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Main Steet in downtown Nantucket
A typical Nantucket sceneNantucket
Nantucket is an island located about 20 miles off the Massachusetts coast. Its main town is Nantucket, a historic town which was originally one of the primary ports for the United States' whaling ships in the 1800s. The town's whaling days ended in the mid-1800's when its port was rendered useless to whaling ships by the formation of a large sandbar. However, the town found a second life as a tourist haven, hosting generations of summer visitors from all over the northeastern United States.
Nantucket island is about 15 miles long and 5 miles wide. The town of Nantucket is located on in the middle of the northern coast and is by far the island's largest community. Other towns on the island include Siasconset (also known as Sconset) on the eastern end of the island, and Madaket on the western end of the island.
The island has plenty of beaches. For small children, Jetties beach on the northern coast, next to the town of Nantucket, is very popular. For older kids, Surfside beach, on the southern coast, is popular.
The town of Natucket is full of historic buildings and houses from the 1800s. There are plenty of things to see and do in town if you get tired of sitting on the beaches. There is a whaling museum, a number of old houses that you can tour, plenty of good restaurants, not to mention lots of shops and art galleries. Or, you can head down to the waterfront and look at the yachts that are moored there.
