There's a reason people come to Nantucket once and keep finding their way back. It's an island that doesn't try too hard. The gray-shingled cottages, the salt air, the boats bobbing in the harbor. It all just is, and that effortlessness is exactly the point. Unlike a lot of New England resort destinations, Nantucket has resisted the urge to overdevelop. What you get instead is a place that still feels like itself: unhurried, genuinely beautiful, and full of small discoveries that reward the curious.
Whether you're making your first crossing or planning your fifth summer return, this Nantucket travel guide covers everything you need. Where to stay in Nantucket, the best restaurants in Nantucket, and the best things to do in Nantucket across all thirty square miles of it.
Best Places to Eat in Nantucket
Nantucket has one of the most impressive dining scenes of any small island in the country. Kitchens here take local sourcing seriously, the seafood is exceptional (you're eating it where it was caught), and the overall level of cooking rewards exploration beyond the obvious tourist stops.
Sister Ship at Faraway Nantucket
Right inside Faraway, Sister Ship is the kind of restaurant that earns its own following independent of the hotel. The concept shifts with the clock: mornings belong to Cymbals Cafe (open 8 am to 3 pm), which does proper coffee and food worth waking up for.
Come evening, Sister Ship opens as a full dinner restaurant and cocktail destination, with seafood-forward Mediterranean dishes built around New England catches and local ingredients, paired with elevated cocktails that are inventive without being fussy.
The fish is fresh, the drinks are good, and the room has the right energy: relaxed enough to linger but considered enough to feel like an occasion. Open daily from 5 to 10 PM; reservations are strongly recommended in season.
Born & Bread
Born & Bread turns out fresh artisanal breads daily alongside curated sandwiches and proper coffee that make it the obvious first stop before a beach day. The menu is tight and intentional. Everything on it is worth ordering, but the standout is the A.B.C. grilled cheese: Massachusetts apples, local bacon, Vermont cheddar. It sounds simple. It is not. Arrive early; the good stuff goes quickly.
The Juice Bar
No Nantucket trip is complete without a stop at The Juice Bar on Broad Street. It's been the island's most iconic ice cream spot for decades. It's one of those simple pleasures that earns its reputation every time. Go early or go late, but either way, go.
Beyond the List
The island has far more dining worth exploring than any single guide can cover. Look into The Proprietors for a serious cocktail bar with excellent food, Straight Wharf Restaurant for a classic Nantucket waterfront splurge, and Lola 41 for a late-night scene that stays lively when most of the island has quieted down.
Best Things to Do in Nantucket
Nantucket rewards the slow and the curious. The best days here tend to involve a loose plan, comfortable shoes, and a willingness to follow a side street you haven't walked before. Here's where to point yourself.
Walk the Cobblestones of Main Street
Start any morning on Main Street. Nantucket's historic downtown is one of the best-preserved Federal-period commercial streetscapes in America, and the cobblestones alone are worth the ferry ride. Independent shops, galleries, and boutiques line the blocks.
Don't miss the Sustainable Nantucket Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Featuring local vendors, artisan food producers, and a genuine community gathering that pulls in both residents and visitors. It's one of the most honest slices of island life you'll find, and it doesn't cost anything to wander through.
Visit the Nantucket Whaling Museum
Operated by the Nantucket Historical Association, the Nantucket Whaling Museum is one of the finest maritime museums in the country and an essential stop for understanding where this island comes from. The collections are extraordinary: an 1847 sperm whale skeleton, scrimshaw, navigation instruments, and exhibits that contextualize the global reach of Nantucket's 19th-century whaling industry. Plan at least two hours; it earns them.
Hit the Beach. All of Them
Nantucket has more than 80 miles of shoreline, which means there's a beach for every kind of day.
Nobadeer Beach on the south shore is where the surf culture lives. It's less crowded than the in-town spots, the waves are real, and the ACK Surf School operates lessons here that are genuinely good, with instructors who know what they're doing with beginners and the kind of setup that makes learning feel fun rather than embarrassing. Even if you're staying dry, Nobadeer is a beautiful, wide stretch that earns a long afternoon.
Children's Beach near the ferry terminal is calm, sheltered, and excellent for families. Jetties Beach is beloved for its easy access and amenities. Cisco Beach pairs perfectly with a post-swim stop at Cisco Brewers. Whichever beach you land on, the water is genuinely beautiful, cold, and worth getting into.
Local tip: Swing by Bartlett Farm on the way to any south shore beach. They stock everything you need for a serious beach spread, including fresh produce, prepared sandwiches, local cheeses, and wine. It's so worth the small detour.
Explore by Bike
One of the best things to do in Nantucket is simply get on a bike and go — and if you're staying at Faraway, you're already sorted. Faraway Nantucket offers complimentary bicycle rentals for guests, which is one of those perks that sounds nice on paper and turns out to be genuinely trip-shaping in practice. The island has a well-developed network of paved bike paths that connect downtown to the beaches, moors, and conservation land. Head toward Madaket for a long, flat ride with a dramatic western sunset at the end, or toward Sconset for a look at the island's quieter, rose-covered side.
Shop Like a Local
Nantucket's retail scene is a legitimate reason to set aside an afternoon. Vault Jewelry on Centre Street carries designer pieces that feel borrowed from a Milan showroom. Katherine Jetter's eye for trends is rare anywhere, and the fact that it lives here is one of the island's quiet secrets. And for traveling pet owners, Pawsitivity makes handcrafted dog accessories with island-inspired patterns and real quality behind them.
Take to the Water
The best views on Nantucket are from the water, looking back at it. Sailing charters, fishing trips, and kayak rentals all operate out of the harbor in season. A sunset sail around the harbor is one of those experiences that sounds like a tourism cliché until you're actually doing it, at which point it becomes the thing you tell everyone about.
Where to Stay in Nantucket
Nantucket is the kind of place that asks something of you: slow down, pay attention, let the island do its thing. The best things to do in Nantucket aren't really about checking boxes. They're about the coffee from Born & Bread that you drink on a bench in the morning sun, the long afternoon at Nobadeer where you lose track of time, the dinner at Sister Ship that stretches past midnight, and waking up the next day ready to do it all a little differently.
On an island this size, location is everything. Faraway Nantucket sits at the center of it all. It's a boutique hotel that leans fully into the island's spirit. If you're figuring out where to stay in Nantucket and want a property that actually connects you to the place rather than insulating you from it, Faraway is where to start.
The island has a way of making you feel like a local faster than you expect. That's the real souvenir.
When you're ready to stop planning and start going, Faraway Nantucket is where the trip really begins.
Ready to get lost? Book your stay at Faraway Nantucket
