Shell City – Your escape! Brought to you by the Heart of Cape Cod, this bright and airy retreat on Lieutenant Island offers the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. Spend your days kayaking, biking, exploring tidal pools, and catching breathtaking sunsets. With a fun Wii game space a dog-friendly policy, it’s the ideal getaway for families. Come experience island life and make unforgettable Cape Cod memories!
I respect the autonomy of my guests and can easily be reached by facetime, email, text, carrier pigeon, smoke signal, or yodeling. Communication with guests is important to us. Please be sure you have app notifications turned on for your phone as this will be our means of communicating with you before, during, and after your stay. Our digital guidebooks contain directions, instructions, and access information. It is your responsibility to review this information prior to arrival.
Quiet cul-de-sac in a family oriented neighborhood where we all watch out for each other. We are great friends with our neighbors!
The island is accessed by one road and you must be aware of the tides that are above 10 feet. (Tides are on our website, provided in our guide, and available online at any time as well).
As autumn graces Lieutenant Island, the journey begins along a unique shell-laden road, where the white clamshells tell the tale of local birds and the changing season. At low tide, explore the scenic beauty of beach grass, marsh cuts, and rich mudbanks teeming with wildlife, perfect for birdwatching and shellfish gathering. When high tide arrives, your surroundings transform, revealing breathtaking water views right from your decks and living spaces.
Step onto the island and feel the tension melt away as you embrace the tranquility of this special retreat. Autumn sunsets on the beach, kayaking at Deep Hole, and invigorating walks through Mass Audubon’s Wildlife Sanctuary await your exploration.
Our comfortable, bright home comfortably sleeps up to 11, featuring a gourmet kitchen with beautiful marble countertops and a spacious dining area perfect for family game nights or shared meals. Two sliding doors open to a large wraparound deck, allowing you to dine al fresco while soaking in the crisp fall air. The open living space, adorned with expansive windows, invites the autumn sun and provides a cozy spot for afternoon naps or movie nights on the plush sectional.
The airy master bedroom offers a queen bed and en suite bath, while the second bedroom features two full-size beds, making it ideal for family gatherings. Additional cozy spaces include bunk beds for the kids and a futon sofa that converts into a full-size bed. With Roku streaming TVs in the living room and most bedrooms, everyone can find their perfect retreat.
Highlights:
- An award-winning, custom, state-of-the-art digital house guide with recommendations is provided for your visit.
- Dog friendly with fee of $100 (limit 1 dog – must be over 1 year old). No birds, cats, hamsters, ferrets, chocolate Easter bunnies, or pet rocks. Only a (one, uno, un, ichi, eguh, isa, otu, een, imwe, 1) dog that says woof.
- Kayaks and bikes available
- Gas grill
- Walk to beaches
- Explore Loagy bay for shells or horseshoe crabs
- Bird-watching at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
- 1 Queen, 2 Fulls, 3 Twins, 1 Futon (linens for futon provided upon request)
- Wifi
- Washer & Dryer
- Outside shower
- All luxury linens, duvets, and Turkish towels provided for a cozy, comfy stay
- Many vacation add-ons available such as Pack-n-Plays, Early Check-In/Later Check-Outs, Farm Fresh Eggs, Tours and more! Details provided after booking
- Our cleaning teams use thorough checklists, followed by sanitization and disinfection of high touch points throughout the home. We follow CDC guidelines and use only approved EPA products for cleaning
The island is accessed by a bridge and the road may become covered in water if the tide exceeds 10 feet. You will see island residents and guests pull over to the side of the road waiting for the tide to recede sometimes. Depending on how high the tide is, it may only be 30 minutes or so before the road is tide-free (again, it depends on the tide).
For example:
First high tide is at 2:47 am and is 10.73 ft/Second high tide is at 3:05 pm and is 10.95 ft
Residents and guests with plans at 3:00 pm would simply arrive or leave between 2:00/2:30. If they miss the window, they simply wait 30/45 minutes until the tide recedes off the road. It isn't a big deal and a part of island life.
We understand that things happen and plans may change like the tides so we always recommend purchasing travel insurance for your vacation.
For Airbnb: A quick note on who you are paying for what, because lately everyone asks some version of who am I paying for what and to who. We set two things. One. The nightly rate for the home itself which we keep as fair as possible for this area. Two. The cleaning fee matches what our professional cleaning company charges to clean and reset a home this size. Those are the only amounts we control. Airbnb collects its own platform service fee for using the Airbnb site and support. Airbnb may include that platform fee in the total price you see here instead of showing it as a separate line which can make it look like it is part of what we charge. It is not. That amount goes to Airbnb. You will also see taxes as a separate line. Those taxes are required by state and local rules for this area. We do not set the tax rates, and we do not keep those funds. Airbnb calls this “fee transparency”.
Tides are the rise and fall of ocean water levels that happen every day. They’re caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on Earth’s oceans. The moon’s pull is stronger because it’s closer, and it causes water to bulge out on the side of Earth facing the moon and also on the opposite side.
As Earth rotates, different areas move into these bulges, which is why we get two high tides and two low tides each day. It’s like the ocean is following the moon’s lead in a giant, watery dance.
Please check a tide chart for Wellfleet Harbor (in your guidebook) so that you can plan accordingly.
