Nantucket · Harbor
Brant Point Road
Parking: Walk or bike from town
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Islands · Town guide
Nantucket
Find your starting point. Choose a few places worth your time.
Photo: Childrens Beach · Mary Catherine Hogan
The smaller, more uniform island 30 miles south of the Cape — a single town with cobblestone streets, gray-shingle architecture, and several outlying village beaches (Sconset, Madaket, Surfside, Cisco).
Get oriented
Start with an area, then choose stops nearby.
Nantucket Town →
The cobblestone commercial core where ferries dock and most downtown commerce happens.
Siasconset →
East-end bluff village above the Atlantic — rose-cottages, the bluff walk, and a single Atlantic-facing beach.
Madaket →
West-end village famed for its sunsets — Madaket Beach, Eel Point, Millie’s.
Surfside →
South-shore village whose center of gravity is Surfside Beach and the bike path from downtown.
Cisco →
South-shore village with the island’s best surf break and Cisco Brewers.
Dionis →
North-shore beach cluster — calm Sound water and family-friendly dunes.
Wauwinet →
Remote northeast spit at the head of Coskata-Coatue, anchored by The Wauwinet inn.
Village markers are approximate centers. Beach markers identify locations, not verified entrances. No routes or travel times are shown.
Loading orientation map…
- 1. Brant Point Road
- 2. Childrens Beach
- 3. Cisco Beach
- 4. Dionis Beach
- 5. Eel Point Road
- 6. Great Point Beach
- 7. Jetties Beach
- 8. Ladies Beach
- 9. Madaket Beach
- 10. Miacomet Beach
- 11. Nobadeer Beach
- 12. Quidnet Beach
- 13. Sconset Beach
- 14. Steps Beach Nantucket
- 15. Surfside Beach
- 16. Tom Never Beach
Choose a beach
16 beaches in this guide · compare access as well as character.
Nantucket · Harbor
Childrens Beach
Parking: Town center, walk or bike
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Cisco Beach
Parking: Dirt lot, free
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Sound Side
Dionis Beach
Parking: Small lot, fills by 10am in summer
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Bay / Calm
Eel Point Road
Parking: Small lot, walk or bike along Eel Point Road
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: long walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Dunes
Great Point Beach
Parking: 4WD permit required, $250/season from Trustees
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Harbor
Jetties Beach
Parking: Free, walkable from town
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Ladies Beach
Parking: Small lot
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Madaket Beach
Parking: Small lot at end of Madaket Road
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Miacomet Beach
Parking: Small lot off Miacomet Road
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Nobadeer Beach
Parking: Near airport, free lot
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Quidnet Beach
Parking: Small lot at end of Quidnet Road
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Sconset Beach
Parking: Street parking in Sconset village
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: stairs. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Sound Side
Steps Beach Nantucket
Parking: Street parking, bike recommended
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: stairs. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Surfside Beach
Parking: Lot at beach end, bike path from town
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Nantucket · Ocean / Surf
Tom Never Beach
Parking: End of Tom Nevers Road, limited
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Food & things to do
Grouped by location. Price symbols are catalog categories; check current menus and admission separately.
Nantucket
Food · Pub / American · $$
The Brotherhood of Thieves
Downtown whaling-era pub — burgers, chowder, a fire in shoulder season.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Food · Seafood / Raw Bar · $$$$
Cru
Straight Wharf raw bar with the best harbor sunset table on the island.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Food · Mexican · $$
Millie's
Madaket fish tacos and margaritas with a clear shot at the sunset.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · outdoor
Sconset Bluff Walk
Cliff path through Sconset gardens above the Atlantic — short and unforgettable.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · culture
Whaling Museum
Best small history museum on either island; the rooftop view of the harbor alone is worth it.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · outdoor
Polpis Bike Path
The eastern loop to Sconset — flat, scenic, the spine of an island cycling day.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Before you go
- Check parking eligibility, current fees and seasonal restrictions for each beach. Unknown information is not a guarantee of access.
- Confirm opening hours, admission and individual access needs with each venue.
- Plan transport between separate stops; town membership alone does not establish a walking connection.
More about Nantucket
Read the town background
Nantucket is more uniform than the Vineyard — one town, one architectural language (gray shingle, white trim, brick sidewalks), one polished commercial center. The cobblestones downtown are real, not decorative. The outlying village clusters — Sconset to the east, Madaket to the west, Surfside and Cisco to the south — each have a single dominant beach and a smattering of houses; there's no second village center.
The beaches are the best on either island. Surfside is the south-shore Atlantic workhorse — big waves, a long stretch of sand. Jetties is the calm harbor-side family beach a short bike ride from downtown. Madaket is famous for its sunsets. Sconset has the cliff walk. There's no bad beach day if the weather cooperates.
Nantucket is small enough to cycle but spread out enough that you'll want a bike, an e-bike, or to coordinate with the Wave shuttle. The downtown dining and shopping scene is genuinely excellent and genuinely expensive — there is no cheap meal in Nantucket town in July. Plan the ferry, plan the lodging, and don't come for a single night.
Nantucket beach FAQ
Do I need a beach sticker in Nantucket?
Parking rules vary by beach and season. Check the named beach’s official information for visitor eligibility, permits and current fees. Missing fee information does not mean parking is free.
Which Nantucket beaches allow dogs?
Brant Point Road, Cisco Beach, and Dionis Beach are listed as allowing dogs in the catalog. A catalog dog-friendly label does not guarantee access today, including seasonal exclusions and leash rules.
Which Nantucket beach is best for families?
Childrens Beach, Cisco Beach, and Dionis Beach have toilets listed in the catalog, which may help narrow your choice. Confirm facilities, access and posted water conditions; catalog descriptions do not establish swimming safety or individual suitability.
How warm is the water in Nantucket?
Sound-side and bay-side shorelines are different settings in this guide. Catalog seasonal notes such as 66–70°F (July–Aug) are not current measurements.
How many beaches does Nantucket have?
Nantucket has 16 beaches in this guide. This is a catalog count, not a claim to include every shoreline access point.