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Nantasket Beach
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26 reviews for Nantasket Beach
The other day my man and I went to Nantasket Beach in the later afternoon (3ish) to relax and go for a swim. Upon arriving we surveyed the scene, and it was much bigger than we'd expected. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of dry sand, so we ended up pretty close to some other people, but it looked like the beach went on and on from where we were.
The sand was pretty decent. It was pretty fine and not rocky at the top. There were a lot of shells and rocks going down the beach though, so walking down to the water we had to be careful.
The water was nice and the waves were small but noticeable. We actually went above our waists and paddled around a bit, which was nice.
It wasn't amazing, but I would definitely go back again. It was pleasant, and I loved how even at 6:00 there were still lots of people. I could see myself spending the whole day there.
Parking was $7, and there seemed to be lots of food nearby. There was also an arcade and mini golf. I could almost see making a "date" of it next time and spending more of the evening.
To enjoy Nantasket Beach, you have to time it right. During high tide most of the sandy areas available to lay on are covered up by the ocean. I have at times, had to lay a blanket out on one of the concrete walls dividing the parking lots and the rocky ocean below. This is certainly not the most desirable of options. When I go to a beach, I want to go whenever I want and lay in an enormous amount of sand/not be located too close to anyone else.
Beach security is pretty hardcore here. You cannot get away with alcohol unless you disguise it immensely. They are very thorough and I guess I have to appreciate that, they are just doing their jobs. The rocky shore is great for climbing along and lounging on to simply watch the waves. Parking can become horrendous on a busy day, but if you visit during the off hours you are in a much better place to park.
Several restaurants on the boardwalk to visit both sit down and quick take out. An old fashioned carousel sits near the beach and patio areas. A bathhouse is available to the public. Beautiful views on a stormy day/night. A pleasant beach to visit, but not the best or most relaxing I have encountered.
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I live literally just down the street from Nantasket, so to say that I grew up on the beach isn't really a lie, or at least I don't think so!
Like countless others have said, it gets crazy busy on hot days, so get there early if you want a place to park your car and plant your butt.
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This was the first beach I went to in Massachusetts ( From Miami , FL) so I wasn't expecting much !
The drive was a nice one. .....it takes some time since there is no direct highway to Hull and 3A so there will be a little traffic if any . Although it is a pretty f*cking scenic drive in my opinion.
It was one of the hottest days of the summer and a weekday ...the beach was packed with people but i wasn't where you couldn't fit...there was plenty of space for everyone to lay out if you wanted to .
The water although very cold at first...was not THAT freezing considering I am in Mass. There was barely any , if any garbage in the water.. VERY CLEAN ... OK crowd ...and there is a few shops where you can buy over-priced , over-rated fries and " beach food " ....or mayb I just hit up the wrong spot....
Any who... even though this wasn't my Miami beach , FL .... it was a cool for my first time going to a beach in mass.
I would def come back to this beach on a hot day
HA! If you have any (and I mean ANY) flaws about your body, feel free to go to Nantasket Beach. This place will make you feel like a supermodel 10x over! Seriously people - cover it up! Yes, I get that you're comfortable in your own skin, so am I, BUT lets have a little class. If you're a size XL, make sure that's what it says on the tag in your bathingsuit before you put it on...make sure you didn't grab the one that said medium that you wore 15 years ago. Spent a few hours here - lots to look at (and I stress LOTS). You'll find me at other beaches in the area - my favorite is Duxbury!
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Even though Google Maps took me on a sketchtastic voyage through Dorchester and beyond to find this beach-- all in all, it was worth my drive yesterday afternoon.
Nantasket doesn't seem to be anything special, nor anything deplorable either. I heard it can get some pretty decent waves, so I am perched on Magic Seaweed nearly every five minutes just waiting for the surf forecast to give me something hopeful. However, I ventured out there yesterday afternoon for some sun time, and was in no way disappointed.
The beach was busy-- but not overly crowded. I got there at the end of the day (about quarter to four), parked for free, and carved out a nice spot for myself. Swam in the ocean for a bit (the water is totally bearable!), got the feel of salt on my skin, and scored some decent tan lines. It was quiet, I wasn't bothered too much (there were a few cat calls from the boardwalk by men whose names I'm sure were something like "Sully" and had "Live Free or Die" Tazmanian Devil tattoos on their biceps, but I think you can expect that anywhere on the shore, north or south), and it was just all in all, peaceful. I took 3A back to the city and the drive wasn't as bad. Some great people-watching real estate, but I can imagine this place gets pretty whacky on the weekends. I will totally be driving here in the future if I need another late afternoon in the sun. And am still holding out for those waves...
