Surfside Beach, Nantucket: Address, Surfside Beach Reviews: 4.5/5
Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach
4.5
About
Oceanside Nantucket beach.
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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
95 within 3 miles
Pudley's pub
11
1.3 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Yummy
9
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American
Faregrounds Restaurant
35
1.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Fusaro's
165
1.7 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Muse Pizza
11
1.6 mi$ • Bar • Pizza • Pub
Seagrille
305
1.9 mi$$$$ • American • Seafood • Contemporary
Downyflake
194
1.8 mi$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Gluten Free Options
Espresso To Go
11
1.6 mi$ • Quick Bites • American • Cafe
45 Surfside Bakery and Cafe
9
1.6 mi$ • American
Nantucket Bake Shop
34
1.7 mi$ • Bakeries
Attractions
52 within 6 miles
Whaling Museum
1,646
2.8 miSpeciality Museums
Cisco Brewers
784
2.3 miDistilleries • Wineries & Vineyards
Hockley & District Royal British Legion Club
2
0.6 miConvention Centers
Brant Point Lighthouse
357
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lighthouses
Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum
184
Speciality Museums • History Museums
Madaket Beach
276
Beaches
Old Mill
120
2.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Nantucket Atheneum
110
2.7 miLibraries
Jetties Beach
266
Beaches
The Steamship Authority
157
2.8 miFerries
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
265 reviews
Excellent
171
Very good
69
Average
22
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Plage All Day
Potomac, MD14 contributions
Surfside feels like you've gone back in time, with it's wide beaches and big surf. There were families everywhere, dogs running and playing in the water, and kids doing their sandcastle thing.
The beach was unguarded, which was fine with us, though may be a distraction for some.
The beach was unguarded, which was fine with us, though may be a distraction for some.
Written April 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
John C
Destin, FL246 contributions
Couples
Finally found a way to drive out to the nude beach at Nantucket with our Jeep only to find that they don't allow vehicles any more. No signs, but most of the access point have been closed off. While we were there at least a dozen sun bathers told us that vehicles aren't allowed. Don't know why they can't put up signs or block the two remaining access points.
Written October 5, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DanaeT
London, UK132 contributions
Family
The beach is empty in the morning, but there were lifeguards so it's safe. People seemed to arrive around noon, but I still don't think it would get too crowded. There is a place to buy some food and the views up and down the beach are gorgeous. Lots of birds. We bicycled here and had a lovely walk.
Written July 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FrequentFlier819932
Brooklyn, NY1 contribution
Nice beach, easy to access by pubic transport, plenty of life guards, restrooms and food available. It gets really crowed during the summer and despite its name there is often little to no surf. If you don't need a life guard there are better beaches easily available.
Written April 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cartman1968
Boston, MA51 contributions
Solo
This is a pretty beach. The problem is that it is really not that safe to swim in in my opinion. The water today there was very warm. Not as warm as Jetties but surprisingly close to it. If they didn't have lifeguards here I would say forget it. The view of the planes landing is nice too. The problems though stem from the roughness of the waves and the riptides. The waves here are pretty to look at but they crash right at the edge of the beach. You cannot realistically surf or bodyboard here. You could ride them with a skimboard but you would have to be an expert or pro- level skimboarder to do it without breaking your neck. You don't walk out very far at all before you sink knee deep into a mix of sand and shells and then it suddenly drops off and I am talking like 5 feet from the damn beach. So you feel like you're in quicksand but with crashing waves knocking you over and the threat of rip tides. I'm not being paranoid. Signs at the entrance warn about exactly what I am talking about. I LOVE the beach and I love to get in the water and swim. Pictures do not offer any clue to how it is when you are there- they make it look serene. If you are going to sunbathe and go in up to your ankles it's fine. But this is not the kid-safe sort of beach or even casual swimmer kind of beach that Jetties is.
Written August 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
hotre
Massachusetts3 contributions
Surfside beach is absolutely fabulous! The waves are huge, the water's clean, and the sand is soft & free of shells. There is hardy any seaweed at all, which makes walking into the water more enjoyable. The undertow can be strong & I wouldn't recommend it for small children.
