Last week, I wrote about 16 excellent beaches for families . I’m accustomed to reader feedback — good and bad! — but last week was special. The sea was angry that day, my friends.
Beaches provoke strong, sometimes salty, emotions. A few people were enraged by the inclusion of Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet (1120 Cahoon Hollow Road, www.wellfleet-ma.
gov/beaches ), which is the oceanside equivalent of a frat party, according to some curmudgeons. Others were surprised that the coarse-sanded Nahant Beach Reservation made the cut (Nahant Road, www.mass.
gov/locations/lynn-shore-nahant-beach-reservation ). Still others expressed dismay to find their favorite secret beach on the list. Don’t worry; I won’t name it twice .
.. but, um, it’s in Rhode Island.
And so, the Globe asked readers to weigh in on the selections that I overlooked — plus their preferred beachside snack shacks, beach-day hacks, and even the best sand. Advertisement In general, beaches on the Cape get a bad rap due to parking woes. However, West Dennis Beach (Davis Beach Road, www.
town.dennis.ma.
us ) receives high marks for sheer size: “Parking isn’t a problem, and the beach is swimmable,” fans say. Mayflower Beach, also in Dennis (Dunes Road, www.town.
dennis.ma.us ), earns a shout-out for soothing sunsets — can’t say the same for the parking, which fills up by mid-morning — and a classic vibe.
It’s “the epitome of what you think of when you think ‘beach,’” says one fan. One enrag.
