Provincetown[1] (Town Site) is at the very tip of the peninsular Cape Cod region of Massachusetts, USA. Perhaps due to being at the remote end of the Cape and because of its variety of beautiful scenes, Provincetown has attracted artists of all types over the years. One of the oldest artist colonies in America, it has produced a large number of excellent galleries, cutting edge theatre and many unique shops. There is also the persistence of an attitude of tolerance, making Provincetown a preferred home and travel destination for many gays and lesbians.

"P-town", as it is sometimes called, also has an intriguing history as the first landing site of the Pilgrims and the place where the Mayflower Compact was signed. Fishing and whaling have also been a huge part of Provincetown's past. Its large, safe harbor and prime location made it the Cape's fishing center, with thousands of ships calling it home port. The glory days of fishing are now gone and only a couple dozen ships continue the traditions. The Portuguese influence brought by the fishing era still lives in Provincetown. Don't miss the finest Portuguese bakery on the Cape.

Provincetown is also blessed with pristine beaches and dunes on the Atlantic side. Race Point Beach has often made the lists of top beaches in America. It is also one of the few spots on the east coast where one can watch the sun set into the water. All in all, it's why they say, "There's no place quite like Provincetown."

Understand

Because of its ethic of tolerance and the development of a large homosexual community, it is the usual thing to see same-sex couples showing affection and one can expect to encounter men in drag, particularly on Commercial Street, which is the main string of restaurants, shops and galleries. If you are homophobic or greatly upset by this, you should consider either staying away or using it as immersion therapy. In general however, the town's attitude of tolerance extends to heterosexuals and you will be welcome in all but a very few establishments.

Get in

By car

The fastest route from the Cape Cod Canal bridges is Route 6, the Mid Cape Highway. Travel time from Logan Airport is about 2.5 hours without traffic slowdowns. From the Cape Cod Canal Provincetown is about 60 mi (97 km) and 1.5 hours.

By Bus

• Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway, 17 Elm Av., Hyannis, Phone: +1 508-771-6191, [2].
• Bonanza Bus, Phone: +1 888-751-8800, [3]

By Airplane

• Provincetown Municipal Airport (small planes only), Phone: +1 508-487-0241, [4].
• Cape Air, Barnstable Municipal Airport, 660 Barnstable Rd., Hyannis,MA 02601, +1 800-352-0714[www.flycapeair.com].

By Boat

Ferry Service To/From Boston:

• Bay State Cruise Company, 200 Seaport Blvd. Suite 75, Boston, MA 02210, Phone: +1 617-748-1428 or +1 877-783-3779, [5].

To/From Plymouth:

• Captain John's Boats, Phone: +1 800-242-2469, [6].

Get around

Car Rental

• Enterprise Car Rental, Provincetown Municipal Airport, Phone: +1 508-487-0009.
• Provincetown Rent-a-Car, 42 Conwell St., Phone: +1 508-487-3577.

Taxis

• Cape Cab Taxi Service, 10 Nelson Av., +1 508-487-2222.
• Mercedes Cab, 33 Nelson Av, Phone: +1 508-487-3333.
• Queen Cab Co of Provincetown, 9a Conwell St., Phone: +1 508-487-5500, Phone: +1 877-487-5500.

See

• A walk through the center of town on narrow Commercial Street is entertainment all by itself. Unique shops, abundant galleries of all sorts, cute old cottages in the East End.
• The Town Crier, clanging his bell.
• The Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the Fleet[7] Mid June (June 10 & 11, 2006).