Written July 23, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
OKtravelgirl
7 contributions
We've been to Nantucket many times and always have to visit Surfside Beach just to sit and watch the waves. I don't know what it is about Surfside, but I always feel closer to God when I'm there. It's awesome!
Written September 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Joel137
Delray Beach, FL462 contributions
Couples
We took the public bus to Surfside and it is a beautiful beach. Not sure if the wav3s are always like this, but these were enormous and beautiful to watch crashing. There were quite a few surfers attempting (not always successfully) to ride.
Inviting sand, plenty of room as this is a very large beach.
Great snack stand offering sandwiches, burgers, wraps, lemonade and ice cream...along with restrooms.
A great day at the beach!
Inviting sand, plenty of room as this is a very large beach.
Great snack stand offering sandwiches, burgers, wraps, lemonade and ice cream...along with restrooms.
A great day at the beach!
Written July 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
KimDodd
Enfield, CT31 contributions
Family
This beach Is home to one of the most amazing beaches anywhere. The waves are so strong it's thrilling to feel their power!
Written May 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Genny164
East Providence, RI262 contributions
Friends
I love this beach. It is one of my faves. With the bus running on season, it is easy to get to by bike, car or bus. The surf here is great! There is a drop however that makes it hard to get out of the water without getting banged up a bit unless you either have a float of some sort, or you go when the tide is calm. When the waves are high, it is really rough and there is a riptide. Young children should be well supervised. The lifeguards were doing a lot of chatting the day I was there. Pay attention to your own kids! There are restrooms and a snack bar at this beach. It is a bit of a walk to get from there down to the waterfront, but once you are settled, it really is heavenly.
Written September 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Is it surfer freindly
William W
3 contributions
Surfers sometimes hit Surfside in “shoulder” season (June and Sept) but it’s usually too crowded during peak summer months. Better surf at Cisco usually.
Jbroph1
5 contributions
Do they serve beer nearby?
deborah_sangabriel
Brookline, MA24 contributions
No. And this is an isolated section of the island as far as stores and restaurants go.
111Serena111
Nashville, TN
How do you get to Surfside Beach in the offseason if you don't have a bike or car? I don't want to pay for a Taxi. The Wave bus only goes directly to the beach after June 22nd. We (My husband and 9-year old daughter) are visiting Cape Cod the week of the 8th-12th and staying in Truro on Cape Cod. We would like to spend a day on the beach in Nantucket. (Preferring the South side of Nantucket because of the larger waves. We love the waves. ) If we do go to Surfside, is the restaurant or places to buy food/drinks openthere for the season yet? Are the restrooms open year round? If none of these facilities are available, then I am thinking of just taking the bus directly to Madaket beach instead, which I hear is similar but just more remote?
deborah_sangabriel
Brookline, MA24 contributions
All public stuff at Surfside Beach - snack bar; rentals; restrooms public bus from town - pretty much close by mid-September. Only option is a $12 taxi ride (plus a small fee per addition person) from town. Have a phone with you so you can call for a return trip, as taxis don't wait around there (unless you have an appointment with a driver).
A less costly option is Uber. They are said to be expanding to Nantucket, but as of this writing (Nov. 18, 2015), I don't know if they are there yet. Boston Business Journal and Uber claimed Uber would be on the islands by late May 2015, but I have no first-hand experience with that. I'm not a big fan of apps, but if Uber is on Nantucket in autumn 2015, I would use it to get to the more remote places on Cape Cod and the islands.
No restaurants at Surfside Beach, this is a residential side of the island, but the snack bar is seasonally open and reasonably priced. The bus stops right there in season, with a short path to the beach.
Unless you plan on taxis/Uber, etc., Nantucket can be difficult to navigate off-season without a bicycle. I would not take a personal vehicle on to the island unless a passenger has adaptive needs.
Unless you child is an extremely strong swimmer (and unless you are, too), not a great swimming beach. But beautiful for hanging out and dipping your toes in.
Frequently Asked Questions about Surfside Beach
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