What makes this spot even better is the ease with which one can view it.  As you drive along MA-28 in Harwich, you will pass right by the harbor. Do not slow down and rubberneck to see it, however. There is a small dirt area where a few cars can pull off the road. From there you can view the harbor safely, and even walk down to the water’s edge. Definitely use caution when pulling off of and onto MA-28, as it is the busiest Cape Cod road beside the Mid-Cape Highway.

Harwich is a town known for three harbors. Allen Harbor and Saquatucket Harbor are both natural harbors. But the third and most well-known Harwich harbor, Wychmere, is actually constructed. This harbor was once known as Salt Pond and it had no opening to the ocean. There was a small stream of water exchanged between the pond and the ocean, but nothing that would allow any sort of vessels to access the pond.

Residents tried in vain to dig a channel by hand. When that failed, the stream was plugged and a makeshift race track was made around the pond for the locals to race their horses. Salt Pond did not become the harbor seen today until 1887 when a channel was dug to the ocean and jetties were built. The new harbor was not named “Wychmere” until the mid-1920s when a group of tycoons bought the land surrounding the harbor as well as some land in South Harwich. They called themselves the Wychmere Syndicate and their mission, in part, was to give the harbor a better name than Salt Pond.

Wychmere can translate to “salt lake,” because “Wych” is believed to come from the British “wich” meaning where salt is found, and “mere” is Scottish for lake.