Because I grew up in Hawaii I spend a considerable amount of time writing about my island home. However, I realize that many residents who call the East Coast of the United States home also share bragging rights to another island paradise—one that few travelers ever step foot on.
Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts (located about an hour from New Bedford, Massachusetts) sits on the part of the Elizabeth Islands chain, which stretches out from Woods Hole on Cape Cod. It may not be covered with palm trees and boast tropical trade winds, but the views from the beach are as stunning as any tropical island.
The scenery make take your breath away, but the reason most visitors travel to this scarcely populated island is to connect with nature and the environment… namely the thousands of creatures that call Cuttyhunk home. From migrating birds like Canada geese and rabbits, which appear at dusk between grass blades to the Scottish highland cattle that are snapped by human shutterbugs grazing in the fields, Cuttyhunk’s wildlife is one of the island’s biggest draws.
The other reason most visitors make Cuttyhunk a must-stop destination is the incredible fishing opportunities. Water activities abound around the island. While some prefer to take to the water in a kayak others rent motorboats for the day to cruise along the shores.
Natural beauty aside, the other notable point of interest about Cuttyhunk is its historical offerings. The island is rich in history mainly due to the fact that so many presidents that traveled there — Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, the Taft’s, and the Garfield’s all vacationed in Cuttyhunk. Historians say the high-powered politicians came to relax, fish and escape from the rigors of their daily lives.
Those are some of the same reasons visitors are lured to the islands today. A major part of Cuttyhunk’s charm is that tourists do not overrun it. The island chain offers a peace retreat and makes you appreciate the sweet sound of silence.
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