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"No. 7
THE CANDLEBERRY INN ON CAPE COD
Brewster, Massachusetts

Step into the dining room at The Candleberry Inn in Brewster, Massachusetts, and you're in a 1790s two-story "sea farm" with wide-board pine floors and "bubble and wave" glass windows. Early in the 19th century, front rooms and a "square-rigger" facade were added.

B&B host Charlotte Fyfe is a fifth-generation Cape Codder and a locally acclaimed baker, whose skills are displayed in the shortbreads and scones set out for afternoon tea. A quarterboard from her great-great-grandfather's schooner, the Jessie Matheson, hangs in the living room above the glowing woodstove; the captain's sextant is here, too, along with photos of his Provincetown-based fleet.

Charlotte's husband, Stuart Fyfe, a retired high-school teacher and coach, is an avid carpenter with a lot of respect for the original woodwork throughout the house. Five of the inn's eight inviting guestrooms are open in winter, four with fireplaces. Like most old Brewster homes, it's had its share of paying guests. Author Horatio Alger came in 1864 and stayed for two years. A centerpiece of the village, the Candleberry is a favorite stop for visitors during Brewster's holiday celebration (December 2-4 this year; brewsterfortheholidays.org). For many guests, the off-season appeal here is walking the vast sand flats that appear with every low tide."

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Last updated: November 29, 2011