Towns · Martha’s Vineyard
Six towns, and the places between them
Down-island is the ferry ports and the walkable centers. Up-island is farmland, hills and the road running out. Which end you are on decides the whole day.
The six towns
The old whaling port: white captains’ houses, the lighthouse, and the restaurants that fill in summer.
Gingerbread cottages, Ocean Park, the Flying Horses carousel, and most of the island’s nightlife.
The year-round ferry port. Bookshops, boatyards and the harbor that never fully empties.
Wampanoag land, the clay cliffs and the westernmost point on the island.
Districts and villages worth their own guide
A commercial fishing village at the end of the road, and the sunset the island turns out for.
An island off the island. Remote beaches, Mytoi garden, and no bus service.
Each town shows a different side of island life. The shorthand locals use: down-island means Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven: the ferry ports, most of the restaurants and the walkable centers. Up-island is West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah, where the roads narrow, the farms start and the last few miles take longer than the map suggests.
A
B
CA: the Edgartown light at the harbor mouth; B: the Grange Hall in West Tisbury, built 1859; C: the clay cliffs at Aquinnah, the far end of the road.
Know Before You Go
How the island is laid out
Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. The ferries land here, the bus runs frequently, and you can do a whole trip on foot.
West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah. Farms, hills and far fewer services. A car or a bike helps; the bus runs, but less often.
Chilmark is fully dry, so its restaurants are BYOB (bring your own bottle). West Tisbury and Aquinnah pour beer and wine with meals; the only package stores are in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs.
Part of Edgartown, across the harbor mouth on the On Time ferry, a 527-foot crossing. No VTA service on the other side.
Keep Reading
Keep exploring
Three free downloads · 2026The Beach Guide, the Fall Guide and Where to StayEvery beach decoded, the fall season date by date, and every town and price band for sleeping over: three PDFs, free with the island letter.No spam, one click to leave. See a sample firstWalk each town before you choose one
Unedited walking tours, filmed at pavement pace.
Edgartown Martha's Vineyard Walking Tour
Main Street Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard Walking Tour
Vineyard Haven Main Street , Martha's Vineyard Virtual Walking Tour
Walking Tour Vineyard Haven Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard Walking Tours Hyperlapse
Gingerbread Houses Oak Bluffs Walking Tour