Sunset over the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah, Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

Plan the Vineyard like a local

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Martha's Vineyard Travel Guide: Plan Your Trip Like a Local

Written and photographed on Martha's Vineyard, MV Vacation is an independent island guide: beaches, towns, live webcams, ferry and bus tips, restaurants, bike routes, and events, all researched on the ground and updated for the season. Start exploring below.

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Six towns, twenty beaches. The island from the inside

Every dot on the chart is a real place with its own guide. Pick a town from the map, or take one of the routes in.

Tap a town to open its guide

Island log

From the island, as it happens

2 entries · 4:50 PM island time All entries →

CALMnowAll quiet on the island right nowWhen a storm rolls in, a ferry changes plans or there is a photo worth sharing, it lands here first. Past entries →

Island calendar

Coming Up on the Vineyard

Full events calendar →

5 events happening now on the island

OCT 2 Fri Vineyard Haven First Friday (October) October 2 · 10 AM – 10 PM · Vineyard Haven Happening now · until 10 PM Ends 17 Oct 81st Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby September 13 – October 17 · Island-wide Ongoing since Sep 13 OCT 3 Sat Ladyfest MV October 3 · 1 – 9 PM · Oak Bluffs Tomorrow · in 20h 10m OCT 4 Sun MVCMA Benefit Golf Tournament October 4 · 9 AM shotgun start · Vineyard Haven This weekend

The Island Right Now

Live weather, community radio and a dozen live webcams. See and hear the Vineyard as it is this minute.

Martha's Vineyard

69°F

Partly Cloudy · Feels 68°F

15 mph SW 88%

Today 73°65° 26%

Sat 67°56° 73%

Sun 62°55° 41%

Mon 68°56° 41%

Tue 60°47°

Water 63°F (NOAA buoy 44020, Nantucket Sound) High tide 5:02 PM (Edgartown)

For informational purposes only. Always check the National Weather Service before making travel plans.

Free buses through June 30, 2027

How to get anywhere on the island by bus

The exact route, minute and transfer for every big trip, from any town, verified against the 2026 timetables.

See bus directions

WVVY-LP 96.7 · Island Radio

Volunteer island DJs, live from Tisbury

Full player and schedule →

The free island library

Four guides to the whole island

Our Beach, Fall, Where-to-Stay and What-It-Really-Costs guides, the ones we’d hand a friend before their trip. Join the letter from the Vineyard and all four are yours: a short letter when there is something worth telling, events and seasonal tips, no spam ever.

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On the Water

Shore Fishing on Martha's Vineyard: The Spots You Can Legally Reach, Where to Park and What's Biting (2026)

Oct 02 32 mins read

Martha's Vineyard shore fishing spot by spot: the Oak Bluffs pier, Memorial Wharf, State Beach, Menemsha, Lobsterville, Dogfish Bar, Squibnocket, Lambert's Cove, Tashmoo, Cape Poge, Wasque, Norton Point and South Beach, with legal parking, resident-only rules, hazards and a monthly calendar.

On the Water

Martha's Vineyard Fishing License and Rules (2026): Permits, Size and Bag Limits, the Derby and Where Anglers Can Park

Oct 02 24 mins read

Every rule a visiting angler needs on Martha's Vineyard, checked October 2, 2026: who needs the $10 Massachusetts saltwater permit, freshwater and tuna permits, 2026 size and bag limits by species, what you can keep this month, the Derby, beach-driving permits, pier rules and Aquinnah parking.

Nature and Outdoors

Shellfishing on Martha's Vineyard: Visitor Permits, Scallop Season and Limits, Town by Town (2026)

Oct 02 16 mins read

Shellfishing on Martha's Vineyard town by town: what each of the six towns charges a visitor for a permit and what it covers, where to buy it, weekly limits and sizes, the 2026 to 2027 bay scallop dates published so far, how to check storm and rain closures, and keeping the catch safe to eat.

Fresh from the island

The Latest Photo Galleries

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Gingerbread Cottages and the Campground photo gallery

Just added Gingerbread Cottages and the Campground 48 photos

MV Songwriters Festival 2026 photo gallery

Just added MV Songwriters Festival 2026 13 photos

Restaurants and Cafes 137 photos

Grand Illumination Night 2026 photo gallery

Grand Illumination Night 2026 29 photos

Oak Bluffs in August 57 photos

Agricultural Fair 2026 30 photos

Explore All Our Martha's Vineyard Guides

135+ articles covering every beach, town, restaurant, and trail on the island.

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Island almanac Geography No. 26 of 50 New fact at midnight, island time

Did You Know?

Martha's Vineyard has five lighthouses. Cape Poge Light is believed to be the first lighthouse ever moved by helicopter, airlifted 500 feet back from the eroding bluff in 1987. East Chop Light was nicknamed "The Chocolate Lighthouse" until painted white in 1988.

Island lighthouses →

Watch the Island with MV Vacation

Videos, guides, live webcams and the tips we would give a friend. Subscribe and you will see the new ones first.

Martha's Vineyard Travel Guide: Plan Your Trip Like a Local

Six towns, twenty beaches. The island from the inside

From the island, as it happens

Coming Up on the Vineyard

Featured Posts

The Island Right Now

Four guides to the whole island

Trusted by Locals and Visitors Alike

The Latest Photo Galleries

Explore All Our Martha's Vineyard Guides

Did You Know?

Watch the Island with MV Vacation

Martha's Vineyard Live WebCams by Go MV

Oak Bluffs Circuit Ave Massachusetts

Vineyard Haven Downtown Live

Martha's Vineyard Ocean View Live Webcam

Martha's Vineyard Alpaca Farm Live

Woods Hole Ferry Dock

Chilmark / Menemsha Beach Parking

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