Falmouth

Falmouth is a beautiful seaside town that epitomizes the New England historic charm and town life while remaining uniquely Cape Cod.  Reflecting the origins of much of the area, Falmouth was first settled by Europeans in the mid-1600s, and was incorporated as a town in 1686.  Woods Hole, now home to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the world's largest private and nonprofit ocean research, engineering and education organization, was once a hub of the whaling industry, and boasts numerous historical sites relating to its former industry.  Falmouth is also the hometown of Katharine Lee Bates, author of “America the Beautiful,” and visitors can see her birthplace in all its preserved glory.

The Town of Falmouth is most famous for having 68 breathtaking miles of coastline, and many visitors and residents alike enjoy many recreational activities.  The striking Shining Sea Bikeway, for example, is a paved pathway of 11.5 miles that highlights Falmouth’s wonderful natural resources, from wooded areas and marshes to beachside segments, and is Cape Cod’s only seaside bikeway.