Things to do in Martha's Vineyard
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Martha's Vineyard
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Warm, everything open, crowds and prices below peak.
Peak. Warmest swimming and all events, with highest prices and booking pressure.
Shoulder. Pretty and quieter, with partial opening in May and fall events in October.
Worst for a conventional visit. Cold wind and many hotels and restaurants closed.
What's on
- Grand Illumination Night mid August, Wednesday evening
Gingerbread cottages light paper lanterns after a community sing in the Tabernacle.
- Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair late August, four days
Livestock, rides and fair food in West Tisbury. Go on a weekday evening.
- Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival early to mid August, about nine days
Oscar qualifying short film festival anchored at the Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs.
- Oak Bluffs Fireworks late August, Friday night
Fireworks over Oak Bluffs harbour, best watched from Ocean Park with a picnic.
- Edgartown Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks 4 July
Small town parade plus harbour fireworks in Edgartown.
- Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby mid September to mid October
Fishing derby whose Edgartown weigh ins are a spectator ritual.
- Morning Glory Farm Pumpkin Fest mid October
Pumpkin festival with live music and farm food at Morning Glory Farm.
- Martha's Vineyard Film Festival March
The off season cultural pick for a deliberate winter trip.
Best things to do in Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association
Walk 300 plus painted gingerbread cottages around the Tabernacle, the most distinctive stroll on the island.
Flying Horses Carousel
Ride the oldest platform carousel in the US and grab for the brass ring that wins a free ride.
Aquinnah Cliffs
See multi coloured clay cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse at the wild western tip of the island.
South Beach
Three miles of Atlantic barrier beach with surf on one side and calm pond water on the other.
Joseph Sylvia State Beach
Calm Sound water for family swimming plus the famous Jaws Bridge jump along Beach Road.
Martha's Vineyard Museum
The island story in one building, from Wampanoag and whaling history to hands on exhibits for kids.
Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse
Walk past whaling captains houses to the harbour lighthouse for the classic view back over Edgartown.
Morning Glory Farm
Island farm stand famous for sweet corn, pies and picnic supplies, loved by locals all season.
Where to stay in Martha's Vineyard
Edgartown
first trip, couples, classic Vineyard
Prettiest harbour town, best restaurants and the Chappy Ferry, at the island highest prices.
Oak Bluffs
groups, families, lively evenings, better value
Harbour, cottages, beaches and nightlife in walking distance, livelier and cheaper than Edgartown.
Vineyard Haven
car free, shoulder season, practical base
Year round ferry port, real town shops and the museum, with modest in town beaches.
Up-Island (West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah)
retreat, weekly rental, with a car
Farms, space and dark skies, but rentals not hotels and a drive for every dinner.
Think twice about
- Up-Island without a car
Buses thin out early, taxis are scarce and evening food is far away. Isolation, not danger, is the problem.
- Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs and over Main Street, Edgartown
The island nightlife concentrates on these streets in August. Light sleepers should choose rooms away from them.
- Remote Katama and far Edgartown rentals without transport
Beautiful houses on dark unpaved walks with no pavement. You will drive to everything.
Best restaurants in Martha's Vineyard
l'étoile restaurant
French inflected fine dining in a captains house, the island benchmark for a special dinner.
Detente
Tiny candlelit room with inventive pastas, local scallops and a deep wine list off Winter Street.
State Road
Farm tavern cooking island produce and grilled fish, the Up Island dinner worth driving for.
The Red Cat Kitchen
Chef driven Oak Bluffs dinner with bold local seafood, generous portions and a lively room.
Larsen's Fish Market
Order a hot buttered lobster roll at the counter and eat on the dock as boats unload.
Menemsha Fish Market
The purist half of the great Menemsha lobster roll argument, best settled with a beach taste test.
Lookout Tavern
Harbour view deck for sushi, fish tacos and groups, opposite the Oak Bluffs ferry landing.
Among The Flowers Cafe
Garden cafe behind Main Street for big breakfasts, salads and shaded people watching.
Outdoor things to do in Martha's Vineyard
Farm Neck Golf Club
Championship semi private golf with holes down to the Sound, the island headline round.
Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links
Rustic nine hole links reached by the Chappy Ferry, relaxed, scenic and great value for the island.
Mink Meadows Golf Club
Semi private nine hole course in the woods near Vineyard Haven, the locals regular game.
Island Spirit Kayak
Paddle sheltered Sengekontacket Pond from State Beach with rentals and well reviewed guided tours.
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge
Trustees tours explore barrier beach, salt marsh and Cape Poge Light on wild Chappaquiddick.
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Gentle trails, osprey and salt marsh on Sengekontacket Pond for the island best cheap nature half day.
Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
Cycle paved forest trails or the Beach Road path between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown past State Beach.
Long Point Wildlife Refuge
Atlantic surf on one side and a warm calm pond on the other, with trails and seasonal paddling.
Best hotels in Martha's Vineyard
Harbor View Hotel
Grand harbour hotel with porch views to the lighthouse, pool and bikes, the default luxury base.
The Charlotte Inn
Edwardian inn of antiques and gardens on a quiet Edgartown street, built for special occasions.
Winnetu Oceanside Resort
Family luxury resort near South Beach with tennis, pool, kids programming and a town shuttle.
Summercamp
Playful harbour front hotel steps from Circuit Avenue, cottages and the ferry, great for groups.
Nashua House Hotel
Small Victorian hotel off Circuit Avenue, the least expensive proper hotel room in Oak Bluffs.
Dockside Inn
Modern harbour front inn with clean rooms and an easy walk to ferries, beach and dinner.
Mansion House Inn
Main Street inn with spa and indoor pool near the ferry, the sensible shoulder season fixture.
Martha's Vineyard Family Campground
The island only campground, with tent, RV and cabin options under the oaks at camping prices.
Is Martha's Vineyard expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $375 a person |
| Splurge | $750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Farm Neck Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links: a few days ahead
- Mink Meadows Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Island Spirit Kayak: a few days ahead
- Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge: weeks ahead
- Harbor View Hotel: months ahead
- The Charlotte Inn: months ahead
- Winnetu Oceanside Resort: months ahead
- Car ferry reservations for summer must be made months ahead.
- Good mid range rooms and dinners at the top restaurants go weeks to months ahead in season.
- Farm Neck tee times, Trustees tours and charters need days to weeks in summer.
Is Martha's Vineyard safe?
- Atlantic rip currents at South Beach and other ocean beaches. Swim at lifeguarded spots.
- Ticks carry Lyme disease on trails and refuges. Use repellent and check after.
- Unlit Up Island roads at night are shared with deer and cyclists. Drive slowly.
Martha's Vineyard travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Many famous Up Island beaches are resident only in summer. Verify beach passes before renting.
- Paying harbour view prices for every meal when Menemsha markets and farm stands eat better for less.
- A noon to five day trip only shows Oak Bluffs at its most crowded. Take the earliest and latest boats.
Getting around Martha's Vineyard: public transport and more
- Steamship Authority from Woods Hole is the only car ferry and only year round ferry. Foot passengers walk on.
- Vineyard Transit Authority buses link all six towns and carry bikes. Taxis thin out Up Island and late at night.
- A car only earns its ferry fare for Up Island bases, small children, or a week of daily ranging.
Who Martha's Vineyard suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Martha's Vineyard your trip
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