Nantucket is a singular New England escape. Take its sloping cobblestone streets, bursts of vibrant periwinkle hydrangeas, and glowing Christmas trees floating on boats during the holiday season. It’s the world of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and one of natural splendor where rare species such as double-crested cormorants and piping plovers gather. And for travelers, it’s a world-class destination ideal for kicking back.
Easily accessible via plane from most Northeast airports, we also like to arrive on the more relaxed ferry from the island of Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod’s Hyannis—which offers a fast ferry, Hy-Line Cruises, and a car-toting ship, Steamship Authority. For those who don’t mind a longer boat ride, there’s the six-hour ferry from New York; drinks are served and you’ll land comfortably in the center of the island. So much more than just a summer town, Nantucket is also a beauty in winter, fall, and spring—here’s our guide to making the most of it in 2025.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
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Ferries to the island pass by scenic Brant Point Light House a short walk from town.
Chris Hackett/Getty
The best things to do on Nantucket
If you’re visiting in the summer, the day starts on the sand. Every Nantucket beach suits a different purpose: Jetties Beach is your place for a do-nothing day, great if you have kids or simply don’t feel like packing lunches or traveling far from town—you’re set on food and amenities here. Open-air restaurant Sandbar offers $1 oyster happy hours, serves cocktails, and slings wings, sandwiches, and salads. With a flat walkway from the parking lot to the water, as well as changing stations, showers, volleyball nets, and a playground, Jetties is accessible and stress-free.
Surfside Beach, a little further out toward the south side of the island, is accessible via bike path. Vast and sandy with rougher surf, it attracts beachcombers scanning the shoreline in the mornings, kite flyers on the west end as the sun goes down, and surfcasters fishing in the evening.
The athletic beach-goer can’t miss Cisco Beach, the island’s surf destination. Take a lesson with ACK Surf School, Nantucket Island Surf School, or bring your own gear. Adventurers and outdoorsy kids should also make the journey (45 minutes from town to the tip of Nantucket) to Great Point—the island’s most rustic, untamed, and natural landscape. The barrier beach is home to Great Point Lighthouse and a population of Grey Seals (and occasionally sharks. You’ve been warned.)
