Provincetown Harbor, Provincetown

Few harbors on the East Coast carry the mythic weight of Provincetown Harbor. This is where the Pilgrims first landed in November 1620 — weeks before Plymouth ever entered the picture — and where the light hits the water in a way that has been luring painters, writers, and wanderers ever since. Framed by the long curl of Commercial Street on one side and the open Atlantic on the other, the harbor is the living, breathing heart of P-town, and there's nowhere better to understand why this skinny tip of Cape Cod has captivated imaginations for centuries.