In this post, I will be sharing our latest Coronaventure at Mayflower Beach in Dennis.
Mayflower Beach in Dennis was the name that kept getting mentioned as my husband and I scouted beach recommendations amongst our friends and family.
The sentiments were consistent across the board, “Amazing beach but GET THERE EARLY.” Typically, this information is enough for us to look for another location, but, with all the high praises of the powder-like sand and clear waters I knew it was inevitable, we would make the trek to Mayflower Beach in Dennis. However, the possibility of getting turned away at the parking lot was daunting.
First, we began planning for our day trip to Mayflower beach by researching the parking situation. It was evident very quickly into our search that the lot fills up every day shortly after opening and they only allow 6 cars at a time to wait on line outside the lot. We found it helpful that the Town of Dennis runs a twitter account @DennisParking that updates consistently throughout the day as all town lots fill up.
It’s worth mentioning that there are other public beaches in Dennis sharing the same shoreline of Mayflower Beach that locals regard as excellent options but, I can’t speak to them as we have not visited yet.
So, guys, the dilemma was now real, we had identified a must-visit beach but felt super under pressure to get there before noon. This is a time goal that my party of six would much struggle to meet. Moreover, I could already imagine the scene if we get there and the poor parking attendant has to deliver the news to my husband, who had just driven an hour and a half, that he couldn’t dip his toes in the ocean. There would have been so many #ShitGeoffSays to fill up a book of quotes!
Still, with all this to consider, we decided not to rush ourselves to get there. Instead, we choose to arrive mid-day and hopefully catch a turnover period in the beachgoers. I will mention that when we left the house around 11:00 AM on a Monday, @DennisParking had tweeted indicating Mayflower beach and all other public Dennis lots were already full.
As we exited Route 6 in the lovely mid cape Dennis area around 12:30, all lots were still showing full. Admittingly I was feeling a bit anxious as we pulled up on Dunes Road and saw the lot attendants waving cars away. At this point, I wasn’t sure how the day was going to go.
Upon getting to the entry they told us we had to circle around the area and return but that we couldn’t wait in that vicinity. I don’t know if it was the challenge, but now we decided this WAS the beach we would be spending the day and put that energy into the next steps we took.
With the assurance that we would get into the parking lot I decided to go and start setting up. We pulled up to the drop-off area, opened the trunk, and my eldest daughter and I unloaded the tent and chairs to head off and claim our space while my husband and the little ones circled the block. Now, getting a slot in the six-car waiting line seemed just a matter of luck.
After circling twice, my husband decided to linger a bit longer in the front, and the parking attendant was not happy. But, if you know Geoff, then you know he’s the perfect example of how true the slogan; “Fortune favors the bold” can be because he boldly forced his luck and found himself in the six-car line.
From this point, it took about 30 mins for them to pay the $25 fee and pull into the massive lot. However, they blocked off more than half of the capacity for the lot due to COVID-19 restrictions, but while waiting in line to park, they noticed a lot of folks, maybe locals walking in. Exiting from the cars to the beach entry point, you see public restrooms and food stand. Directly off of this area is a slip-resistant tarp that walks you onto the beach.
Mayflower Beach in Dennis
As soon as we hit the sand, I confirmed that the hype was appropriate for the actual powder like soft white sand. And even though we found it to be somewhat crowded in population, everybody seemed to be distant enough from each other that it never felt as such. Also, I’m happy to say that the crowd was much more diverse than some other beaches we had visited, and for us, that was a welcome sight.
We had a nice clear area for our tent along the back edge, strategically selected to hopefully deter too many new neighbors as the day wore on.
Sidebar: I should note that for our tent set up we were using our usual Coleman 4 person tent but I had to order replacement poles after our original ones broke on our last Coronaventure. The new poles I got on Amazon were not an original Coleman product but were compatible with our exact tent and were actually easier to maneuver and felt like better quality than the originals.
Once our tent was set-up, we made our way as a family to the water to see if all that went into the journey was worth it. And, with full assurance, I can gladly tell you it indeed was. The water was the perfect temperature, and it glistened and packed a clarity you would find on a Caribean shore.
Truly my Dominican heart sang as my toes hit the perfect water and seeing my family share the same sentiments of joy was absolutely euphoric. See, this is why we started these Coronaventures to give my family a taste of that old normalcy on family vacations or a simple distraction from all that is going on in the world.
The beauty of going to the beach and discovering marvelous oceans such as Mayflower Beach is that we get to learn that we don’t need to be in Mexico or the Dominican Republic. We have everything we need where we live. Moreover, the oceans don’t consider politics, race, or any other goings-on in our society. It sits back in all its beauty and glory and allows you to enjoy it unconditionally. This escape appeared to be the goal for everyone around us as well because they all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the vibe was just right for a perfect day.
We did our usual back and forth from the tent area building sandcastles and digging holes to the ocean and then mid-afternoon the magic happened. As the tide rolled out sand bars emerged all along the coast and little tide pools popped up everywhere allowing the little ones to stake out their own mini oceans.
The tide rolling out and transforming the beach is remarkable visually no doubt but it also has been great for my family because it allows the little ones to explore out further from the shoreline with us then typical and still enjoy the safety and comfort of their feet touching the sand.
Also, as the tide rolls out, it leaves behind hermit crabs and different sea life that they enjoy observing and occasionally with some strong persuasion from my husband, touching.
As the lot attendants and lifeguards left for the day around 5:00, we noticed new waves of beachgoers emerge to capture that golden hour and enjoy some free parking. Signs indicated the lot closes at 9:30, and the beach is closed to the public at 11:00. People were drinking booze more openly around this time, but the vibe was still very family-friendly, and good energy abound. One note about alcohol, my husband noticed the snack bar sold a frozen strawberry lemonade drink, and he declared next time he would bring a little white rum to mix into it and turn the day into a Caribbean resort getaway. It should also be noted he’s a nut.
We didn’t sample the snack bar as we always bring our cooler with snacks and sandwiches but the menu seemed fairly standard for beach fare (burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers).
We finally packed up around 7:00 and on our ride back home made a stop yet again at Marc Anthony’s pizza in Onset, as it’s right on the way if you’re heading off the cape to 495 towards Boston and a perfect halfway point from the cape beaches and our house. Apart from the convenience, its yummy pizza our whole family loves and the fried dough is even better. Its only takeout currently, but the restaurant sits on Onset beach, and there are many scenic spots you can relax and enjoy your food. I have to remember to take pictures next time we go.
Tips & More Info About Mayflower Beach
- Limited Parking Available $25
- Lifeguards on duty
- Family-Friendly
- Public Restrooms
- Check the tide schedule HERE
- Snack bar
- Small waves
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