The Town of Barnstable for Couples

The town of Barnstable is the largest on Cape Cod and is the center of county government for the region. There are seven distinct villages, including Hyannis, which is really more like a town, and is the transportation hub of Cape Cod, being the home of the main bus terminal, the largest airport and the Cape’s biggest harbor. Hyannis is also the home of the Cape’s largest hospital, it’s only real shopping mall and its daily newspaper.

Barnstable Village is on the opposite side of town to Hyannis and, in many ways offers an opposite view of the Cape as compared to the main commercial center. Its main thoroughfare is Route 6a, which winds through a charming village filled with restaurants, antique shops, restored sea captains' homes and white-steepled churches. The County court house is here, so there is certainly lots of activity, but it's a different kind of bustle to that offered by Hyannis.

Other villages within the town of Barnstable include Marstons Mills, Osterville, Centerville and Cotuit, all of which have their own charms and attractions.

Party Couples

Hyannis Main Street is abuzz with activity in the summertime from late afternoon till well after our bedtime. There are a number of bars and clubs in the area, as well as plenty of good places to eat.

At the West end of Main Street is the Cape Cod Melody Tent, where you can see concerts and shows of some pretty well-known performers (most, admittedly, at the tail end of their careers). Karen had a blast a few years ago watching Tom Jones there. Apparently she was able to restrain herself from throwing her underwear on the stage (or so she says). Recent acts include Huey Lewis and the News, the B-52s and Joe Cocker.

Cultural Couples

For musical performance of a more cultured variety, the annual Pops by the Sea is held on the Hyannis village green just off Main Street. The event attracts upwards of 15,000 visitors each year, so it's a pretty big deal by Cape Cod standards. In fact, it's the Cape's single largest cultural event. so it's well worth the $15 admission, if you're around the first Sunday in August.

Besides that there are a number of galleries and art museums in Barnstable. One of our favorites is the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit. It is located on Route 28 about half way between Hyannis and Mashpee and is well worth a visit.

Culinary Couples

Hyannis has a number of terrific places to eat. Alberto's is one of our favorite Italian restaurants on the Cape, and Dragon Lite is similarly one of our favorite places for Chinese food, so we head for Main Street quite often.

And it’s just a short stroll from Main Street to the Waterfront District, which the local Chamber of Commerce has done a good job of promoting in recent years. The area includes the main harbor, which is always a fun place to while away an hour or two watching the comings and goings of the fishing boats and Island ferries. Some terrific waterside dining is available in this area of town.

Besides hosting concerts, the Melody tent host the annual Cape Cod Cowderfest, where local restaurants compete and the public judges for the title of best clam chowder on the Cape.

Outside of Hyannis, the Regatta in Cotuit is one of the top restaurants on Cape Cod. No less an authority than Zagat rated it in its 2005-06 edition as "the best dining on Cape Cod, bar none".

Sporting Couples

One of the more famous beaches in the town of Barnstable is Kalmus Beach, known as the windiest beach on Cape Cod and a terrific place for windsurfing and kiteboarding.

Barnstale also has the distinction of being the only town on the Cape that has two teams in the Cape Cod Baseball league, the Hyannis Mets and the Cotuit Kettleers. You can check out each team's schdule here.

There are also no fewer than eight golf courses in the town of Barnstable, more than any other town on the Cape.

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