Martha’s Vineyard reaches visitors only by boat or small plane, and that separation from the mainland is part of what keeps its character intact: gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, whaling captains’ homes in Edgartown, and a fishing village at Menemsha that still smells like the working harbor it is. Six towns spread across the island each have their own personality, from lively harbor-town energy to the quiet clay cliffs at its western tip, and most visitors end up picking a favorite before the trip is over. The pace tends to slow the moment the ferry docks, and most visitors find that’s exactly the point.
Related: Martha’s Vineyard Travel Guide: Best Tours, Sights and How to Plan Your Trip
Best Things to Do on Martha’s Vineyard
Walk among the gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs
The Campground area holds hundreds of brightly painted Victorian cottages, originally built for Methodist camp meetings in the 19th century, packed tightly along narrow lanes. Nearby, the Flying Horses Carousel, one of the oldest operating carousels in the country, still runs its original hand-carved horses.
See the Aquinnah Cliffs
At the island’s western tip, layered clay cliffs rise above the water in bands of red, orange, and gray, with a lighthouse standing watch above them. It’s a sacred site to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, and a short walk from the cliffs brings you to a small shop-lined overlook.
Explore Edgartown’s whaling history
Edgartown’s harbor is lined with white-columned captains’ houses from the island’s whaling era, and its compact downtown mixes boutique shopping with a genuinely historic streetscape. A short seasonal ferry — really just a small boat — connects to Chappaquiddick across the harbor mouth.
Bike the island’s paved paths
An extensive network of paved bike paths connects several of the towns, making a car-free day trip between beaches and villages realistic for reasonably fit cyclists. South Beach, a long stretch of Atlantic-facing sand, is a popular endpoint, and bike rentals are widely available near most ferry docks.
Watch the sunset at Menemsha
This small fishing village keeps its working-harbor feel, with fishing boats unloading the day’s catch and a couple of no-frills seafood shacks selling lobster rolls to eat at picnic tables facing the water. Sunset here, looking out over the harbor entrance, is a genuine island tradition.
Top-Rated Martha’s Vineyard Tours & Experiences
Practical Tips for Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
June through September is peak season, when nearly all restaurants, shops, and ferries run full schedules; many businesses scale back or close entirely outside these months, so shoulder-season visitors should check ahead.
How to Get There
Ferries run from Woods Hole, Falmouth, and Hyannis on Cape Cod, with Woods Hole handling car traffic. Small planes also serve Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) directly.
Good to Know
If you’re bringing a car, book your ferry reservation well ahead for summer travel, since car slots sell out weeks in advance on busy dates. Many visitors skip the car entirely and rely on bikes, mopeds, or the island’s shuttle bus system instead. Lodging books up early for peak summer weekends, so plan accordingly.
Martha’s Vineyard rewards a slower pace than a typical mainland beach trip — the island is small enough to cover thoroughly but relaxed enough that rushing defeats the point. Pick two or three towns to focus on rather than trying to see all six in a short visit, and leave time for at least one evening with nowhere in particular to be.
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