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A local's guide to Martha's Vineyard

This island off the coast of Massachusetts has good beaches, a long history and a real year-round community, and a lot of the best of it sits just past the obvious stops. These are the beaches, trails, museums and places to eat that people who live on Martha's Vineyard use, whether it's your first visit or your tenth.

The six towns

How the island is laid out

Martha's Vineyard has six towns, and each has its own feel:

• Edgartown: old captains' houses around a busy harbor.
• Oak Bluffs: the colorful gingerbread cottages are here, and the town stays lively into the evening.
• Vineyard Haven (Tisbury): the year-round ferry port, where a lot of the island's everyday business happens.
• West Tisbury: farm country, and the center of island agriculture.
• Chilmark: rural and hilly, with some of the island's priciest real estate.
• Aquinnah: the clay cliffs, on land central to Wampanoag heritage.

Island culture

Martha’s Vineyard mixes old New England habits with a big summer arts scene. Writers, politicians and celebrities have vacationed here for decades, mostly because residents leave them alone. People here are used to visitors, and they don't put on a show for them.

The island’s humor is dry and turns up everywhere, including on the door of the tool rental barn at Tilton’s in Vineyard Haven, where the staff have written up their favorite customer questions between the horseshoes. Number one on the door: “I live on Chappy, do I have to pay the full day when I’ll only be using it a couple of hours?”

Planning your visit

When to come

The season shapes the trip:

• July and August: everything is open and everything is busy, the full summer scene.
• May and June, September and October: good weather and far fewer people.
• November to April: lower prices, a slower pace, and mostly year-rounders around you.

If you want our pick, it's late June or early September, when the weather is good and the crowds are manageable.

Getting there and around

• The Steamship Authority ferry runs year-round from Woods Hole, MA. In summer, other boats run from New Bedford, MA, Hyannis, MA, and Quonset Point, RI.
• Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY) has flights to major East Coast cities.
• The Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) runs buses across the island.
• A rental bike is one of the easiest ways around, with more than 30 miles of bike paths.

Places most visitors skip

Beaches

• Lobsterville Beach, Aquinnah: a quiet stretch for beachcombing and fishing. Sunrise here is worth the early alarm.
• Lambert's Cove Beach, West Tisbury: calm, sheltered water that suits families. It’s resident-only during the day in summer, but anyone can come in the evening, which is when the sunsets happen anyway.
• Moshup Beach, Aquinnah: below the clay cliffs. Low tide is the time to poke around the tidal pools. The cliffs are for admiring from a distance: the cliff face belongs to the Wampanoag Tribe and is a National Natural Landmark, and climbing it or taking clay is illegal.

Nature trails

• Menemsha Hills Reservation: 211 acres of woodland and coastal habitat, with about three miles of trails that look out over Vineyard Sound.
• Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary: 4 miles of trails through several habitats. The sanctuary also runs guided kayak tours, which get you onto the pond side.
• Wasque Reservation, Chappaquiddick: remote and windblown, popular with birders and fishermen, with rare shorebirds and seals along the beach.

For more beach detail, see our full Lambert's Cove Beach guide.

Museums and cultural sites

• Aquinnah Cultural Center: the history and culture of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). In July and August the center runs a Wednesday-afternoon guided walk to the Gay Head Cliffs Overlook and the lighthouse.
• Vincent House Museum, Edgartown: the oldest known house on the island, from 1672. The rooms show how island families lived in the colonial era.
• Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Vineyard Haven: in a restored marine hospital, with exhibits on island history, including its whaling past and coastal ecology.

Where locals eat

Four local standbys

• The Net Result, Vineyard Haven: a long-time local spot for lobster rolls and fresh seafood. The homemade chowder is good, and it's an easy place to pick up a beach picnic.
• State Road Restaurant, West Tisbury: cooking built on local ingredients and the restaurant's own gardens. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and the bar seats are kept for walk-ins, which is where many locals end up.
• Larsen’s Fish Market Temporarily closed Closed for the season until May 2027, per its own site, Menemsha: a plain seafood shack with fish straight off the boats. Closed for the season until May 2027; in summer, dinner to go, eaten on the beach while the sun sets over Menemsha.
• Back Door Donuts Temporarily closed Closed for the 2026 season; back in 2027, per its own site, Oak Bluffs: hot donuts sold out the bakery's back door on summer nights (closed for the 2026 season, back in 2027). The apple fritter is the one people line up for.

Quieter things to do

• Menemsha Pond by kayak: sheltered water on the Chilmark–Aquinnah line, with the Elizabeth Islands on the horizon across Vineyard Sound. Our kayaking guide covers the ponds, rentals and safety.
• Island Alpaca Farm: a herd of Huacaya alpacas on a working farm. The farm store sells locally produced alpaca products.
• Mytoi Japanese Garden, Chappaquiddick: a 14-acre garden with winding footpaths, small ponds, and native and exotic plants, and a good spot for a quiet picnic.

Plan the whole trip, one step at a time

Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. Step 2 · DaysDay-by-Day Trip PlannerMorning, afternoon and evening sketched for every day, events dropped in, emailed to you. Step 3 · CostTrip Cost CalculatorFerry, beds with the rooms tax, meals, getting around and activities in one price range.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to see the quieter side of Martha's Vineyard?

Late June or early September, when it's warm and businesses are open but the July and August crowds have not arrived or have gone home. The off-season, November through April, is slower and cheaper, and you will mostly meet year-rounders. Our best time to visit guide breaks it down month by month.

Can visitors use Lambert's Cove Beach?

In summer, daytime access is for West Tisbury residents and renters with a sticker, enforced from 7 AM to 5 PM. After 5 PM anyone may walk in, just in time for the sunset. From mid-September to mid-June the beach is open to everyone. Details in our Lambert's Cove guide.

Do I need a car to reach these places?

Not for most of them. The VTA bus runs across the island and is currently fare-free, and the island has more than 30 miles of bike paths. Felix Neck, State Road Restaurant, the Net Result and, in season, Back Door Donuts are all easy without a car. See Martha's Vineyard without a car.

Can I climb the Aquinnah cliffs or take some clay?

No. The cliff face belongs to the Wampanoag Tribe and is a National Natural Landmark, so climbing it or removing clay is illegal. Moshup Beach below is a lovely low-tide walk, with the cliffs seen from a distance. Our Aquinnah guide explains what to expect.

Which of these spots work well with kids?

Island Alpaca Farm and its herd of Huacaya alpacas usually go over well. Mytoi's 14 acres of paths and ponds make a quiet picnic stop, and Felix Neck has 4 miles of trails plus guided kayak tours. Lambert's Cove in the evening has calm water. More ideas in our family guide.