Pilgrim Belle Cruises, Plymouth

To get from Plymouth to Provincetown, you could drive for about 1.5 hours across Cape Cod's hook-shaped peninsula. And that's without summer traffic. Or you could hop on the Provincetown Ferry and get there in half the time, all while a crisp ocean breeze blows through your hair.

The ferry is the most direct route from Plymouth to P’Town. In this town on the outermost tip of Cape Cod, visitors explore eclectic shops, restaurants, and art galleries or simply spend the day at the beach, relaxing in the sun or tying coded messages to seagulls' legs. The Provincetown Ferry keeps guests happy on their way to this destination with spacious sun decks, a complete galley with food and drinks, fully enclosed cabins, and clean restrooms.

Even if you're just using the ferry's services for simple transportation, you can still expect a dose of the past as each ferry ride begins with a narrated guide to historic Plymouth Harbor.