Cisco Beach

Nantucket's surf beach. South-facing with consistent swells and a young, laid-back crowd. Close to Cisco Brewers, so the afternoon migration from beach to brewery is a well-worn path.

Cisco Beach is Nantucket's surf beach — south-facing, exposed to the full Atlantic, with consistent shoulder-high beach-break waves and a reliably young, mellow crowd. Local surf shops Nantucket Island Surf School and ACK Surf Camp run lessons here all summer. The afternoon migration from sand to Cisco Brewers (a 5-minute walk inland) is a Nantucket ritual. Lifeguards work the main swim zone but the waves close out hard at high tide and the rip-current risk is real — don't underestimate the south shore. Parking is a free dirt lot that fills early; bikes are easier. Bring everything — there's no concession on the beach itself.