Herring Cove Beach A must stop if you're up in Provincetown

Herring Cove Beach is a wonderful stop after successfully mounting a series of thigh busting hills on the Province Lands Bike Path.

A long narrow beach, 'balmy' calm water and some great people watching make this a must stop if you're traveling up near Provincetown.

The long stretch of beach allows for several sections, families, couples, lesbian, gays and nudes! Although nude sunbathing is technically not allowed and sometimes Park Rangers ticket offenders, most seem to be tolerant of nude beathgoers provided they stick to the area.

If you're more comfortable wearing and seeing folks in swimsuits, drop your towel and settle in the area around the funky cold war era snack bar and bathhouse, you won't see any nudes. This is where families and couples congregate. If you carry on down the beach, past the snack bar, you'll find a more relaxed environment.

The water here is relatively warm with just a few lapping waves to lull you into bliss. But remember, it's Cape Cod and when we saw relatively warm, we mean in the low 60's or high 50's. Herring Cove's water is much warmer than Race Point Beach so you can actually have a nice paddle. It can be a bit rocky (see the picture above) so tread carefully.

The snack bar has typical beach fare- burgers, dogs, ice cream and the changing facilites are austere, which is a part of the charm.

There are two parking lots, and the one that hugs the beach and is full of RV's and smaller campers, fills up quickly. If you like to set up 'camp' then this is the place for you since the beach is only a couple feet from your car and because of this, you'll be lucky if you find a spot here. Otherwise, park in the main lot and make the short trek.

But you won't have to worry about finding a parking spot or paying the $15.00 parking fee if you ride your bike because Province Lands Bike Path runs right past Herring Cove Beach. And if you're staying in Provincetown, just rent a bike and pedal over. (The Cape Cod Couple loves bargains)

And if you love watching the sun set over the ocean, Herring Cove is a west facing beach, so grab your sweater, a blanket and watch the spectacular sun sink into the horizon.