This century-old Cape Cod landmark, recently treated to a $100 million renovation, offers inimitable Atlantic Ocean views. So it’s no surprise that the sea is constantly evoked across Chatham Bars Inn’s tony turn-of-the-century style grounds. The views begin on the spacious wraparound veranda, where your morning coffee is served with a side of Pleasant Bay, a vista guests have marveled at since 1914; for the colder months, there’s an indoor fireplace that also gazes seaward. Guest rooms are housed in a series of 34 clapboard cottages, bordering the property’s quarter-mile long private beach. With sloping shingled roofs, charming bay windows and a coastal color palette of sea greens and sky blues, the dwellings are stocked with Adirondack chairs, perfect for soaking in your very own crimson sunrise, which might also include a glimpse of the resort’s fishing fleet, setting out for the daily catch. For those seeking a more literal taste of the ocean, during the especially bustling summer months, the resort’s Beach House Grill unfurls its spin on the classic Cape clambake, filled with locally caught seafood (the corn and potatoes are sourced from the Inn’s eight-acre farm in nearby Brewster) which is steamed over a wood-fired pit laden with seaweed.
Shadow the only scientists conducting shark research off Cape Cod aboard one of the resort’s vessels and spy on the awe-inspiring predators, photographing the action as researchers work to tag them.
Set on Cape Cod’s sinewy elbow, the coastal community of Chatham is synonymous with one of the most valiant rescues in U.S. Coast Guard history. In 1952, a local ship captain braved a particularly brutal nor’easter and a whirl of deadly currents to save the crew of the SS Pendleton, a World War II-era oil tanker that ripped in half. Channel that seafaring prowess and choose from an array of experiences on the hotel’s extensive aquatic excursion menu. Shadow the only scientists conducting shark research off Cape Cod aboard one of the resort’s vessels—thanks to a partnership between Chatham Bars Inn and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy—and spy on the awe-inspiring predators, photographing the action as researchers work to tag them. For a more leisurely outing, hop on The Bartender, a private 18-seater that shuttles hotel guests to a deserted and otherwise inaccessible sliver of the Cape Cod National Sea Shore (lined with wild cranberry bogs and pine forests), a pristine barrier beach that serves as a welcome respite from the throngs during high season. Shorter excursions, like champagne sails, pirate-inspired launches, children’s boating tutorials, and late-morning harbor seal cruises, where you’ll catch the marine mammals sunbathing on sandbars during low tide, are also available. Fishing enthusiasts can try their luck at reeling alongside an experienced guide on the hotel’s 34-foot steamboat, furnished with state-of-the-art gear. The catch, which might consist of striped bass or bluefish can be transformed into dinner by one of the resort’s chefs, yet another luxurious reminder of why this hilltop sanctuary is a destination worthy of dropping anchor.