Many people visit Cape Cod because of its natural beauty. For those who enjoy getting outside, whether hiking, biking, or kayaking, this itinerary is for you. You'll bike along the coastline, kayak through marshes, and watch seals and whales frolic offshore. This is the real Cape Cod, far from the traffic and T-shirt shops.

Day 1: Birding on Cuttyhunk

Take an Audubon-led boat tour to the island of Cuttyhunk, which is in the chain of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Woods Hole. The island has a tiny summer community and an even smaller year-round population (in the single digits). The day-long trip includes a guided hike of the island, which is a popular stopover for birds along the Eastern Seaboard.

Day 2: Washburn Island in Falmouth

A 40-minute paddle by canoe or kayak will land you on Washburn Island , a state-owned sanctuary in Waquoit Bay containing nature trails and pristine beaches. There are 10 primitive campsites on the island, most located close to the beach. The island feels wonderfully isolated though you are only a stone's throw from densely populated summer communities in Falmouth.

Day 3: Biking the Rail Trail

Biking the 25-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail from Dennis to Wellfleet is a great way to take in the Cape's diverse ecosystems, past woods, dunes, ponds, marshes, and cranberry bogs. Most people bike just a section of the trail. The portion within Nickerson State Park in Brewster is a popular spur. You'll pass places to purchase snacks, drinks, and sandwiches along the way, so it's possible to make a day of it, stopping for a picnic at the halfway point.

Day 4: Kayaking Barnstable's Great Marsh

One of the best all-day kayak trips on the Cape is through Barnstable's Great Marsh and out to the tip of Sandy Neck. After launching in Barnstable Harbor, you can spend hours exploring the marsh, paddling deep up into Scorton Creek at high tide. Paddle out of the marsh before low tide, and then parallel the shore of Sandy Neck all the way out to the little summer colony on the tip. You can check out the lighthouse and picnic on the beach before paddling back to Barnstable Harbor.

Day 5: The Seals of Monomoy

Several companies run boat tours out to the island of South Monomoy off the coast of Chatham to view the enormous gray seal colony. Boats leave out of Stage Harbor. Both islands of North Monomoy and South Monomoy together make up a 2,750-acre wildlife sanctuary favored by migrating birds. Audubon runs bird-watching tours to the islands in season.

Day 6: Audubon Sanctuary in Wellfleet

You could spend all day (and the night if you're an Audubon member) exploring the trails at Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary . The 1,000-acre refuge features a butterfly garden and numerous trails in addition to a visitor center whose design is on the cutting edge of environmentally friendly architecture.

Day 7: Watching Whales in Stellwagen Bank

Whale-watching is an activity the whole family can enjoy. It takes a couple hours for the boat to get out to Stellwagen Bank, the prime fishing ground for whales in the area. Once there you're bound to see several different breeds and the naturalist who accompanies the boat will help identify them.