The good:
There are two things Nantasket Beach has going for itself:
1. The long beach. If you are in the mood for a long walk along the beach, this is your place. Long long beach gives you plenty of space to go for a romantic walk or clear your mind alone.
2. Compared to other beaches I've been to in MA this summer, this so far is the easiest and cheapest one to park at. We paid $10 and were a step away from the beach. Very cool.
The Bad:
1. High tide: We got there at 10:00 am and set up shop as high as possible on the sand to avoid potential waves eating our stuff later in the day. It didn't matter. By 12:30 we were inches away from the water hitting us. This is a known element to Nantasket vets. High tide and the relatively little left over sand causes people to pretty much retreat to the nearby rocks or move down the beach to snatch up the little left over space. When I go to a beach I want to set up an umbrella, seats, towel, and not have to worry about it again. This issue alone makes Nantasket impossible for me to enjoy as a beach I can relax on.
2. The people: I am not a snob (but rather a normal, in shape, nice looking guy). I don't need to be surrounded by buff and perfect bodies to enjoy a beach, but the company you'll find yourself around in Nantasket is disgusting. Way more than any other beach I've been on this summer in MA. It's like a bad tattoo convention. Just really gross people. This especially hit me when we took a long walk on the boardwalk.
3. Food: Any beach that has a restaurant within walking distance of our umbrella is always a nice plus. Sadly the dining options at Nantasket are less than desirable. We had a quick lunch at Raffael's and were disappointed. The reviews for The Red Parrot here on Yelp are very mixed. Safe to say, bring your own food. One nice touch is that you can go to Dunkin Donuts if desired as you walk along the boardwalk.
I'm going to give this beach two stars simply because you can take a nice long walk on the beach or boardwalk. But I would NEVER return with the prospect of setting up shop along the beach.
PS. Forgot to mention this: no soft sand. Yup, you are forced to walk or lie on hard sand everywhere on the beach. A shame really as a great beach will always feature soft sand in some area. Not here.
When a coworker invited us out to her home in Hull for a day at the beach filled with bevvies and bbq related food, I didn't hesitate for a minute. The drive was fairly quick, You can take 93 South to Rt3, or take 3A all the way. I chose the later considering it was probably one of the hottest days of the summer and I wanted to avoid as much traffic as possible.
The drive was ok, we went through Quincy and Weymouth...and after that, a couple other unmemorable towns before reaching Hull. Some of the history of Nantasket beach is interesting, they used to have a rollercoaster! I'd have liked it more if it was still there. It was fairly high tide and there was barely any room for our party of 7 to plop down our beach chairs and towels. Luckily we found a spot, but the beach was completely COVERED in people. It's not like Nahant where people can let their kids roam out ahead and still have a clear view of what tide pool they're peeing in or who's diaper is completely filled with snails.
The beach was pretty clean as far as I could tell, which was surprising for the hordes of people dying on the hot sand.
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Nantasket Beach has everything I admire in a beach:
1. It's LONG. It's maintained by DCR and at some point it turns into a private beach, but it's totally long enough for many many people seeking cool refuge from the humidity of the city.
2. It's clean, didn't see any trash lying around and they must have recently finished renovating an old Art Deco style bath house. However, the beach isn't sandy per say, it's got a lot of silt fines. And it's ridden with fist sized pebbles.
3. It's only 25 miles from Boston. Sadly, there is no water taxi to Hull on the weekends, but what a great option for the weekday! Maybe.
4. Plenty of shanty-style food places along the boardwalk serving up fish n chips, fried clams, and ... who cares what else! Fried clams are awesome!
5. $3 all day parking! This is great, especially if you arrive around 9 AM.
6. During low tide, there is an endless soppy-clayey flat area perfect for frisbee, skin boarding, football, running, and paddle ball.
All these make a great beach, but just to warn you, there are a few things you need to know as a non-local.
