2023 Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Guide
Martha’s Vineyard likes to play hard to get. This remote, east coast island is reachable only by ferry boat—and known for hosting many famous celebrities and politicians. It’s no wonder that the island has a reputation for exclusivity. However, there’s more to Martha’s Vineyard than meets the eye, and it’s actually the perfect spot for a summer vacation in 2023. Let’s break down how to plan the perfect East Coast getaway. Your Martha’s Vineyard vacation awaits…
An Unforgettable Martha’s Vineyard Vacation
In reality, a Martha’s Vineyard vacation offers a wide variety of experiences for just about every type of traveler, including a multitude of ecotourism offerings. From accommodations, to food, to excursions, the island’s tourism economy focuses on preserving its natural beauty and educating visitors on important aspects of environmentalism. The Vineyard’s unique local economy and miles of forest land make it easily one of the most special places to explore in the U.S.
As two sisters who have spent many summers living on the Vineyard, we still find new places to explore!
We have one or two ideas about what to do on-island during the summer time–and we’re going to share the very best that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer. So pack your bags and let us plan your trip…
Riding the ferry to Martha's Vineyard
Rocky coast of Martha's Vineyard
Traveling To Martha’s Vineyard
First things first, you have options when it comes to how you reach the island:
Option 1: By Plane
Fly directly onto Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) via select airlines. Most flights will have a connection in Boston or New York City.
Option 2: Plane & Bus
Fly into Boston Logan Intl. (BOS) airport and take a Peter Pan coach bus to the ferry located in Woods Hole, MA. Board the ferry as a passenger for $9.50.
Option 3: Plane & Rental Car
Fly into Boston Logan Intl. (BOS) airport and rent a car to drive to the ferry located in Woods Hole, MA. Bringing your rental car across on the ferry will cost approx. $100 each way. You will also need to reserve a space on the ferry for this vehicle well in advance of your trip.
Option 4: Drive
If you’re within driving distance, make a reservation well in advance to bring your car across on the ferry. This will cost you approx. $200 round trip, but it will be well worth it to have a vehicle to explore the island with.
We should also note that there are car rental companies on island, so you can rent a car once you arrive. Beware that these rentals are usually expensive as demand is always high during the summer months.
What We Recommend
Ultimately, flying directly onto the island is the most hassle free experience. If you book far in advance, flights are often more affordable.
If you’re within driving distance, take your own vehicle across on the ferry so that you can use it to explore the island during your stay.
Lastly, don’t fear the Peter Pan busses! The bus system is the best option if you fly into Boston Logan airport, and it’s a seamless experience on a nice coach bus. This is often the most affordable option.
Where to Stay On Martha’s Vineyard
Most visitors choose to stay “down island” in one of the two most popular towns: Edgartown or Oak Bluffs. Edgartown invented the east-coast island aesthetic. It’s here that you’ll find a lighthouse, a quaint downtown filled with shops, and mouthwatering farm to table restaurants.
On the other hand, Oak Bluffs is busier and livelier, with a variety of more casual restaurants, a stunning harbor, and a vibrant nightlife.
Finally, you can also choose to stay “up-island” in one of the less touristy towns, like Chilmark, which is perfect if you really want to get away.
All in all, each town has a distinct vibe, so it helps to know what type of experience you’re looking for as you book your stay. Truthfully, you can’t go wrong with any of these three spots, it just depends what your travel type is.
Below we’ve listed (and linked) our favorite stays in each town.
The Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown
Gingerbread Cottages in Oak Bluffs
Edgartown
Luxury: Harbor View Hotel & Winnetu Oceanside Resort
Budget Friendly: Airbnb
Eco boutique: The Hob Knob
Oak Bluffs
Up-Island Accommodation
Lambert’s Cove Inn & Resort – West Tisbury
The Beach Plum Inn – Chilmark
Menemsha Inn & Cottages – Chilmark
Aquinnah Shop Restaurant
Oysters at the Port Hunter
Where to Eat On Martha’s Vineyard
If you’re a foodie, Martha’s Vineyard is the place for you. Check out our full post on Martha’s Vineyard Dining: A True Farm To Table Experience, to learn more about the sustainably-minded restaurants you can choose to support during your stay.
Listed below, we have a few of our favorite restaurants that you can’t miss during your Martha’s Vineyard vacation.
