A Guide to Nantucket’s Beaches: Which One Is Right for You?
If there’s one thing Nantucket does exceptionally well, it’s beaches. With miles of coastline, soft sand, rolling dunes, and completely different conditions depending on which side of the island you visit, there’s a beach for just about every kind of beach day.
Looking for calm water for the kids? A good wave for surfing? A quiet place to read a book? Or the perfect spot to watch the sun disappear over the horizon?
The trick is knowing which beach to choose.
Here’s our guide to some of Nantucket’s best beaches and what each one is especially good for.
Best Beach for Families: Children’s Beach
If you’re visiting Nantucket with young children, Children’s Beach is an easy place to start.
Located just a short walk from downtown, Children’s Beach sits along Nantucket Harbor, so the water is generally much calmer than what you’ll find on the island’s ocean-facing beaches. There’s also a playground, seasonal food service at Gypsea Cafe, restrooms, picnic areas, and lifeguards during the summer season.
It’s a particularly convenient choice for families because you can easily combine a morning at the beach with lunch or a stroll through town afterward.
Best for: Young children, calm water, convenience, and families who want amenities nearby.
Another Family Favorite: Jetties Beach
Just a short distance from town, Jetties Beach is another great choice for families.
The north-facing beach has relatively calm water, a wide stretch of sand, seasonal lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and lunch and dinner at the Sandbar restaurant. There are also opportunities for kayaking and other watersports.
At low tide, the sandbars can make for some fun exploring, and the beach is a nice spot for collecting shells.
Jetties is also one of the more accessible beaches on the island, with accessible parking and seasonal accessibility features provided by the Town.
Just north of Jetties Beach is Steps Beach which is another popular spot for photos, swimming and sunbathing. There is limited parking available on Lincoln Circle to access this beach.
Best for: Families, younger swimmers, easy access, and a full beach-day experience.
Best Beach for Swimming: Dionis Beach
For a classic Nantucket swimming experience, Dionis Beach is hard to beat.
Located along Nantucket Sound, Dionis typically has calmer, warmer water than many of the island’s south-facing beaches. The soft sand and rolling dunes make it a beautiful place to spend an afternoon, and seasonal lifeguards are on duty.
There are changing areas and places to rinse off, although you’ll want to bring your own food and drinks since there isn’t a restaurant right at the beach.
Dionis is also a favorite for shell and sea-glass collecting.
Best for: Swimming, relaxing, calmer water, and a quieter beach day.
Best Beach for Surfing: Cisco Beach
When surfers talk about Nantucket, Cisco Beach is often one of the first places that comes to mind.
Located on the South Shore at the end of Hummock Pond Road, Cisco is known for its heavier surf and is a popular spot for surfers and bodyboarders. The wide sandy beach also makes it a fun place to spend the day even if you’re not getting in the water.
Just keep in mind that the stronger waves also mean stronger currents and rip tides can occur. Cisco has seasonal lifeguards, but swimmers should always check conditions before heading into the water.
Best for: Surfing, bodyboarding, beach games, and watching the waves.
Another Great Surfing Spot: Nobadeer Beach
If you’re looking for another beach with plenty of action, head toward Nobadeer Beach.
Nobadeer is located near the airport and is popular with surfers and beachgoers who enjoy a more energetic ocean experience. One of the fun things about Nobadeer is that you may even get to watch airplanes taking off and landing nearby.
Surfboard and wetsuit rentals and surf lessons are available during the summer, making it a good option for those who want to try surfing while they're on the island.
As with Cisco, conditions can be rough, with rip currents and sudden drop-offs possible.
Best for: Surfing, surf lessons, adventurous beach days, and watching planes overhead.
Best Beach for a Sunset: Madaket Beach
When it comes to sunsets, Madaket Beach is the classic Nantucket choice.
Located at the western end of the island, Madaket has a wide-open view toward the setting sun. On a beautiful summer evening, there are few better places to end the day.
Bring a blanket, grab some food, and settle in. The sunsets can be spectacular.
Madaket is also a popular spot for surfers and bodyboarders because of its stronger surf. Seasonal lifeguards are present, but the beach can have rip currents, high surf, and sudden changes in water depth, so conditions should always be checked before swimming.
Best for: Sunsets, evening beach walks, photography, and surfers.
Best for a Classic Nantucket Beach Day: Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach is one of Nantucket’s most popular beaches, and for good reason.
It’s a large, wide beach with plenty of room to spread out, rolling surf, seasonal lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and a food concession. It’s popular with swimmers, surfers, fishermen, families, and anyone who simply wants to spend the day in the sun.
Surfside can get busy, especially during the height of summer, but the size of the beach helps give everyone a little room.
The waves can also be great for surfing, particularly around the sandbars at lower tide.
Best for: A little bit of everything—swimming, surfing, families, beach games, fishing, and relaxing.
Best for a Quieter Beach Day: Low Beach
If your ideal beach day involves fewer crowds and more room to breathe, Low Beach may be worth the trip.
Located between ‘Sconset and Tom Nevers, Low Beach offers expansive dunes and beautiful views. It’s a good choice for walking, fishing, picnicking, and bird watching.
The trade-off is that there are no lifeguards, and the surf and currents can be strong, so it’s better suited to experienced swimmers and people who are comfortable enjoying the beach from shore.
Best for: Quiet walks, fishing, picnics, bird watching, and getting away from the crowds.
Best Beach for a Little Bit of Everything
The truth is, there probably isn’t one “best” beach on Nantucket.
That’s part of what makes the island so special.
The north shore beaches tend to offer calmer water, making them popular with families and swimmers. The south and west sides of the island generally see more surf, making beaches like Cisco, Surfside, Nobadeer, and Madaket popular with surfers and experienced swimmers.
And then there are the beaches where the main attraction isn't necessarily swimming at all. Sometimes it’s a sunset, a long walk, a picnic, collecting shells, watching the boats, or simply finding a quiet stretch of sand.
A Quick Nantucket Beach Cheat Sheet
👨👩👧👦 Best for families: Children’s Beach or Jetties Beach
🏊 Best for calmer swimming: Dionis Beach
🏄 Best for surfing: Cisco Beach or Nobadeer Beach
🌅 Best for sunsets: Madaket Beach
🏖️ Best all-around beach: Surfside Beach
🐚 Best for a quieter escape: Low Beach
One Important Nantucket Beach Tip
Don't assume that every Nantucket beach has the same water conditions.
The island's currents, tides, wind, and shifting sandbars can change conditions significantly from one beach to another. The Town of Nantucket notes that rip currents and heavy surf are more common along the island's west end and south/southeast-facing beaches. When possible, swim near a lifeguard and check the current beach conditions before getting in the water.
The Town currently staffs lifeguards at ten beaches during the summer season, including Children’s, Jetties, Dionis, Madaket, Cisco, Miacomet, Surfside, Nobadeer, Ladies Beach, and ‘Sconset.
And, of course, remember to leave the beach as beautiful as you found it. Nantucket's beaches are one of the island's greatest treasures and keeping them clean and protecting the dunes helps preserve them for generations to come.
So, Which Nantucket Beach Is Your Favorite?
Whether you're looking for gentle waves and a playground, a challenging surf break, a peaceful afternoon in the sand, or that perfect Nantucket sunset, there’s a beach for you.
And one of the best parts about Nantucket is that you don't really have to choose just one.
Try a different beach each day, watch how the conditions change with the wind and tide, and find your own favorite stretch of sand. That's part of the fun of Nantucket.