Art Galleries

• Albert Merolla Gallery, 424 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-4424, [8].
• Bowersock Gallery, 373 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-4994, [9].
• The Packard Gallery, 418 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-4690, [10].
• The Passions Gallery, 336 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-5740[11]. Adventurous in the true P-town spirit!
• Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM), 460 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-1750, [12]. Hours: Memorial Day to Jul 4 daily 12PM to 5PM and also F,Sa 8-10PM; Jul 4 to Labor Day daily noon-5PM, 8-10PM; Sept daily noon-5PM, F,Sa 8-10PM; Oct-May Th,F,Sa,Su noon to 5PM. Really worth visiting. Excellent museum school for aspiring artists.
• Tristan Gallery,148 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-3939, [13].
• Wohlfarth Galleris, 336 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-6569, [14].

Do

• Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, High Pole Hill Rd., Phone: +1 508-487-1310, [15]. Climb the 252 foot tower and visit the museum which portrays the roles of Provincetown in Pilgrim history, fishing, art, and theatre.
• Province Lands Visitor Center, Race Point Rd., Phone: +1 508-487-1256, [16]. In the Cape Cod National Seashore. Free admission. Open May-Oct 9AM-5PM. Observation deck with 360 degree view is open year round. Ranger guided tours, activities and exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the area. Five and one-half mile bike loop.
• Provincetown Fringe Festival, 476 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-2666 (General Information), +1 508-487-2666 (Box Office).
• Provincetown Repertory Theatre, 476 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-0600 (General Information), +1 508-487-0600 (Box Office).
• Provincetown Theatre Company, 238 Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-8673 (General Information), 508-487-8673 (Box Office).
• Shui Spa, 82 Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-6767, [17]. The Shui Spa is located at the Crowne Pointe Historic Inn.
• Go sailing on the Schooner Hindu, 5 Ryder St., Provincetown, Phone: +1 800-296-4544, [18].
• Art's Dune Tours, 4 Standish St.(near Commercial St.), Phone: +1 508-487-1950 or +1 800-894-1951[19]. Since 1946. 1.5 hour air conditioned tours of the vast dune areas. Also daily sunset clambake tour.
• Cape Cod Whale Watch, 293 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-4079 or Phone: +1 877-487-4079, [20].
• Dolphin Whale Watch, MacMillan Pier, Phone: +1 800-826-9300, [21].

Beaches

• Race Point Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Off Route 6. Lifeguards, rest rooms, changing facilities. This is a nice, wide beach. The surf can be rough at times.
• Herring Cove, Cape Cod National Seashore, Off Route 6. Lifeguards, rest rooms, changing facilities, food, handicapped accessible. Usually calmer waters than Race Point.
• Long Point or "Breakwater" (Provincetown Harbor), By some it's called "the end of the earth". An 1827 lighthouse graces the very tip of the Cape. Beware poison ivy.
• Town Beaches. The stretch of sand on the bay side is all public beach, but it's not as nice as the beaches above.

Fish!

Race Point and Herring Cove beaches are popular surfcasting spots. Charters

• Bay Lady II Excursion Schooner, 584 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-9308.
• Cee Jay, Phone: +1 800-675-6724 or Phone: +1 508-487-4330. Deep Sea Fishing.
• The Ginny G - Charter Sportfishing, MacMillan Wharf, Phone: +1 508-246-3656; 781-322-8539, [22].
• Outer Cape Sportfishing, Phone: +1 508-740.4462, [23].
• Shady Lady, Bradford Street Ext., Phone: +1 508-487-0182. Sportfishing.

Bike

A bike trail starts at Bradford Street in the West End and loops through the dunes to Race Point in the National Seashore. The trail is well maintained and marked. About 6 miles.[24].

• Gale Force Bikes, 144 Bradford St. corner of West Vine, Phone: +1 508-487-4849, [25]. Free parking, helmet, locks. Near the start of the trail.
• Ptown Bikes, 42 Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-8735. Rentals, service. Near start of the bike trail.
• Arnold's Bikes, 329 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-0844. Downtown.

Buy

• Toys of Eros, 200 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508 487-0056, [26]]. Provincetown's premier sex boutique - all persuasions! Apparel, books, toys, safer-sex accouterments and current and classic DVDs.
• Wild Hearts, 244 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508 487-8933, [27] is a women's space. It also ranks among the nation's most respected purveyors of lesbian erotica.