Edgartown
Oak Bluffs
- Nomans
- Nancy’s Restaurant – great for sunset
Vineyard Haven
- Waterside Market – the BEST sandwiches
- Garde East – splurge
Chilmark
- Chilmark Tavern
- Menemsha Galley – grab and go
Aquinnah
- The Aquinnah Shop Restaurant – unbeatable ocean views
- Orange Peel Bakery
West Tisbury
- State Road Restaurant
- 7aFoods – try the Asparagus Melt
Things To Do On Martha’s Vineyard
Honestly, this one is tough – because Martha’s Vineyard has it all. For such a little island, there seems to be an endless amount of activities to meet your heart’s desire. We’ve listed a few of our favorites below, so you can pick and choose.
Sustainable Travel on Martha’s Vineyard
Many of the suggested activities we’ll share below are offered by environmentally conscious businesses. This island has an impressive mission to reduce the negative effects of travel and preserve the natural beauty that makes it a place worth visiting. Let’s start by highlighting a few of our favorite small businesses that go above and beyond to promote ecotourism, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Oyster Farm Tours
If you want an experience unique to Martha’s Vineyard, take an oyster farm tour with Cottage City Oysters (as seen on PBS, the Discovery Channel and the Food Network Magazine). These tours cost $150 per person. Your group will be taken out on a 31-foot boat to learn about the amazing ways oysters benefit both the environment and us as humans (spoiler: they filter the ocean water!). Your tour guide will shuck unlimited oysters for you right on the boat, and you’ll get to enjoy them with any drinks you bring along (BYOB).
West Tisbury Farmers Market
Rain or shine every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am-12pm, this farmers market is our #1 recommendation to introduce you to the local, environmentally conscious small businesses on island.
Grey Barn Tastings & Tours
This island farm shares the “power of local, organic eating as a force against climate change.” Grey Barn is a carbon neutral farm that offers something for all visitors, whether you’re looking for a classic Cheese Tasting or a full on Farm Tour. You can also visit the farm stand from 8am-6pm everyday, where you’ll find everything from fresh breads to organic veggies.
Island Spirit Kayak Glow Tour
Sailing on the Mad Max
Edgartown Bookstore
Island Adventures
Island Spirit Kayak
This small business is located in the perfect spot, right next to State Beach in Oak Bluffs. Tours and rentals launch out of Sengekontacket Pond, so you can enjoy the calmer sound even on windy days. Kayak rentals are 3 hours long and $40 for a single, $60 for a double. Paddle board rentals are 1 hour long and $30 each, plus $15 for every additional hour. We recommend calling ahead to book a Sunset Kayak Tour, where you’ll get a tour guide, champagne, snacks, and an unbeatable sunset.
If you want an especially unique experience, get out on the water after dark with a Glow Tour. Choose clear bottomed kayaks or paddle boards and set out with your guide just after sunset, for an unforgettable night on the water. Your kayak or paddle board will be equipped with lights that allow you to see sea creatures, and even bioluminescence, depending on the time of year!. Your Martha’s Vineyard vacation won’t be complete without a paddle.
Bike Rentals
Martha’s Vineyard boasts 44 miles of bike paths, and many rental companies exist to encourage tourists to choose this form of transportation. Traffic can be tricky in the summer months, so we recommend renting bikes and riding between the towns. Rent bikes in Edgartown and pedal across State Beach into Oak Bluffs (or vice versa).
Sailing Charter
Mad Max is a beautiful catamaran that sets sail for sunset out of the Edgartown harbor. This is a great option for groups – book in advance and don’t forget to BYOB and snacks onboard!
Yoga
The island is the perfect place to unwind, and yoga is the best form of exercise to help you accomplish just that. Yoga Barn is a true oasis– located up-island, this barn is one of the most idyllic places imaginable. There are also various studios in the towns down-island, so if you want a quick, nearby class, try one of these.
Explore the Towns
Support Local Business
Martha’s Vineyard is incredibly unique in the way it prioritizes the local economy. Chain restaurants are banned on-island, and you won’t find a Target or Walmart in sight. When visiting the island, you have the opportunity to have a positive impact by supporting the small businesses that thrive off of the tourism economy.
Coffee Shops
Each town offers an impressive array of coffee shops, which double as perfect breakfast or lunch spots.
Edgartown
In Edgartown, try Behind the Bookstore (an adorable outdoor oasis located just behind…you guessed it: a bookstore). Rosewater in Edgartown has unbeatable breakfast and lunch sandwiches.
Oak Bluffs
In Oak Bluffs, try Mocha Motts, a coffee shop that’s easy to miss if you’re not looking. It’s located in the middle of Circuit Avenue (the main strip of shops and restaurants), down a few stairs on the lower level of the building.
