Travel advisoryStorm Warning on the ferry waters until Sun 10 AM · Steamship Authority travel advisory · Coastal Flood Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 PM · High Wind Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 AMThe Steamship Authority is continuing to monitor the forecast for the upcoming nor'easter that is expected to have significant effects for Cape Cod and the Islands through Sunday. We are waiving change and cancellation fees for travel scheduled for through Sunday, September 27.Steamship Authority · checked 2:30 PM ET
The pond at Mytoi on Chappaquiddick, pines and maples leaning over still water. Late May is the garden's best fortnight, when the azaleas and the Japanese primroses are out and the summer crowds are still a month away.
Martha's Vineyard in May: highs around 65, a 53 to 55 degree ocean, crowds at 2 out of 10 and the cheapest rooms of the year; Lambert's Cove and Lucy Vincent open to everyone before their sticker seasons, Mytoi and the gardens at their best, what is actually open, the ferry switch on May 15 and what Memorial Day weekend changes.
May is the month the island belongs to the people who live here and to the few visitors who know what it is for. It is not a beach month: the ocean is 53 to 55 degrees, the highs average 65, and a cold wind off the water can undo a sunny forecast. It is a walking month, a garden month and the cheapest month of the year to sleep here, with rooms 50 to 80 percent below August and the two most exclusive beaches on the island open to anyone who walks down to them. The trade-off is that only 40 to 50 percent of restaurants are open, and the ones that are keep short hours until Memorial Day. Here is what May actually gives you, week by week, and how to plan around the gaps.
The water is the thermostat: it keeps the island cool in spring the way it keeps it warm in fall. Eight to twelve rain days, and fog when the warm air meets the cold Sound. Pack a medium jacket, not a beach bag.
The Winnetu opens mid-May at about $325 a night for a room that costs about $1,475 in August. Across the island spring rates run 50 to 80 percent below peak, and last-minute availability is real.
Through May 13 the Steamship runs 14 round trips a day, Vineyard Haven only, and a car is $115.50 each way. From May 15 the peak car fares start ($127 midweek, $168 weekends) and boats begin landing in Oak Bluffs. The Island Queen from Falmouth starts Memorial Day weekend.
The beaches nobody can keep you off
This is the part of May that repeat visitors keep to themselves. Lambert’s Cove in West Tisbury does not start its resident sticker season until mid-June, and Lucy Vincent in Chilmark not until June 1. In May both are open to anyone who walks down the path: the two beaches that the island argues about all summer, empty, free, with the light coming in low over the Sound at Lambert’s and the clay cliffs standing in the surf at Lucy Vincent. Bring a jacket and leave the swimsuit. Our Lambert’s Cove and Lucy Vincent pages cover the walk in from the road. The public beaches are open too, of course; note that dogs are already banned from State Beach (from April 1) and from the Oak Bluffs beaches from May 15, so the dog guide matters even in the quiet month.
Edgartown · Lighthouse BeachPhoto by MV Vacation
Lighthouse Beach in Edgartown on a grey spring evening, the tide line marked in foam and the lighthouse at the far end. In May you can walk it without meeting anyone.
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What is open, honestly
Vineyard Haven is the reliable town in May, because it is the year-round town: the Black Dog Tavern on the harbor, the ArtCliff Diner (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), the Net Result for fish and the Scottish Bakehouse from six in the morning. Edgartown keeps a year-round core, Atria, Alchemy and the Square Rigger among them, and Oak Bluffs has Offshore Ale every day. The seasonal places come back on a schedule you can plan around: Among the Flowers and Back Door Donuts by mid-April, the Coop and the Cardboard Box by late April or early May, and the last wave, Chesca’s, Détente and the Covington, for Memorial Day weekend. Circuit Avenue is mostly shuttered in April and fills in through May. The year-round guide and the spring guide keep the running list; check the day’s hours before you count on any one place.
What May is for
Know Before You Go
The May plan
GARDENS
Mytoi on Chappaquiddick, $10 in season, is at its best in late May; Polly Hill Arboretum’s grounds are open year-round and effectively free until the visitor center opens for Memorial Day. Daffodils run along the roadsides into mid-May; Featherstone hangs its Art of Flowers show every May. See the Mytoi guide.