Eat

Casual

• Clem and Ursie's, 85 Shank Painter Rd., Phone: +1 508-487-2333. Something for everyone on this huge menu. Worth the trip from downtown.

• Spiritus, 190 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-2808. Good pizza and open in the wee hours. A late night happening spot.

• Bayside Betsy's, 177 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-6566, [28].

Fine Dining

• Edwige at Night, 333 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-4020. Innovative dinner menu and great ginger-infused martinis. Note that this is a different restaurant during the day.

• Napi's Restaurant, 7 Freeman St., Phone: +1 508-487-1145, info@napis-restaurant.com, [29]. In the provincetown spirit, with lots of art, lots of funk and great food.

• Front Street Restaurant, 230 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-9715, Fax 508-487-7748, [30]. Long time favorite for Italian. Good choice for wine lovers.

• Chester Restaurant, 404 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-8200, [31]. Serious gourmet and candlelit dining. Recipient of Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence.

• Ciro & Sal's Northern Italian Restaurant, 4 Kiley Ct. (behind 430 Commercial), Phone: +1 508-487-6444, [32]. Great choice.

• Enzo, 186 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-7555, enzo@enzolives.com, [33]. Italian indoors and out.

• L'Uva Restaurant, 133 Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-2010, info@luvarestaurant.com, [34]. Classic Mediterranean/New American. Great pastries.

• The Red Inn Waterfront, 15 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-7334, +1 866-473-3466, Fax +1 508-487-5115, [35]. Harborfront. The real deal.

• Mews Restaurant, 429 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-1500, Fax +1 508-487-1461, [36]. Harborfront dining with 211 vodka selections from 29 countries? All I can say is, "Wow!". Good Food as well. Casual upstairs.

Bakeries

• Provincetown Portuguese Bakery, 299 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-1803. Mar-Oct Breakfast and lunch all day. Until 11PM in summer. Try the malassadas, or the rich trutas. $10 to $16.
• Baker Joe's', Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-3049. Daily 6:30AM - Noon.

• Connie's Bakery, 85 Commercial St, Phone: +1 508-487-2167.

Drink

• Governor Bradford,312 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-2781.
• Bistro At Crowne Pointe, 82 Bradford St., Toll Free: +1 877-276-9631, Phone: +1 508-487-6767, [37].
• Front Street, 230 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-9715. Great food, too.

Gay and Lesbian Oriented

• Atlantic House, 6 Masonic Place, Phone: +1 508-487-3821. Gay and lesbian oriented.
• Boatslip, 161 Commercial St., Phone: +1 800-451-SLIP. Dance club -- Great tea dance 4PM-7PM.
• Gifford House, 11 Carver St., Phone: +1 800-434-0688. Dance club.
• Vixen, 336 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-6424. Women's performance nightclub.
• The Vault, 247 Commercial St., (downstairs at the Crown & Anchor) Phone: +1 508-487-1430. Leather.

Sleep

• The Outermost Hostel, 28 Winslow St., Phone: +1 508-487-4378 May-Oct European style youth hostel.
• Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa, 82 Bradford St., Phone: +1 508-487-6767,[38].
• Provincetown Inn and Resort, 1 Commercial St., Phone: +1 508-487-9500 Fax: +1 508-487-2911[39]
• Surfside Hotel and Suites, 543 Commercial St., Phone: +1 800-421-1726 508-487-1726 Fax: +1 508-487-6556[40]

Campgrounds

• Coastal Acres Camping Court, Bayberry Avenue, Phone: +1 508-487-1700, [41]. 120 sites.

• Dunes's Edge Campground, Rte. 6 at Milepost 116, Phone: +1 508-487-9815, Email: camp@dunes-edge.com, [42]. 100 sites.

Get out