
Nantucket Island, located 30 miles south of Cape Cod, has become one of the most popular summer resorts in the country and is one of the most Instagram-worthy destinations in the USA. With its unique historical architecture, the blooming colorful gardens and flowers, rose-covered shingle-style cottages, endless beaches, old lighthouses, and more, this is the place to go if you want to take the best summer vacation photos to add to your Instagram feed.
Whether you want to share amazing photos with your friends and followers, or you want to add some exceptional memories and stunning shots to your personal albums and archives, Nantucket is the place to go. Here are some of the most picturesque spots to go-to for the best photos ever.
Rose Covered Shingle-Style Cottages
These are some of the most instagrammable spots on the entire island of Nantucket. You can see them and take as many photos as you want if you head to the eastern coast to the small but quaint village of Siasconset, known for short as Sconset.
The picturesque gray weathered shingle-style cottages with trellis and pink and bright red French roses climbing all over they are the perfect place to take fairytale-like vacation photos.
The best time to enjoy this stunning view starts from the first couple of weeks of July and continues until late fall.
You can find the prettiest of these cottages on Mitchell Street in Sconset.
The Sconset Bluff Walk
When you go to Sconset, don't forget to take the mile-long walking path known as the Sconset Bluff Walk. It is a white sea-shelled path that passes by the rose-covered soft gray cottages, the Sconset Market, and reaches the beach or continues along the bluffs. It is one of the most romantic walking paths in the country and will definitely be the perfect spot to take some incredible photos.
The Sankaty Head Lighthouse
If you are in Sconset, you should walk to the easternmost point where you can take photos of the Sankaty Head Lighthouse. This historic lighthouse is still functioning and is the first lighthouse to receive the mayday signals from the sinking Titanic.
The iconic white and red lighthouse was moved inward into the land over ten years ago to prevent it from collapsing due to the eroding beach. You can take pictures of the ocean, the bluffs, and the golf course, as well as the lighthouse itself.
Brant Point Lighthouse
This is the smallest but the easiest to access lighthouse on the island. It will greet you when you arrive via ferry, and people who leave the island throw pennies from the ferry in the hope of returning to this magical place.
The best time for beautiful photographs at Brant Point is in the summer evenings when the lighthouse is decorated with the American flag. During the annual daffodil festival, the locals decorate the old lighthouse with flower wreaths, and on Christmas, it flaunts a beautiful Christmas wreath.
The Great Point Lighthouse
This is the third lighthouse on the island and the one which is the hardest to reach. But once you are there, you will be glad you took the trip.
It is located on the northernmost part of the island at the end of the Coskata-Cotue Wildlife Refuge. During the ride or walk there, you can enjoy viewing deer, raptors, seals, shorebirds, even white sharks, and all kinds of wild flora. You can also see the largest red cedar savannah in New England while driving to the lighthouse.
But to get there by car, you will need a 4WD vehicle and a special beach permit.
Steps Beach
Steps Beach is one of the over 25 beaches on the island, but it is different from all thanks to the long stair set, which will take you to the beach itself.
The best photo op is from the top of the stairs, where you can capture the stunning Nantucket Sound and beach view and the Nantucket picturesque houses.
Steps Beach is located several miles from town down Cliff Road. Being on the island's northern shore, the water there is warmer and calmer, and the surf is gentler.
You can visit this beach in August and September to view and photograph some stunning bioluminescent sea creatures swimming at night.
The Whaling Museum
Since the whaling industry has played such an important part in the history and lifestyle on the island, you absolutely must visit the local Whaling Museum if you want to learn more about the essence of Nantucket.
It is located in a renovated whaling oil candle factory from the 1840s in downtown Nantucket. There is a gigantic 46-foot sperm whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling and numerous fascinating artifacts, pictures, and exhibits from the time when almost every man on the island worked in the whaling industry. You can also watch documentaries and find out more about the true story of the Essex whaling ship, which inspired the writing of Moby Dick.
Once you are done with the museum, don't forget to head onto its terrace for a stunning view of the harbor.
Galley Beach
For some of the most romantic moments and photos, make sure to go to Galley Beach, especially at sunset. The beach has private cabanas where you can enjoy a lovely time with a glass of rose and a fantastic sunset view.
Despite its name, Galley beach is a restaurant. But it is located on the shore, so you can sit with your toes in the sand and enjoy the elevated local cuisine alongside one of the 5,000 wines listed on the menu.
Whether you choose to sit inside or outside, we are sure that you will have a one-of-a-kind experience at Galley Beach and take some unique photos for your Instagram feed.
The restaurant was named the top place on the East Coast to get married by Oprah Winfrey and has won numerous awards through the years.