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

MV Vacation is an independent guide to Martha's Vineyard, written and photographed on the island. It covers beaches, towns, live webcams, ferry and bus tips, restaurants, bike routes, and events, all researched on the ground and updated for the season.

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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 · 4:08 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 →

4 events happening now on the island

OCT 7 Wed Circuit Arts Fall Film Showcase October 7–11 · 7 PM nightly · West Tisbury Today · in 2h 52m Ends 17 Oct 81st Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby September 13 – October 17 · Island-wide Ongoing since Sep 13 OCT 8 Thu Aquinnah Flea Market Thursdays through October · 10 AM – 2 PM · Aquinnah Tomorrow · in 17h 52m OCT 10 Sat Fall on the Farm at the FARM Institute October 10 · 10 AM – noon · Edgartown This weekend

The island right now

Live weather, community radio and live cams, so you can see and hear the Vineyard as it is this minute.

Martha's Vineyard

61°F

Clear Sky · Feels 55°F

9 mph SSW 47%

Today 63°44°

Thu 67°57°

Fri 67°51°

Sat 63°49°

Sun 64°55° 45%

Water 62°F (NOAA buoy 44020, Nantucket Sound) High tide 10:01 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 route, times and transfer for the big trips from every town, on the VTA's off-season timetable (October 4 to April 15).

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.

MV Vacation in numbers

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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 17 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

All galleries

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

All our Martha's Vineyard guides

200+ articles on the island's beaches, towns, restaurants and trails.

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Island almanac Geography No. 31 of 50 New fact at midnight, island time

Did you know?

More than 40% of Martha's Vineyard's land is permanently conserved from development. Roughly one-third of the island is open to the public for hiking, birding, and exploration.

Island wildlife →

Watch the island with MV Vacation

Videos, guides, live webcams and the tips we would give a friend. Subscribers 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

MV Vacation in numbers

The latest photo galleries

All our Martha's Vineyard guides

Did you know?

Watch the island with MV Vacation

Around the island

Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs

Vineyard Haven harbor

The Aquinnah shore

Edgartown harbor

The ferry crossing

Menemsha Beach

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One short island letter, and all four guides to start

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