Massachusetts

Massachusetts Travel Guide: Cape Cod, Islands & Boston

The floorboards creak in a 1784 sea captain's house. Church bells ring over cobblestone streets worn smooth by three centuries of footsteps. The smell of teak and diesel drifts from a working fishing pier while lobster boats motor toward the harbor. Massachusetts begins in the brick and brownstone of Boston and ends in the open Atlantic, 100 miles east where Cape Cod curls into the sea. The history here isn't behind glass. It lives in the buildings you enter, the paths you walk, and the views that haven't changed in 300 years.

Lark has nine properties across eight destinations, from academic Cambridge to the wild dunes of Provincetown.

907 Main boutique hotel building in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Vast salt marsh landscape under a cloudy sky near Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Brick-paved street with historic shops, buildings, and pedestrians in Salem, Massachusetts

Local Massachusetts Rate special offer promotion at The Hotel Marblehead

Historic statue overlooking the Harvard Square street scene in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Quick Facts

1

Airports

Boston Logan (BOS): 15 min to Cambridge, 30 min to Salem, 90 min to Cape Cod. Nantucket (ACK) and Martha's Vineyard (MVY) have seasonal flights.
2

Regions

Greater Boston, North Shore, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard
3

Best Time

May–October for coast and islands. September–October for fall foliage. October for Salem's Halloween season. Year-round for Cambridge and Boston.
4

Lark Properties

9 properties in 8 destinations

Things to Do in Massachusetts

Massachusetts stretches from the Berkshire hills to the flexed arm of Cape Cod, with Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard sitting 30 miles out to sea. The coastline runs over 1,500 miles when you count the bays, harbors and port towns like Falmouth and Dennisport. Moving east, the landscape shifts: academic Cambridge gives way to the colonial seaports of Salem and the North Shore, then the marshes and beaches of the Cape, and finally the gray-shingled villages of the islands.

Plymouth Rock and Mayflower replicas in Plymouth, the Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord. The state doesn't feel like a museum, but the past is everywhere. In the creak of floorboards at a 1784 sea captain's house, the smell of teak and diesel at a working fishing pier, the sound of church bells over cobblestone streets. Many of the whaling captains' mansions now house galleries, but the bones of old towns remain.

The state works for all kinds of trips. Coastal weekends on Plum Island or Cape Cod. Cultural immersion in Cambridge and Salem. Quiet escapes to Nantucket where the loudest sound is the distant ferry horn. And you can walk almost everywhere. Expect lobster rolls and fried clams on the coast, farm-to-table in the cities, Portuguese bread warm from the oven in Provincetown.

When to Visit

Book Cape Cod and island accommodations well ahead for summer weekends. Salem's Haunted Happenings runs all October and draws big crowds. September offers the best balance: warm days, thinner crowds, and fall foliage beginning to turn. Many Cape and island properties close November through April. Cambridge and Salem welcome visitors year-round.

Where to Stay in Massachusetts

Falmouth

The Upper Cape's largest town spreads across several villages, from the oceanographic research hub at Woods Hole to the shops of Falmouth Village. Ferries to Martha's Vineyard depart year-round.

The Coonamessett (29 rooms) is Lark's year-round Cape property, perfect for memorable weddings and events

Visit Falmouth Travel Guide →

Plymouth

Where the Pilgrims first established their colony in 1620, Plymouth is a harbor town where four centuries of American history line the waterfront.

The Drew Hotel (25 rooms) occupies a renovated historic building in the downtown, steps from Plymouth Harbor

Visit Plymouth Travel Guide →

Cambridge

Cambridge sits across the Charles from Boston, home to Harvard and MIT but with neighborhoods that have kept their own character. Lark properties include:

907 Main (67 rooms) anchors Central Square, with Althea and rooftop Saigon Babylon on-site

Visit Cambridge Travel Guide →

Cape Cod

The Cape's 70-mile curl into the Atlantic defines the Massachusetts summer. Three Lark properties serve different corners:

AWOL Provincetown (30 rooms) at the tip
Bluebird Dennisport (51 rooms) on the south shore
The Coonamessett (29 rooms) in Falmouth, a stunning event venue

Visit Cape Cod Travel Guide →

Dennisport

On the Mid-Cape's southern shore, Dennisport faces Nantucket Sound with warm-water beaches and easy access to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The village sits between the antique shops of Dennis and the summer theaters that have drawn audiences since the 1920s.