WALKS
Cedar Tree Neck, Menemsha Hills, Felix Neck and Long Point, all empty, and tick season is only beginning, so the trails are at their kindest. The Felix Neck guide covers the ospreys, which are back on the nests by now.
FISHING
The spring striped bass run, and the mid-May worm hatch at Lake Tashmoo that the shore anglers plan their year around.
THE MARKETS AND THE FARMS
The farm stands open through May and the Garden Club plant sale fills the Old Mill on Memorial Day weekend; the West Tisbury Farmers Market itself does not start until June 6. The farm stand guide has the honor-box hours.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
The switch flips: the Oak Bluffs boats, the Island Queen, the seasonal restaurants and the parade on the Monday. If you want the quiet version of May, come before it.
Vineyard Haven · State RoadPhoto by MV Vacation
A pot of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils outside a State Road bakery in spring. The island does its flowers quietly; the roadsides and the shop fronts carry them through May.
Where to sleep
The year-round inns are the May answer and they are cheap: the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven with its indoor pool for the cold days, the Charlotte Inn, Hob Knob and Nobnocket. The hostel in West Tisbury opens May 15 and the campground May 20, which puts the floor of a May trip at about $40 a night. Rentals are the other spring story: far more inventory than summer, lower rates, and last-minute availability that is unthinkable in July. Price your dates in the calculator, then read the budget guide; a May week is the cheapest week on this island.
Chappaquiddick · a bench at MytoiPhoto by MV Vacation
A bench on the gravel path at Mytoi under clipped pines. In May you will usually have it to yourself.
Should you come in May?
Yes, if you are coming for the island and not for the ocean: walkers, gardeners, birders, anglers, couples who want the good inns at a third of the price, and anyone who wants Lambert’s Cove to themselves. No, if a beach day is the point, or if you want every restaurant open; for that, wait for late June, and read the June guide. And if you can choose any month, the month-by-month guide makes the case for September, which has the same quiet with warm water.
For walking, gardens, fishing and cheap rooms, yes: highs around 65, crowds at 2 or 3 out of 10 and rates 50 to 80 percent below August. For swimming, no: the ocean is 53 to 55 degrees.
What is open in May?
About 40 to 50 percent of restaurants, concentrated in Vineyard Haven and a year-round core in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, with the seasonal places reopening through the month and the last wave for Memorial Day weekend. Grocery stores, the ferry, the buses, the museum and the trails are all open.
Can I use the resident-only beaches in May?
Yes. Lucy Vincent’s sticker season starts June 1 and Lambert’s Cove’s in mid-June, so in May both are open to everyone on foot.
Do I need a ferry reservation in May?
Not on foot, ever. For a car the shoulder fare is $115.50 each way through May 14 and reservations are easy to get; from May 15 the peak fares and the summer demand begin.
What changes on Memorial Day weekend?
The Steamship boats start landing in Oak Bluffs, the Island Queen starts from Falmouth, the last seasonal restaurants open, the Garden Club plant sale fills the Old Mill and the parade runs on the Monday. Come before it for the quiet, or on it for the first taste of summer.
How we checked this
Temperatures, ocean readings and the percentage of restaurants open are the figures in our month-by-month guide; ferry timetables and fares are the Steamship Authority’s 2026 schedule; beach sticker dates are the towns’ own 2026 rules; reopening dates for restaurants are from the businesses as published in spring 2026 and will move a week or two each year. Confirm hours on the day.
Island tip of the dayTransportNo. 11 of 86New tip at midnight, island time
Uber and Lyft operate on MV but surge hard in peak season. Local taxis are often steadier: a typical cross-town ride runs about $28, van-pool style, and airport pickups add a small rideshare surcharge.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general guidance only and was accurate at the time of writing. Beach conditions, hours, prices, lifeguard schedules, ferry fares, and business operations change frequently and without notice. Ocean swimming carries inherent risks including rip currents, undertow, and cold water shock. Always verify current conditions with official local sources before your visit. MV Vacation assumes no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience resulting from the use of this information. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, supervise children at all times near water, and follow all posted safety signs.
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