CHECK HIGH TIDE because at high tide, the beach kind of disappears. Arrive about 6 hours before high tide to get a good spot in the parking lot, on the beach, and to enjoy the low tide while it lasts!
BRING A LOUNGE CHAIR because the beach is pebble-y and sometimes moist... not the best for blankets unless you're there early enough to grab a dry spot.
BRING FRIENDS to play volleyball, frisbee and other stuff.
WEAR SUNCREEN of course.
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beautiful beach!! soft sand warm water.. I went for the first time this summer and I've lived in MA my whole life. If you haven't been it's worth the trip.
There are quaint little restaurants across the street from the beach, cheap parking ($3-$10). You will have a good time, and you MUST stay for the sunset.
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Nantasket Beach is the best beach you can get to near Boston. (esp. if you don't have a car)
You can take a water taxi here, and it takes like 20 minutes from Downtown. Truth.
However, you are bound by the schedules. Mind that.
I do miss Paragon Park, as it was the draw here. It was old and cool. There's still the carousel, and some boardwalk stuff. But it's sad, in comparison.
The beach is sand, and the water isn't really cold, and has become pretty clean.
You can see dolphins and seals in the early morning. They've started to crab and lobster right near here. That's all good.
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I know that people have split opinions of Nantasket. Some will say it's not pristine enough, that the sand sometimes has the consistency of dirt, and that it needs a good cleaning up. Me? Well, I've been going here for decades and when I think of a good beach close to Boston I first think of Nantasket.
Sure, there are a few drawbacks...like parking availability (tough on a hot summer day) cleanliness (it could use some improvements) and the fact that the beach shrinks by a lot at high tide. But it's not far from Boston and is somewhat accessible from public transportation. What I like best about Nantasket is that it's a beach for everyone. It doesn't exclude anyone by enforcing some dress code, by making the surrounding roads impassible or by charging a fee. Given the opportunity I'll take Nantasket over any other beach any day.
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It's true, the beach disappears with high tide. Parking is tight. The crowd can be rambunctious.
Nevertheless, it is worth a trip! It's cleaner than people may say...I've never noticed it being particularly dirty. Close proximity to the city, too. There's good people watching, fried seafood, ice cream, an arcade, and Fascination!
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Sure, high tide is a problem.
Yes, you aren't the only one who knows about Nantasket, so it gets a bit crowded.
And I don't totally like the pebbly quality of the beach in parts.
But dirty???!
I always go down to the private side (it becomes private after the beach house), so I've never witnessed any of the dirtiness people are talking about.
While I wouldn't eat the sand and wash it down with a drink from the water, that has nothing to do with its cleanliness.
Overall a good, close beach with lots to do: eat, wander, schmooze, arcade.
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Oh those halcyon summers of my youth, full of innocent seaside fun and frolic, before I learned to fear the sun.
For most of my formative years, my aunt and uncle lived three steps from the beach, on O St. - I spent a good amount of each summer bounding around on Nantasket, chucking rocks at seagulls, burying my cousins up to their necks in the sand at low tide, flexing for teenage girls and then being nearly drowned by their white trash bruiser boyfriends. Then my aunt and uncle got sick of their house being flooded out during each and every hurricane/tropical storm/blizzard that came barreling onto the beach, and this bucolic sun drenched, sand strewn, salt soaked idyll came to an end.
I get there when I can these days, which means once every five years. Paragon Park with its terrifying rickety old wooden roller coaster is long gone, but the carousel is still there. The fried food shacks are still there. The weekend traffic still backs up to Weymouth. And, needless to say, the Hull Sluts are still well represented.
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Nantasket is a great beach for like 3 hours in the morning, and then tons of people are there and it's time to go. Actually, that's most beaches, but this is the nicest "local" one with non-insane parking. If you get there early enough, you can usually get a street spot, or at least a meter spot. This morning I got a meter spot, and as the luck of the draw would have it, it was broken. And the meter actually displayed, instead of the time, a digitalized "FAIL." It was awesome but unfortunately the parking meter was too scratched up to get a good cellphone picture of the phenomenon.
Back to the beach. It's relatively clean for someplace so populated, you get to see sad, sad New England surfers (their surfing isn't sad, just their plight), and the South Shore comes out in droves. Get in by nine and out by noon and you'll thank me -- not to mention miss the traffic. Enjoy! I went today and even though the water was freezing, it was still pretty workable. Good times.
