and a really neat bar!

• Aplaya Kitchen & Tiki Bar – this was a new find that we stumbled upon since our trip last year. When you’re on Main Street and walk back towards the restaurant, you’re truly transported to a tiki bar.
  • The vibe, drinks and Filipino food are legit! We enjoyed everything we ordered here and our waitress even made jazzed up virgin pina coladas for the kids! If you’re looking for a break from the traditional New England eats, this place is a must!

• Beach House Grill – this beachside restaurant at the Chatham Bars Inn has indoor, outdoor and in the sand seating. We’ve celebrated my daughter’s birthday here two years in a row and truly love coming here.
  • We do come at 5pm sharp when they open because they reserve seating for their guests and don’t take reservations, but it’s worth trying to grab a table if you’re interested in eating here. The food, service and views were 10/10 both times and if you have little ones, they can play in the sandy area while you enjoy your beachside table.

• Pate’s – this was a first for us this year and after driving past it multiple times a day, we decided to give it a try. We were really thrilled with how exceptional the food here was. We enjoyed the Korean Fried Broccoli, spli the Flat Iron Steak between our kids and I ordered the Everything Crusted Ahi Tuna! I would definitely revisit again.

• Wild Goose Tavern – the place that my husband proclaims “makes the best Lobster Mac and Cheese!” I love this place for the main street vibes, cocktails and solid food. They are located in the Chatham Wayside Inn. Service is always exceptional and we really enjoy making this a part of our trip whenever we visit.

• Dog Fish Taco – this place was really close to our house a wonderful family friendly place to get lunch. Food was customizable, simple and quite delicious! They were also great at accommodating food allergies and sensitivities!

TREATS:

• Chatham Candy Manor – a historic candy shop that truly has something for everyone. The fudge is a no-brainer and there are so many to choose from. My favorite things from here have been the raspberry fudge, vanilla oreo fudge and the rum chocolates!

• Buffy’s Ice Cream – home of the Chatham Ice Cream Bars! Another must here in Chatham! I also have found that as a family of four, it’s more fun (and affordable) to do an ice cream flight of 6 flavors instead of getting singles for everyone!

• Chillers – They serve up really fun Hawaiian Ice treats that are perfect to cool off on a hot summer day! The presentation alone is so wowing for the kids and they really enjoy coming here at least once during our stay.

• Marion’s Pie Shop – I love Marion’s! You can come and stock up on pastries for breakfast in the morning or grab a pie (or two) for your house or hotel! We grabbed a Key Lime to share at our house and I always bring a Clam Pie home! I know “Clam Pie” might sound odd, but their savory pies are AMAZING! I also love the Pecan Bars too!

WHAT WE DID:

• Harding’s Beach – like most beaches, this is a paid beach that you can pay daily, weekly or seasonally. We brought out bikes and were able to get there for free. This beach also has lifeguards, bathrooms and showers, which is great. Waves are also pretty low, which makes this a great beach for families.

• Lighthouse Beach – this beach is beautiful and should be on your list of things to do. At first glance you have the Coast Guard Station and Lighthouse. The landscape of this beach from the street is breathtaking with the dunes, paths, flowers and beach shack in the distance. This beach is perfect for an early morning walk before it gets too hot (especially if you’re walking with little kids or those who are older).

• The Beach Shack – at the end of Lighthouse Beach, you’ll find the beach shack, which I’ve read has endured several storms and has been standing for quite a few years. It’s a neat little piece of history worth admiring on your walk.

• Seal Watching at the Pier – located at the Chatham Fish Market Pier. There are public bathrooms and an observatory deck here where you can take in the landscape, watch the seals, seagulls and fishing boats come in. We actually saw the fisherman unload an 800 lb tuna the one night we were here.

• Visited many other areas of the Cape – see blog post here (coming soon).

• Bicycling – I want to caution this depending on your situation and intentions. Chatham is very hilly and there aren’t many bicycle paths on common roads, so if you’re biking with small children or trailing them behind you, it could be dangerous (or physically challenging).
  • Both years we visited, my husband and I both felt that people generally weren’t overly considerate of cyclists despite obeying all traffic laws and etiquette, so I felt it was worth being candid about. I know that there are plenty of bike trails along the cape and perhaps that’s lovely? We brought our bikes with us, but didn’t use them often for this reason around town.

PLACES TO SHOP:

• Bob’s Beach Finds – I would visit this store just to chat with Bob, who is always so warm and friendly, but he has some really neat stuff in this shop, so I would make it a point to visit.
• Monomoy Salvage – I forget her name, but the owner of this store is also lovely and kind. She has some great antiques, door knobs, hooks, signs and random items that may be of interest to you.

• Maps of Antiquity – I found this place to be fascinating and just neat to walk through. He literally has a map of everything here

• Demo’s Antiques – I wish I had more time to really explore this shop in downtown Chatham. I had my kids with me and I was worried about them breaking something in tight quarters, but he seemed to have a lot of cool stuff
• Ben Franklin – a traditional 5 and 10 that truly transported me to my childhood in the 90s. At face value, you might think “cheap souvenirs,” but they had some great stuff for the kids and quite a lot (that I saw elsewhere) for much cheaper (think ornaments, stickers, mugs etc)

• Tale of The Cod – I found some adorable prints here that I purchased of the Highland Lighthouse and these whimsical mermaid prints from Kathy O’Neil. They had so many neat things for the home, along with a great selection of toys/books for kids.
• Chatham Collections – for your sweatshirt and apparel finds
• Jaks Chatham – a great place for sweatshirts and apparel. I found a Ellsworth and Ivy Chatham sweater here that I love!

• Mayflower Shop – this is a pretty big store that has everything from books, home decor, crafts and a really large selection for kids in the back.
• Ducks In The Window – if you own a Jeep, you’ll need to come for obvious reasons
• Yellow Umbrella Books – for both used and new books
• Christmas Joy – we collect Christmas ornaments on all of our trips, so despite this not being in the center of town, it’s worth looking up to visit! I wouldn’t have known this was here if I did drive past it going in the opposite direction of town.

I hope you enjoyed reading through all of my recommendations and tips! Let me know if you have any questions at all!

Are you a local or frequent visitor of Chatham? I’d love to hear about your favorite places and add some new places to visit on our next trip!