Twenty miles long, nine wide, and six towns that do not feel alike. Aquinnah's cliffs mark the far western end.
Plate 01
Martha’s Vineyard is an island just south of Cape Cod. People come for the beaches, the harbors and the pace, and stay longer than they planned because the island is small enough to cross in an hour and varied enough that the two ends have almost nothing in common. The sections below follow an island day: the crossing at first light, the towns at midday, the sand in the afternoon, Menemsha when the sun drops.
The Record
The island by the numbers
Getting here
Forty-five minutes from Woods Hole, year-round, and the only way most vehicles get here. Car spots can sell out months ahead; walking on is easy.
Most visitors arrive by ferry from Woods Hole on the Steamship Authority. Seasonal ferries run from Hyannis, Falmouth, Quonset and New Bedford, and there are direct flights in season. If you are bringing a car in summer, the hard part is getting the reservation.
Morning · once you land
Getting around
You can reach almost anywhere here without a car. Our bus guide plots the routes and the transfers.
A white ferry out on the water, seen over the green shrubs and an old wooden fence on the shore.
Midday · pick your port
The six towns
Six towns share the island, and they do not feel alike. Down-island is the ferry ports and the walkable centers; up-island the roads narrow and the farms start.
EdgartownDOWN-ISLAND The old whaling town: the lighthouse, the white captains’ houses, the restaurants and the beaches beyond them. 
Oak BluffsDOWN-ISLAND Gingerbread cottages, the carousel and most of the island’s nightlife. 
Vineyard HavenDOWN-ISLAND The year-round port. Local shops, working boatyards and the sailing culture that goes with them. 
West TisburyUP-ISLAND Farms, artisans and Alley’s General Store, which has been trading since 1858. 
ChilmarkUP-ISLAND Rolling hills, stone walls, and Menemsha at the end of the road. 
AquinnahUP-ISLAND Wampanoag land, and the clay cliffs that most people picture when they picture the island. 
The beaches
Beaches on three shores, and the afternoon is the warm end of the day. The Sound side is calm; the Atlantic side has the surf.
Every town has sand. These are the four visitors ask about most. The full list is here, grouped by which shore you are on and who is allowed on it.
Edgartown harbor at sunset, the moorings full and a small inflatable crossing in the foreground.
A B 
C A: a working fishing harbor in Chilmark that has not been prettied up; B: a mat path over the sand in Edgartown; C: the road over the bridge at State Beach, right at the Entering Edgartown sign.
The island on the move
Our own footage: a hyperlapse through the towns, a summer evening ride from Oak Bluffs to Vineyard Haven, and a winter drive up-island to the cliffs.
Late day · out and about
Things to do
Sailboats on the moorings in Vineyard Haven harbor, the island’s sailing town, in low golden light.
All day · the locals
Wildlife and nature
Ospreys, deer, ocean birds and wild turkeys are all common sights. For walking, the Land Bank trails are among the best on the island, and our wildlife guide covers what you are likely to see and when.
They have the run of the place, and they do not move for cars.
Sunset at Menemsha
People arrive early, spread out along the sand and the jetty, and applaud when it goes.
The island gathers at Menemsha for the sunset ritual. Parking fills an hour or two before the light drops, so it pays to come early, and dinner comes straight off the fishing boats. Chilmark is a dry town, so a sunset bottle has to come from down-island. Our Menemsha guide covers the harbor, the fish markets and the timing.
Evening · the table
Where to eat
The island runs from seafood shacks to farm-to-table dining rooms, with a few late-night options. The full restaurant guide has the rest.
The blue takeout window at a Chilmark fish market, with a Voted Best Seafood Market on the Cape sign taped up inside.
Events and festivals
The music runs year-round; the calendars fill in summer.
Baskets of vegetables, fruit and sunflowers at the Agricultural Fair in August, with the ribbons already handed out.
The night · a bed
Where to stay
Lodging runs from small inns to the old harbor hotels and private rentals. Summer dates go early, so months ahead is the time to book. Our full where-to-stay guide goes into the trade-offs town by town.
The porch of the Morgan Hotel on an Oak Bluffs side street, with the water at the end of the road.
Any day of the year
When to come
Not sure which month is yours? The month picker compares all twelve with verified climate and ferry data.
Snow on the gingerbread cottages in the winter of 2026: the island in the season most visitors never see.
Know Before You Go
Practical things worth knowing
Layers, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. Evenings cool off sharply, even in August.
Groceries and dining cost noticeably more than on the mainland.
Summer ferry reservations for vehicles are made months in advance. Walking on is easy; driving on is not.
Beaches have seasonal restrictions and they vary by town. Check the signage at the entrance.
State Beach, the farms and the town centers are the reliable ones with children.
Questions
Questions first-timers ask
Do I need a car on Martha’s Vineyard?
Not for a first visit. The VTA bus is fare-free through June 30, 2027 and reaches all six towns, bikes rent for $25 to $45 a day, and the three down-island towns are walkable end to end. A car earns its keep up-island (Chilmark, Aquinnah, Menemsha) and in the off-season, when the bus thins out; in July and August the vehicle ferry reservation is the hard part.
How do I get to the island?
Most people take the Steamship Authority from Woods Hole: 45 minutes, year-round, walk-on tickets sold on the day, and the only boat that carries cars. In season, passenger ferries also run from Hyannis (Hy-Line, $80 round trip, which since October 2 includes a $3 fuel surcharge each way), Falmouth (Island Queen, about $30), New Bedford (Seastreak, about $84) and Quonset Point. Cape Air flies year-round from Boston; JetBlue and others add summer flights.
When is the best time to visit?
It depends on the trip you want. July and August are peak, with the warmest water and the fullest island. In September the ocean is still warm, the crowds thin and hotel rates typically run 25 to 40 percent below August; June and October are the other shoulder months. November to April is quiet, cheap and partly closed. Our month picker compares all twelve on real numbers.
How many days do I need?
Two nights covers a down-island town, a beach and a sunset. Four lets you reach up-island (the Aquinnah cliffs, Menemsha) and take a day trip to Chappaquiddick without rushing. A week is what most families book, usually in a rental house.
Is Martha’s Vineyard expensive?
Yes, by mainland standards. Every town charges an 11.7 percent rooms tax on top of the bed, and summer rates for a mid-range hotel run $400 to $700 a night. A five-night shoulder-season trip for two with a car on the ferry prices at roughly $3,600 to $5,300 all in; walk on, ride the free bus and eat casually and it drops well under that. The cost calculator does the sum for your own choices.
Can I bring my dog to the beach?
In summer, mostly no: the rules are set town by town and posted at each entrance, and the busiest beaches (State Beach, for one) ban dogs through August 31, and State Beach also keeps them off 9 AM to 5 PM through September. Off-season the same sand opens up. The beach guide lists the rule for each beach.
Keep Reading
Go deeper
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. 
Four free downloads · 2026 The Beach Guide, the Fall Guide, Where to Stay and What It Really Costs Every beach, the fall season date by date, every town and price band for a stay, and the budget guide: four PDFs, free with the island letter. No spam, one click to leave. See a sample first