Attention swimmers, children with bodyboards and other assorted chuckleheads: I have gone out of my way to stay away from you whilst indulging in my chosen method of therapy, so WHY do you insist on splashing around in front of me and possibly getting run over when there's 20-30 feet of clear space on either side of me! This thing I'm sitting on? It's gonna leave a mark if it hits you! MOVE!
Ahem.
I surf here because it's kind of close to Boston.
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This place is insane during the summer. It's the most popular beach on the South Shore and if you don't show up before 10 AM on a Saturday morning, you may have to walk for a LONG way before getting to the beach. It's also suburban beach extraordinaire so everyone here will have a humongous cooler, a bunch of chairs and an assortment of beach toys.
The sand is not natural here (or so I am told), but it is fairly nice when it stays clear of occasional syringe and used condom.
This beach used to be super glamorous in the "old days." You can sort of imagine it as it used to be if you squint a lot. There's an old school bandstand where seniors still dance. The carousel has a certain kind of charm and don't forget skee ball!
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Aw, Nantasket...I grew up on the south shore, so this place brings back memories. My parents aren't big day time beach people (I am), so we usually go here at night and for that, it's a great beach. You can walk for miles and miles and I've never experienced the dirty-ness that other yelpers have (in fact, I think it's pretty darn clean). It's peaceful but still semi-close to the city (though my dad used to get lost driving up from Brockton almost every time), which is nice. One of my favorites.
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I thought this was a great beach. Not the Outer Banks of course but it was only an hour drive from where I live in Brighton and that was with traffic. The beach is clean, the waves were just right for me--not too big, not too small. It is mostly smooth underfoot with only a few rocky areas. The beach is long and narrow and there are good restaurants right across the street. The crowd is friendly and it wasn't too crowded. It was pretty perfect--I look forward to going again.
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when i arrived, i wondered why the hard-packed, grey, stone-strewn sand was wet. about 2 hours later, when the water began lapping at my chair, i knew. it's not much of a beach once the tide comes in. typical boardwalk, though i actually did like the arcade. maybe i've been spoiled by bigger beaches - ones that don't disappear at high tide - but i was less than thrilled. another big disappointment was the garbage. it seemed the plastic cups, bags and bottles in the water outnumbered the swimmers. it's a real shame.
on the plus side, it is close to boston, only $3.00 to park, and the waves looked decent for surfing/bodyboarding.
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This place is DIRTY! Hull is Hinghams dirty little sister. Nothing has been updated since about 1972, the assorted food stands offer nothing. Overcooked burgers, frozen chicken and clams, and ice cream you could get at a 7 11. I'm not what you would call in shape, but I know enough not to show off what I don't got, that said, I saw way to many muffin tops walking around. The beach is just full of all kinds of trash, it is an equal opportunity trash beach though. You'll see all shapes, sizes, and colors.
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Not the best beach on the south shore-- It's obvious that this is a public beach once you step foot on the sand. Parking is a pain-- if you can't get into the beach lots (cost $3) or a meter spot- you have to either drive around, or suck it up and pay $15 for a make-shift parking lot spot. Agreeing with other yelpers the beach disappears at high tide. Hull's Kitchen-- on the street strip is a good place for lunch, cute patio for people watching while you eat cause we all know the main reason people go to the beach is to People Watch!
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Really, the only annoying thing about this beach is that is disappears at high tide. That just means you need to do a little planning before heading out. Compared to other New England beaches, Nantasket is neither rocky nor cold and the water is quite clean and clear. It's also long enough that there is plenty of room for everyone. Would I prefer it if my fellow beach-goers did not feed the seagulls? Sure. Will that keep me away? Not a chance. :)
dirty.
dirty
dirty
dirty.
it's a long stretch with little carni attractions/rides along the way. The 'sand' is rocky and did I say dirty?
EW!
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It's good only when it is low tide and somewhere to sit. You must get there early and set up on the far right corner near the rocks otherwise there is zero beach left. I gave it three stars because it is somwhere fun to bring the kids to if you have them. You have the carousel, ice cream, video game place, etc. It's always had a reputation of being a dirty beach but whenever I go it is really clean. I would have given it more stars if the actual "beach" existed during high tide!
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