Two miles out of town the streets run out at West Chop, where the light still stands over its red-tiled keeper's house and the ferries turn in below.
Plate 01
Vineyard Haven (Tisbury, MA) is the island's main year-round port and its busiest working town. Thousands of travelers arrive daily by Steamship Authority ferry, which makes it the island's front door. Known to the Wampanoag as Nobnocket and later to sailors as Holmes Hole, the town officially adopted the name Vineyard Haven in 1871.
Finding Vineyard Haven
Main Street
Once you step off the ferry, you are already downtown. Main Street is lined with locally owned shops, bookstores, galleries, cafés, and vintage boutiques. It's an easy town to walk, with all of it inside a few blocks.
A 
B 
C A: Main Street at dusk under the bookstore clock; B: the Steamship boat that runs every day of the year; C: Five Corners, the intersection everyone complains about.
Dining in Vineyard Haven
Vineyard Haven eats well, from casual seafood by the harbor to small cafés and a few high-end dinner spots. Tisbury Marketplace adds bakeries, specialty groceries and small local food makers. There are dessert shops and ice cream stands downtown too.
The Black Dog Tavern on the Vineyard Haven waterfront
Places to stay run from small boutique inns to family-friendly lodging.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Vineyard Haven
04 STAYS60 Mount Aldworth Rd, up the hill from Main Street. Seven rooms on two acres of gardens, guests 16 and up, open all year.
A Steamship Authority ferry at the Vineyard Haven slip with the walk-on crowd waiting on the pier. Boats run here all year.
The essentials
The essentials in Vineyard Haven
05 STOPSIsland history, exhibits, and harbor views.
Locally owned storefronts along Main Street.
Films at the historic movie house.
Walk or bike out along the harbor to the point.
An easy ride along the coast.
The street clock on Main Street, a handy place to meet up in Vineyard Haven.
Vineyard Haven has no big surf beaches, but its harbor and pond beaches are calm and easy with kids:
The beaches
Beaches in Vineyard Haven
03 BEACHESKid-friendly, harbor views, and a small playground.
Warm, shallow water, good for families.
A small beach beside the town boat ramp: kayaks, launches and calm pond water more than swimming. The inlet to the Sound is best avoided.
A curving beach on a still, gray day: sand, a wrack line and calm water, nobody in sight.
Wooden rowing dinghies pulled up on the sand in Vineyard Haven Harbor in July, with schooners and the docks behind them.
A year-round town
Vineyard Haven stays open all year. Its grocery stores, hardware shops, bookstores, coffee shops and second-hand stores serve the people who live here, so the town stays busy long after summer. Tisbury is where much of the island's Brazilian community lives and works year-round, and that, along with the trades, the boatyards and the schools, is what keeps the town open in February.
Dinghies tied up at a float in Vineyard Haven Harbor in October, with the ferry at its dock across the water.
American Cruise Lines visiting Vineyard Haven
Questions
Questions about Vineyard Haven
What is the best time to visit Vineyard Haven?
Late spring through early fall, when the weather is warmest and the most shops are open.
What landmarks can I visit?
West Chop Lighthouse, Owen Park, the MV Museum, and Veterans Park.
What activities are available?
Shopping, dining, galleries, harbor walks, biking, and family-friendly beaches.
A hilltop lawn in Vineyard Haven with the harbor and the houses along the shore spread out below.
The Record
Fun facts about Vineyard Haven
Sailboats on the moorings in Vineyard Haven Harbor at sunset, the sky and the water both gone pink.
Vineyard Haven on film
Walks and videos around Vineyard Haven
We've filmed and written up more of Vineyard Haven than any other town. Start with Church Street, then try the State Road walk, Skiff Avenue, an evening beach walk, a full tour around town, the Franklin Street to West Chop run, a sunny-day stroll, or the original full walking tour.
Sunset through bare trees where the road runs down to Lake Tashmoo in Vineyard Haven
+401 More photos: our Vineyard Haven gallery.
Keep Reading
Keep reading
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 More of Vineyard Haven on film
The busiest part of the channel: harbor walks, Main Street and the ferry from every angle.
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