Vineyard Haven
Vineyard Haven also has a Mocha Motts, so you can get your fix in either town. Waterside Market in Vineyard Haven is another can’t miss spot – but you’ll want to order food with your coffee because the sandwiches at this eatery are unmatched (we love the Lucy Vincent for a vegan/vegetarian option!).
Beach it.
Marha’s Vineyard beaches = Magic.
For a little island, there are an impressive number of beaches, each unique in its own way. Depending on how long you have, try to explore as many beaches as possible during your stay. We recommend picking a different beach each day!
Menemsha Beach
Located up-island in Chilmark, this beach sits at the end of a street full of fish markets. It also happens to be set next to a beautiful harbor, where you can watch the boats come in and out from your towel in the sand. (approx. 30 minute drive up-island if you’re staying in EDG, VH, or OB).
Moshup Beach
Located in Aquinnah, you’ll pay a $30 fee to park at this beach and then make your way down a path with unbeatable views. Moshup sits just below the cliffs themselves, making it easily one of the most beautiful beaches on Martha’s Vineyard. Visit this beach on the same day you check out the Aquinnah Cliffs. Don’t forget to eat at The Aquinnah Restaurant while you’re here. (approx. 30 minute drive up-island if you’re staying in EDG, VH, or OB).
State Beach
One of the most popular tourist beaches on island, located in Oak Bluffs. Here you’ll find Island Spirit Kayak rentals (mentioned above), and the famous Jaws Bridge (yes, the one from the movie). This beach is centrally located and only 5-10 minutes from EDG & OB town centers.
South Beach
Known for its white sand and big waves, this beach is located in Katama, the beachy offshoot of Edgartown. You’ll pass the Katama airstrip on your way out and watch colorful biplanes take flight throughout the day. This beach is also known for its riptides, so exercise care if you go swimming, and be sure to follow the guidance of posted signs.
Edgartown Lighthouse
While technically not a beach you’d choose to lay out on all day, this is the picture-perfect spot to lay a blanket for a picnic dinner and watch the sunset. It’s worth walking out to the lighthouse before or after a dinner in Edgartown.
Eastville Beach
This is a quieter and less widely known beach in Vineyard Haven that offers a great sunset and views of the VH harbor. You’ll be able to watch the ferries dock and escape the massive crowds if you check this beach out.
Menemsha Beach
Edgartown Lighthouse Beach
Moshup Beach
Dealbreakers
While it may seem like you can’t go wrong when it comes to your Martha’s Vineyard vacation, there are a few things we don’t recommend. We’ve listed our deal breakers below so you don’t make these mistakes during your summer getaway.
Don’t: Rent Mopeds
While this might seem like a fun idea, the island is full of winding, tree lined roads and cars. This is a bad combination for slow moving mopeds. Ultimately, mopeds prove to be a dangerous activity on-island, and crashes occur frequently enough that many islanders are against the use of mopeds altogether.
Don’t: Drive Everywhere
Martha’s Vineyard is a small island that receives hundreds of thousands of visitors during the summer months, and the island streets cannot handle the massive influx of people. Traffic jams occur frequently during the months of July and August.
Rather than contribute to this problem, try renting bikes or walking when possible. The island has many walking paths designed to encourage visitors to forgo their cars. Additionally, you can stay near a town center or beach so that you can walk to activities, rather than spending your precious time sitting in traffic. There is also a bus system that runs across the entire island!
Don’t: See only one town
A common misconception that tourists have when they step off the ferry into Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven, is that Martha’s Vineyard is a small island with one main town. There is SO much to see here, and while you can’t go wrong booking accommodation in any town, you will regret not exploring the rich variety offered by at least a few of the six different towns.
An Unforgettable Martha’s Vineyard Vacation
While it’s impossible to sum up all that the Vineyard has to offer in one post, hopefully this guide provides you with an unforgettable summer vacation on the island we know and love.
Few places in the U.S. offer true ecotourism to the degree that Martha’s Vineyard does. With its farm-to-table restaurants, regenerative ocean farming, small-scale accommodation style, and preserved lands, Martha’s Vineyard is unmatched.
Around here, we like to believe that travel doesn’t have to have a net negative impact. We can all make a concerted effort to leave a place better than we found it. If you visit Martha’s Vineyard you might just come away with a new mindset about how we could–and arguably should–be living our lives, by pouring into our local economies and protecting our planet.
