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Best summer activities on Martha's Vineyard: beaches, hiking, sailing, biking, fishing, kayaking, and island events. Your guide to an island summer.
In summer the beaches on Martha's Vineyard are open, the harbors are full and every town is busy. There is enough going on to fill a week without repeating yourself.
Filmed June 2026
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Summer starts at the beach. This one is a private harbor beach on a clear fall day, with moored boats beyond it and a sign pointing to the public beach at the town dock.
The beaches are the main event, and they differ more than first-timers expect, so it helps to pick by what you want to do.
South Beach, also known as Katama Beach, is a long stretch facing the open Atlantic, with strong waves for surfing and boogie boarding and more elbow room than the in-town beaches.
Parking fills early, especially in peak season.
State Beach, stretching between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, is popular with families for its calm water and shallow bottom, though it has no lifeguards. The Jaws Bridge is here too: posted signs prohibit jumping and diving, the tidal current through the channel is strong, and the view is best from the sand.
Menemsha Beach is the fishing-village option, with boats coming in with the day's catch, one of the best sunsets on the island, and fresh seafood from the fish markets.
A dinghy putters through a packed mooring field on a summer day.
A cottage garden behind a picket fence in the Oak Bluffs Campground. When the sun is high, the towns make a good break from the sand: the gingerbread cottages and Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs, the shops and harbor in Edgartown.
Each of Martha's Vineyard's six towns has a different feel.
Edgartown's downtown draws the biggest crowds. The Edgartown Lighthouse, the shops along Main Street and the waterfront restaurants are the usual stops.
Oak Bluffs is the loudest and most colorful of the towns, with the gingerbread cottages, the Flying Horses Carousel (the nation's oldest operating platform carousel) and Circuit Avenue for shopping and dining.
Vineyard Haven, also known as Tisbury, is the island's working port town, home to the Martha's Vineyard Museum, Owen Park Beach and the Black Dog Tavern.
Aquinnah, home to the Wampanoag Tribe, is worth the long drive up-island for the Gay Head Lighthouse, the colored clay cliffs and Aquinnah Beach, also known as Moshup Beach. The cliffs are best admired from the sand at a distance: the cliff face belongs to the Wampanoag Tribe and is a National Natural Landmark, and climbing it or taking clay is illegal.
Chilmark, all rolling hills and farmland, is home to Menemsha fishing village, Lucy Vincent Beach (restricted to Chilmark residents in summer) and the Allen Farm Sheep and Wool Company.
West Tisbury is the island's farm town, with the West Tisbury Farmers Market, Alley's General Store (the oldest operating retailer on the island) and Long Point Wildlife Refuge.
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Handlebars at the end of a ride, where the trail drops you at a quiet stretch of shoreline.
The Black Dog Wharf in Vineyard Haven Harbor, a schooner and motorboats tied up along the docks. Sailing lessons run out of the harbors, kayaks go on the ponds, and bike paths link nearly every town.
There's plenty to do once you're off the sand.
Biking is one of the best ways to explore the island. Popular routes include:
Many rental shops have e-bikes for anyone who wants a little help on the hills.
The island has hiking trails for all skill levels. Some favorites:
On the water, the main options are:
A few indoor stops are worth planning around, especially on a cloudy day.
The Martha's Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven covers the island's history. Exhibits include:
The Aquinnah Cultural Center covers the Wampanoag Tribe's history and culture, with:
Galleries are scattered across the island. A few to visit:
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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. State Beach, the long strip between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. The water is calm, the bottom is shallow and it is free with no sticker, though there are no lifeguards. South Beach has bigger surf and suits older kids and strong swimmers. Our State Beach guide covers parking and the Jaws Bridge.
Menemsha Beach in Chilmark. The sun goes down over the water, the fishing boats come in with the day's catch, and the fish markets sell fresh seafood you can eat on the sand. Arrive early on summer evenings, since the crowd builds well before the sun drops. Our Menemsha guide has the details.
Yes. VTA buses reach all six towns and are fare-free through June 30, 2027, so a walk-on ferry ticket is all you need. Bikes cover the flat down-island paths between Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Our car-free guide lays out the routes.
The island has enough for a week without repeating yourself: beaches, six towns, biking, hiking and museums. A single day works for one town and a beach. Three or four days lets you cover the down-island towns and still make the long drive up-island to Aquinnah and Menemsha.
The cliffs are for looking only. The cliff face belongs to the Wampanoag Tribe and is a National Natural Landmark, so climbing it or taking clay is illegal. The colors show best from Moshup Beach or the overlook, and the Gay Head Lighthouse and the Aquinnah Cultural Center are close by. Our cliffs guide explains the geology.
The Martha's Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven covers maritime history, Wampanoag heritage and the island's African American story. Galleries in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury make a good loop, and Oak Bluffs has the Flying Horses Carousel, the nation's oldest operating platform carousel.
Stargazing on Martha's Vineyard: how dark the island really is (the town lighting bylaws, no official rating), the best moonless nights and Milky Way windows, meteor shower dates 2026–2027 with moon phases, the Chilmark library telescope loan, Felix Neck's moonrise paddle, and what works for night photography with a phone or camera.
Where to go birdwatching on Martha's Vineyard: the top eBird hotspots (Aquinnah Cliffs, Felix Neck, Wasque, Long Point), the seasons from ospreys to sea ducks, the free Martha's Vineyard Bird Club walks with 2026 dates, the Christmas Bird Count and where this week's sightings get posted.
The island's farmers markets, checked October 2026: the West Tisbury Farmers Market at the Agricultural Hall (Saturdays to October 31, 9 AM to noon), the Harvest Festival on October 24, the indoor winter market, Edgartown's summer Tuesday market, and the farm stands that stay open all year.
Where to learn to sail on Martha's Vineyard, checked October 2026: Sail Martha's Vineyard's summer classes on Lagoon Pond, private lessons for adults, Sunfish rentals in Vineyard Haven and Menemsha, schooner and catboat sails, summer races you can watch or crew, and what the wind and currents are like.
All six town libraries on Martha's Vineyard, checked October 2026: hours and addresses, how visitors get a library card, free Wi-Fi, the concerts, art shows and programs, the Libraries of Things with beach chairs and stargazing kits, museum and beach parking passes, and a short history of each building.
Where to play pickleball on Martha's Vineyard in 2026: the town courts in Oak Bluffs (Niantic Park), Vineyard Haven (Lake Street, $20 an hour) and Edgartown, the indoor option at Airport Fitness, fees, how the summer queue works, and why up-island has no public courts.
Island tip of the day Timing No. 61 of 79 New tip at midnight, island time
Visit Edgartown on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Same beautiful town, maybe 30% of the weekend crowds. Most restaurants have availability without reservations.
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