Edgartown · Sound Side
Bend-in-the-Road Beach
Parking: Bike path parking, bike from town recommended
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Islands · Town guide
Martha's Vineyard
Find your starting point. Choose a few places worth your time.
Photo: Bend-in-the-Road Beach · Benjamin Joffe-Walt
The larger of the two islands south of the Cape. Six distinct villages — Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Aquinnah — each with its own character, share one ferry-served island.
Get oriented
Start with an area, then choose stops nearby.
Edgartown →
Whaling-era harbor village on the island’s eastern shore — the most polished and walkable center.
Oak Bluffs →
Ferry-served harbor village known for Gingerbread cottages, the carousel, and the island’s lone bar strip.
Vineyard Haven →
The dry-town working harbor — main year-round ferry terminal and the island’s largest year-round community.
Chilmark →
Rural up-island village whose center is Menemsha harbor and whose beaches are sticker-required cliff-backed.
West Tisbury →
The agricultural middle of the Vineyard — pastoral interior connecting Vineyard Haven to up-island.
Aquinnah →
Westernmost Vineyard town, on Wampanoag tribal land, anchored by the Gay Head clay cliffs and lighthouse.
Village markers are approximate centers. Beach markers identify locations, not verified entrances. No routes or travel times are shown.
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- 1. Bend-in-the-Road Beach
- 2. East Beach
- 3. Fuller Street Beach
- 4. Inkwell Beach
- 5. Joseph Sylvia State Beach
- 6. Katama Beach/ South Beach
- 7. Lake Tashmoo Town Beach
- 8. Lambert's Cove Beach
- 9. Lighthouse Beach
- 10. Lobsterville Beach
- 11. Long Point Beach
- 12. Lucy Vincent Beach
- 13. Menemsha Public Beach
- 14. Moshup Beach (public)
- 15. Norton Point Beach
- 16. Oak Bluffs Town Beach
- 17. Owen Park Beach
- 18. Squibnocket Beach
Choose a beach
18 beaches in this guide · compare access as well as character.
Visitor daily parking · 15 beaches
Edgartown · Ocean / Surf
East Beach
Parking: Trustees property, $3 Chappy Ferry + beach fee
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: long walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Edgartown · Harbor
Fuller Street Beach
Parking: Street parking, walk from town
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Oak Bluffs · Sound Side
Inkwell Beach
Parking: Town parking nearby, walkable
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Oak Bluffs · Sound Side
Joseph Sylvia State Beach
Parking: Roadside parking along Beach Road, free
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Edgartown · Ocean / Surf
Katama Beach/ South Beach
Parking: Free parking at Katama end, bike from Edgartown
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Vineyard Haven · Sound Side
Lake Tashmoo Town Beach
Parking: Small lot, fills early
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Edgartown · Harbor
Lighthouse Beach
Parking: Walk from downtown Edgartown
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Aquinnah · Bay / Calm
Lobsterville Beach
Parking: Roadside, limited
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
West Tisbury · Sound Side
Long Point Beach
Parking: Trustees property, parking reservation may be required
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: long walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Chilmark · Harbor
Menemsha Public Beach
Parking: Very limited, bike or shuttle recommended
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Aquinnah · Ocean / Surf
Moshup Beach (public)
Parking: Town lot $20/day, shuttle from Gay Head Cliffs overlook
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Listed
Approach: long walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Edgartown · Ocean / Surf
Norton Point Beach
Parking: Trustees property, 4WD permit required
Toilets: Not listed as available · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Oak Bluffs · Harbor
Oak Bluffs Town Beach
Parking: Town parking, walkable from ferry
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Vineyard Haven · Harbor
Owen Park Beach
Parking: Street parking in Vineyard Haven
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: level. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Resident / sticker parking · 3 beaches
West Tisbury · Sound Side
Lambert's Cove Beach
Parking: West Tisbury residents only — strictly enforced
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: long walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Chilmark · Ocean / Surf
Lucy Vincent Beach
Parking: Chilmark residents and renters only — strictly enforced
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: soft sand walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Chilmark · Ocean / Surf
Squibnocket Beach
Parking: Chilmark residents only
Toilets: Listed · Showers: Not listed as available
Approach: short walk. Confirm individual access needs and current conditions.
Food & things to do
Grouped by location. Price symbols are catalog categories; check current menus and admission separately.
Martha's Vineyard
Food · Seafood · $$
The Bite
Menemsha clam shack — fried clams on a picnic table by the harbor.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Food · New American · $$$$
State Road
West Tisbury farm-to-table flagship; reserve weeks ahead.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Food · Seafood · $$
Larsen's Fish Market
Menemsha harbor staple — eat your lobster on the dock at sunset.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · outdoor
Aquinnah Cliffs (Gay Head)
Iconic clay cliffs and lighthouse at the western tip — Wampanoag heritage site.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · culture
Edgartown Lighthouse + Harbor
Whaling-era streets, a walkable harbor, and the most photogenic village center on the island.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Activity · family
Flying Horses Carousel
America's oldest operating platform carousel — Oak Bluffs since 1876.
Find place; confirm location →Catalog description; operating details not date-verified.
Before you go
- Check parking eligibility, current fees and seasonal restrictions for each beach. Unknown information is not a guarantee of access.
- Confirm opening hours, admission and individual access needs with each venue.
- Plan transport between separate stops; town membership alone does not establish a walking connection.
More about Martha's Vineyard
Read the town background
Martha's Vineyard is six islands in one. Edgartown is whaling-era money and white-picket charm; Oak Bluffs is Gingerbread cottages and the only nightlife on the island; Vineyard Haven is the year-round working port; Chilmark and Aquinnah up-island are rural, dramatic, and dark-sky quiet; West Tisbury is the agricultural heart with the Saturday farmers' market that locals plan their week around. Picking a village matters more here than picking the island.
The beach geography is genuinely varied — south-shore Atlantic surf at South Beach, calm Sound-side flats at Joseph Sylvia, dramatic cliff-backed Lucy Vincent, and the pebbly Menemsha sunset crowd. Most of the up-island beaches require a town sticker. The ferry from Woods Hole is the main artery; the island runs on small roads, bicycles, and the VTA bus.
Dining punches above its weight for a place this remote. State Road, The Beach Plum Inn, and the Edgartown anchors all have legitimate destination reputations. Lodging is the brutal part — peak summer rates rival Nantucket and there's nothing cheap.
Martha's Vineyard beach FAQ
Do I need a beach sticker in Martha's Vineyard?
Parking rules vary by beach and season. Check the named beach’s official information for visitor eligibility, permits and current fees. Missing fee information does not mean parking is free.
Which Martha's Vineyard beaches allow dogs?
Bend-in-the-Road Beach, Joseph Sylvia State Beach, and Katama Beach/ South Beach are listed as allowing dogs in the catalog. A catalog dog-friendly label does not guarantee access today, including seasonal exclusions and leash rules.
Which Martha's Vineyard beach is best for families?
East Beach, Inkwell Beach, and Katama Beach/ South Beach have toilets listed in the catalog, which may help narrow your choice. Confirm facilities, access and posted water conditions; catalog descriptions do not establish swimming safety or individual suitability.
How warm is the water in Martha's Vineyard?
Sound-side and bay-side shorelines are different settings in this guide. Catalog seasonal notes such as 70-76°F (July–Aug) are not current measurements.
How many beaches does Martha's Vineyard have?
Martha's Vineyard has 18 beaches in this guide. This is a catalog count, not a claim to include every shoreline access point.