First Encounter Beach faces Cape Cod Bay rather than the open Atlantic, so the water is calmer and the sunsets are excellent. At low tide the flats stretch far out, making it a very different beach from Coast Guard or Nauset Light.
The name refers to the 1620 meeting between Myles Standish's exploring party and the Nauset people. Come for the light and the bay, but remember that the history here is not just a cheerful colonial anecdote.