WHAT A MAGICAL PLACE! I visited the gorgeous island of Nantucket last weekend and oh my goodness did I fall in love! It is the quaintest, preppiest, most charming town I’ve ever been to! I love the energy from people, the nautical vibes, the weather, etc… I literally could go on and on about why I loved it so much but today I wanted to focus on a travel guide if you ever happen to plan a trip, I’ve got you covered 🙂
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How to get to the island:Â
If you didn’t already know, Nantucket is an island off the coast of Massachusetts and can be a bit tricky to get to! There are a few different options that include planes, ferries, cars, etc. This is what we did: we took a red-eye flight from LAX to JFK and then took a small flight from JFK to ACK. I know there is also a small flight from Boston to ACK as well. This is a bit pricier, but if you need to get there asap, this might be your best bet. I’ve heard June and July the flights typically get cancelled though to due to heavy fog, so keep that in mind. Unfortunately our flight was delayed a few hours because of weather!
Another option would be to fly into Boston, drive to Hyannis, and then take the ferry across to Nantucket. This is what my mom did and it worked out great for her, and also is more cost efficient.
Where to stay:Â
There are a few options on the island that include staying at a hotel/inn OR renting a house! Because we were with family, we rented a gorgeous 5 bedroom house that was near the water and also a couple blocks from the main part of town. I HIGHLY recommend a house because you have the freedom of a kitchen, living room, porch, etc, and it is much more of a “home” feeling! It was perfect to wake up, make our own coffee and breakfast, and then reconvene at night for dinner and game nights with wine! My best tip: book early! Nantucket is the hottest and most popular spot May-September so get on it!
How to get around:Â
We didn’t have a car on the island because bringing one across on the ferry costs upwards of $400. Honestly the island is so small you don’t even need a car whatsoever! We actually ended up taking an Uber from the airport to our house, and then found Lyft to be cheaper once around the island. One day we rented a moped scooter and rode around the entire island east to west, and the next day we rented cruiser bikes and biked around and went north to south. Honestly it’s a 17 mile wide island, so everything is pretty accessible and bikes/bikepaths are everywhere!
What to pack:Â
Layers! One day it was 70 and at evening it cooled off to 50. So definitely bring layers (like a windbreaker), preppy clothes (think navy blue, white, red, seersucker, plaid, etc.) We also brought swimsuits and are glad that we did because we spent some time at the beach! Bring sneakers as you’ll probably do a lot of walking, as well as sandals. Honestly, pack light! You don’t meed much on the island and if you rent a house you can always do laundry there 🙂
Please note- don’t bring heels or wedges of any kind! There are cobblestone streets in Nantucket, and you’ll walk everywhere. Comfortable and casual will go a long way!
What to do on the island:Â
EVERYTHING! There are so many activities that all include being outdoors so let’s break it down!
Beaches:
- Steps Beach- our favorite! It was a little hidden gem with a great beach, stunning views, and warm water to swim in.
- Jetties Beach- lots of sand and great views as well. There’s also a restaurant here called Sandbar!
Activities:
- Shopping- in the heart of town there’s stores like Vineyard Vines, Lily Pulitzer, and Murray’s (which sells the famous Nantucket Reds)
- Rent a bike- we did this and it’s a great way to see the island! There are bike paths literally everywhere with bike maps and it’s a great way to get a feel for the island at your own pace.
- Rent a moped scooter- we also did this and had such a blast cruising around with the wind in our hair!
- Charter a boat- we went on a sunset sail which was super cool. We also really wanted to rent a sailboat but apparently they stop that at Labor Day.
- Go to Cisco Brewery- a fun spot for anyone 20s-60s. They have live music, lots of food trucks, and it’s a great atmosphere with yummy drinks too.
- Wander around Siasconset- a small and quaint part of the island with stunning houses overlooking the bluffs.
- Take a cruise out to Madaket-quiet part of the island but the sunsets here are supposed to be unreal.
- Check out Brant Point Lighthouse- a short walk/bike ride from the main part of town to a super neat view of the water, island, and the lighthouse
Where to eat and drink:Â
- Island Coffee- try their warmed up cinnamon buns they’re life changing
- Sandbar at Jettie’s- a great restaurant for food and drinks ON the sand
- Provisions- sandwich shop that is supposedly amazing
- Cru- trendy restaurant on straight wharf
- Millie’s- this is another popular spot which we had food from their food truck at Cisco. Very good food
- Nautilus- a super popular restaurant that serves tapas. We went here for dinner one night and the soonest reservation wasn’t until 9:30pm so that’s when you know it’s really good
- Straight Wharf- pick up some FRESH alive lobster + take it back home to cook for dinner (we did this and it was so amazing)
- Oath Pizza- this was recommended to us until our captain on the boat told us to try Gemelle’s Pizzeria instead and it was delish
- Cisco- a super fun, good vibes, type of brewery located a short distance from town (it’s super fun to ride bikes here and drink/eat then ride back)
- Gaslight- supposedly the newest hot spot for 20 and 30 year olds who want to grab drinks. We stopped by after dinner and it was THE cutest/trendiest place I’d seen on the island
- Juice Bar- ice cream and homemade waffle cones
MY BEST NANTUCKET ADVICE: enjoy every single minute of it! Take things slow, explore, splurge on eating and drinking, relax, and enjoy take lots of pictures to relive the good memories, and just live a little! Writing this blog post only a couple days after returning already has me nostalgic to return ASAP! Until next time Nantucket….
XO