Holidays to Nantucket

With its moors, sand dunes and wetlands, Nantucket is as popular with wildlife as it is with millionaires. The Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge can be visited by boat or on a tour across the northerly peninsulas in special over-sand vehicles. There’s seal watching at the Great Point lighthouse. Keep your eyes open for the rare birds that make this place their home.

You can’t avoid history on a holiday in Nantucket. The island’s adventuring spirit is on display at the Whaling Museum and the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum. The Brant Point Light is the second oldest lighthouse in the US, while the Nantucket Atheneum library hosts summer lectures. Stop by the African Meeting House to learn about the history of African Americans in Nantucket.

An island that lives on seafood sounds pricey. But while its culinary culture favours the formal, Nantucket also offers dollar oysters at its beach bar happy hours and gastropub crab burgers. Try New England classics like clam chowder and swordfish sandwiches at the seafront markets, or just chill with a homemade ice cream at The Juice Bar.

Franchises are banned in Nantucket, so every store is unique, from independent beauty brands to bohemian swimwear. At Murray’s Toggery Shop, you’ll find the local fashions, including signature red trousers. Local institution Nantucket Looms has been weaving cashmere wraps for 50 years. Saving your pennies? Head to the Hospital Thrift Shop, going strong since 1929, or tuck yourself into Mitchell’s Book Corner with a new read.