Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Off Route 6. A 1,000-acre haven for more than 250 species of avians who are drawn by the Sanctuary’s diverse habitats. Hiking trails lead through woods, past moors and salt marshes which rim the Bay where beautiful sunsets are the rule. Activities such as guided birding, children’s day camps, marsh cruises, kayak and canoe expeditions and evening bat watches are offered. The on-site nature center features an aquarium and other exhibits plus a gift shop. Open year round.

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail, off Marconi Wireless Station parking area. This trail features a tea-tinted, moss-choked—but nonetheless captivating and magic—swamp which takes the heat off a sweltering and sultry summer’s day. A strategically-placed boardwalk takes you deep into the trail, with a return trek through deep sand.

Great Island, at end of Chequesset Neck Road. Nature trails from this parking lot lead here, a wonderful spot for beachcombers or seekers of solitude. The Island is actually a peninsula connected by a sand spit; Great Island offers more than seven miles of sandy trails along the inner marshes, water and windswept dunes. Brave travelers will venture as far as Jeremy Point (the tip), just be certain that the tide is on its way out, not in.

First Congregational Church, Main Street. An 1850 Greek Revival building with a town clock which strikes ship’s time—the only church in the world known to keep ship’s time, thus revealing Wellfleet’s proud history as a seafaring town. The interior features a beautiful brass chandelier emanating from an enormous gilt rosette, subtly colored stained glass windows, including a Tiffany-style window depicting a clipper ship, and pews which curve to form an amphitheater facing the altar. It also contains an 1873 738-pipe Hook & Hastings tracker action organ (concerts Sundays at 8pm in July and August). For those not familiar with ship's time, the 24-hour day is divided up into six four-hour segments, representing a four-hour watch on board a ship. The first watch begins at 12:00 and concludes at 4:00 when the second watch begins. On each half hour during the watch, the bells chime: one bell at 12:30, two bells at 1:00, three bells at 1:30 and so on until eight bells are chimed and then the cycle begins again.. Call (508) 349-6877 to arrange a visit.

Uncle Tim’s Bridge, left off of Commercial Street. A much-photographed and beautiful vista across marshland and a tidal creek leading to a small wooded island.

Wellfleet Historical Society Museum and Samuel Rider House, Main Street. A restored Cape farmhouse exhibiting Wellfleet memorabilia roughly sorted into topics and an attic-like upstairs worthwhile for its toys.

Wellfleet Harbor Actors’ Theater (WHAT), 1 Kendrick Avenue at Commercial Street. Founded in 1985 by Jeff Zinn and Gip Hoppe features a repertoire of six plays per summer and usually includes some original works, but always includes avant garde selections.

Marconi Wireless Station Site, Off Route 6. Guglielmo Marconi built telegraph towers here and, in 1903, allegedly sent the first two-way wireless message between the US and England from President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VI. While many believe this to be the site of the initial trans-Atlantic wireless message though, in fact, the first such message was sent from England to Greenland in 1901, over a year before the South Wellfleet Wireless Transmitting Station sent its first message. Regardless, this site, now known locally as Marconi Wireless Site or Marconi Station, does hold its place as the site of the first wireless message sent across the Atlantic from the United States. On January 19, 1903, the airwaves crackled atop this windswept Wellfleet cliff—helping to change long-distance communication forever. Developed by the Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi, the first Wellfleet telegraph transmitted a message from President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII of England. On the evening of April 14, 1912, the station received the distress call from the Titanic. The station at South Wellfleet would only be in service until 1917 as cliff erosion was already threatening. Although erosion has destroyed much of the site, a plaque commemorates the site, and you can still view the footings of some of the towers (these towers stood more than 200 feet high) as well as a model of how the station looked in 1903. For 15 years, term “Marconigram” became a household term. Marconi Site Road, off Route 6 (508) 349-3785. Open all year.

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