Things to Do in Harwich

Sailing daily from MacMillan Wharf and stretching 39 feet lengthwise and 16 feet abeam, the Coast Guard–approved Viking Princess accommodates up to 42 passengers and two crewpersons per cruise. Several different cruise formats introduce water wanderers to coastal views of varying sites, such as Cape Cod’s prime real estate, well-known lighthouses, and hidden Provincetown gems. The Princess also embarks on festive holiday-themed voyages, such as Fourth of July or Tax Day cruises. Cape Cod Life's 2010 Gold winner for Best Kids' Activity, the Critter Cruise invites wee ones to pull up lobster pots and bottom dredges from the waters and safely inspect and handle the findings— such as blue fish, sea turtles, or humpback whales—alongside an expert naturalist. The Princess is wide enough to facilitate groups dancing to the sounds of the ship’s overhead stereo or to the tunes of local musicians during live-music cruises.

In the depths of Cape Cod swim delicacies such as sea-bass and fluke. With backgrounds in both commercial and recreational fishing, the captains of Helen H Fleet lead anglers on trips for these catches, motoring to fishing grounds such as Nantucket Sound. The four-boat fleet, which ranges from the 30-foot Sea Hawk to the 100-foot Helen H, lets the captains accommodate small charters of one to five anglers as well as party cruises. Crews rent out rods and reels, as well as sell refreshments in between anglers' bouts with feisty bass or boots stuck to the ocean floor. Targeted species change with the season, and Helen H Fleet's captains also charter whale- and seal-watching excursions whenever the creatures migrate along Cape Cod.

EcoTourz’s cache of bikes and kayaks furnish unique perspectives of the Upper Cape’s natural splendor and Sandwich’s historical charms. Guides usher small groups of kayakers down Historic Mill Creek, where herons and osprey soar above the tall grass while conspiring to overthrow the neighborhood mockingbirds. On dry land, EcoTourz staff rents out bicycles and divulges prime pedaling spots, such as the marsh-lined Sandwich Boardwalk or some of the Cape’s oldest buildings.

You're in the woods playing hide-and-seek. Tucked behind a log, you hear, "Ready or not, here I come!" and then wait for the sound of footsteps to trod past. The steps fade, and you break for base. But then the seeker closes in, but he doesn't need to get close enough to touch you—he just needs a clear shot to tag you with a paintball pellet.

Cape Cod Paintball's founders—friends who spent nearly a decade designing the facility's 14 outdoor fields—love to blend childhood games such as hide-and-seek with the grown-up thrill of paintball. Each course integrates both natural and artificial terrain—picture freestanding timber and brush piles juxtaposed against industrial cable spools, upturned sections of corrugated tubing, and wooden fence panels. Through this mash-up of cover, players split into teams for standard paintball games such as Capture the Flag, or more updated childhood games such as Cops and Robbers. Cape Cod Paintball's team also caters to group play with private parties, and mans a pro shop stocked with gear from brands such as Tippmann and Dangerous Power.

Fish don’t say “cheese.” But that doesn’t stop captains Doug and Jeff Amorello from snapping photos of the monstrous striped bass and bluefish that their customers reel in. The two own Sashamy Sportfishing, where they orchestrate half-day fishing trips around Plymouth Harbor aboard their 36-foot charter fishing boat, Sashamy. As full-time fishermen, the duo knows their way around the area, and as family members, the two have a soft spot for promoting wholesome activities. They welcome all ages aboard their boat, fostering the future of fishing stories shared between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and teenagers and their cell phones.