Bluebird Dennisport (51 rooms) is here, open mid-May through late October

Visit Dennisport Travel Guide

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard splits into six towns across 100 square miles. Oak Bluffs, with its Victorian gingerbread cottages and Flying Horses Carousel from 1876, is home to:

Summercamp (95 rooms), a short walk from the ferry

Visit Martha's Vineyard Travel Guide →

Nantucket

The island holds onto its whaling-era architecture with strict preservation codes. No billboards, no chain stores, no traffic lights. The entire downtown is a National Historic Landmark. Lark has one property here.

Life House Nantucket (14 rooms) puts you steps from Main Street

Visit Nantucket Travel Guide →

Person carrying a surfboard walking along a sandy beach in Newbury, Massachusetts

Plum Island

Plum Island is an 11-mile barrier beach in the Newburyport area north of Boston where the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge protects 4,700 acres of dunes, salt marsh, and migratory bird habitat. Lark has one property that sits right on the sand.

Blue - Inn on the Beach (13 rooms) with the Atlantic outside the windows

Visit Plum Island Travel Guide →

Salem

Salem's identity runs deeper than the 1692 witch trials. This walkable port city has one of the country's best art museums and 300 years of architecture. Two Lark properties anchor downtown.

The Hotel Salem (44 rooms), home to Counter and the rooftop bar The Roof
The Merchant (11 rooms) - ask for the room George Washington stayed in

Visit Salem Travel Guide →

Provincetown

At the tip of the Cape, Provincetown packs galleries, restaurants, and a century of artistic history onto Commercial Street's three walkable miles. Race Point Beach and Herring Cove sit within the National Seashore.

AWOL Provincetown (30 rooms) is the Lark property here, open seasonally May through early November

Visit Provincetown Travel Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a car in Massachusetts?
Cambridge and Salem are walkable with transit to Boston. Cape Cod is easier with a car, though Provincetown is walkable once you arrive. The islands discourage cars; most visitors walk, bike, or take taxis. Ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard run from Hyannis and Woods Hole.
How do I get to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard?
Ferries run from Hyannis to Nantucket (1 to 2.5 hours depending on ferry type) and from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard (45 minutes). Book ahead in summer, especially if bringing a car. Both islands have small airports with seasonal flights.
What airports serve Massachusetts?
Boston Logan is the main hub, 15 minutes to Cambridge and 90 minutes to Cape Cod. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard have small airports with seasonal flights from Boston and other East Coast cities.
What is the best beach in Massachusetts?
It depends on what you want. Cape Cod has the most variety: warm Nantucket Sound beaches on the south, dramatic National Seashore beaches on the Atlantic side, and tidal flats on the bay. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard have excellent beaches circling both islands. North of Boston, Crane Beach and Plum Island offer quieter alternatives.
What is the best time to visit Massachusetts?
Summer (June through August) is peak for beaches and islands. Fall (September through October) brings foliage and fewer crowds. October is Salem's busiest month for Haunted Happenings. Cape and island properties typically operate May through October. Cambridge and Salem welcome visitors year-round.
What is there to do in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts stretches from Boston and Cambridge to Cape Cod and the islands. Cambridge has Harvard, MIT, and independent bookstores. Salem has the Peabody Essex Museum and 300 years of architecture. Cape Cod's 65-mile peninsula has beaches, the National Seashore, and seaside villages. Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are islands reachable by ferry, each with distinct character. Plum Island offers beaches and birding on the North Shore.
What Lark Hotels properties are in Massachusetts?
Nine properties across eight destinations: 907 Main in Cambridge, The Hotel Salem and The Merchant in Salem, Blue - Inn on the Beach on Plum Island, AWOL Provincetown and Bluebird Dennisport and The Coonamessett on Cape Cod, Life House Nantucket on Nantucket, and Summercamp on Martha's Vineyard.