Cottages at the Boat Basin

The next best thing to staying aboard your own sailboat is booking one of these weathered-shingle cottages, perched on Nantucket Harbor wharves with the sea swishing right below. Most of the 24 cottages (there are studio, one- and two-bedroom options) are spread along Old South Wharf and Swain’s Wharf—both an easy walk from the hub of Nantucket Town—but once you’ve settled in, the sounds of seagulls, slapping halyards, and occasional horns from passing ferries make you feel like you’re bobbing alone on a privately moored yacht. Of course, there are lots of comforts here that would be hard to match at sea—like spacious, comfy sitting rooms gaily decorated in maritime blue, white, and red, many with flat-screen TV’s cleverly hidden inside pine armoires; or the adjacent kitchenettes with their fridges and dining tables; or the slate-floored bathrooms with their walk-in showers and piles of fluffy towels. Best of all, just about every cottage has a private deck, where you can take the morning sun and watch boaties hoisting their sails for the day.

Room to Book: The four cottages at the end of Old South Wharf are our favorites; they’re the only ones that face directly out toward the harbor. Ask for John Jay or Loon (both one-bedroom cottages) or Kittiwake or Mermansion (two bedrooms).