Best Family Beach: Joseph Sylvia State Beach

This 2-mile long stretch of beautiful sand and dunes offers the quintessential Martha’s Vineyard beach experience. “State Beach” has the perfect combination of accessibility and privacy, and its moderate surf makes it a perfect beach to spend the day with family.

Best Wave Beach: South Beach

Its location on the southern shore of Edgartown gives beach-goers access to some of the best surf in New England. South Beach (also called Katama Beach) is only about a 10-minute drive from downtown Edgartown and it is also accessible by public bus.

Best Fishing Beach: Wasque Beach

The seclusion of Wasque Beach on Chappaquiddick, combined with its southern facing shoreline, make this an excellent place for surf fishing. Cast your line and take in the beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean from Wasque.

Best Place To Kayak: Sengekontacket Pond & Tisbury Great Pond

There is a distinctive adventurous culture here on Martha’s Vineyard. So, grab your kayak and check out the coves of Sengekontacket Pond or Tisbury Great Pond, two great places to spend a day on the water.

Best Town Beaches:

Fuller Street Beach in Edgartown
Eastville Beach or the “Ink Well” in Oak Bluffs
Owen Park Beach or the Tashmoo Cut in Vineyard Haven
Lambert’s Cove & Long Point Beach in West Tisbury
Philbin Beach in Aquinnah
Quansoo or Black Point Beach in Chilmark

Best Clamming: Lake Tashmoo

Some people don’t like seafood. I know, can you believe it? For the rest of us, there is great clamming here on Martha’s Vineyard. The best place to find these hidden gems is Lake Tashmoo in Tisbury.

 

For More Vineyard Beach Insights...

If you're interested in learning more about the beaches on Martha's Vineyard, here is a great resource for beach info.  Occasional beach-going not satisfying enough? Browse Martha's Vineyard oceanfront property listings and buy a private beach of your own!

While Martha's Vineyard is home to dozens of amazing restaurants and eateries, certain places standout from the rest. Here are five of our favorite places to eat on the Island:

 

Art Cliff Diner

39 Beach Rd, Vineyard Haven

The line is literally out the door for breakfast at Art Cliff Diner, and it is absolutely worth the wait. The Vineyard’s most legendary breakfast spot has everything from classics like french toast and eggs benedict, to creative options like frittatas and crepes. While this little restaurant is best known for its breakfast, it also has an amazing brunch/lunch menu featuring fish tacos, pulled pork, and of course, a classic New England lobster roll. Also, keep an eye out for the Art Cliff food truck traveling around the island in the evening!

Art Cliff on Facebook

 

Atria

137 Main Street, Edgartown

Atria Restaurant in Edgartown is home to the Vineyard’s best burger, as well as a vibrant late-night scene. Elect to sit in the dining room for an upscale experience and access to amazing Thai and Mediterranean style dishes, or sit in the Brick Cellar Bar for a more casual, burger-and-beer atmosphere. Either way, you can’t go wrong at Atria.

http://www.atriamv.com/

 

Giordano’s Restaurant

18 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs

Giordano’s has been serving families on Martha’s Vineyard since 1930 and has remained committed to quality since day one.  This Italian restaurant has spectacular dishes like veal parmesan, lobster ravioli, and of course, delicious handmade pizzas. The warm atmosphere and modestly priced menu makes Giordano’s a great place to bring the entire family.

http://giosmv.com/

 

The Net Result

79 Beach Rd, Vineyard Haven

For seafood lovers, the Net Result in Vineyard Haven is can’t-miss. This seafood market and take-out restaurant has the freshest seafood on the island. The take out menu features all of the classics like Fish and chips, lobster rolls, stuffed quahogs and fried clams. Or if you are planning on cooking at home, grab a quick snack and pick up some fresh fish from the Net Result fish market. Nothing says seafood in Martha’s Vineyard quite like the Net Result.

http://www.mvseafood.com/

 

 

L’Etolie

22 N Water St, Edgartown

L’Etolie is an elegant Martha’s Vineyard restaurant with a distinctly French influence. Michael Brisson, Chef-Owner, is devoted to getting every plate just right. This posh setting is the perfect place for a special occasion or romantic evening. The gourmet dishes are rich and satisfying and L’Etolie is one of the only a few places on the island that offers a chef’s tasting menu.

http://www.letoile.net/

Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket: two sister islands off the shores of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, separated by less than 20 nautical miles. While both make for great vacation destinations, locals know that there are several key differences between the neighboring Islands.

Here's why we think the Vineyard is the best choice for your Island getaway:

 

More Space

Nantucket is only about 48 square miles and has just one town and a village, while Martha's Vineyard has six towns spanning nearly 100 square miles. The Vineyard is twice as big, so as you might expect, there is more to do. Each of the six towns has its own unique personality, and traveling from one to the next is a relative breeze.

More Variety

Anyone who has spent time on both islands knows that the topography is actually quite different. Both have great beaches, but Nantucket is almost completely flat. Martha's Vineyard has several different geographic regions. Depending on which "corner" of the Island you are in, you might feel like you are in the rolling hills of Vermont, on the beaches of Cape Cod, in a historic whaling village or in the agricultural farmlands of Connecticut. With so much to offer, the Vineyard ensures that you'll never get bored.

More Affordable

Let's be honest, neither Island is "cheap." But Martha's Vineyard is far more affordable than Nantucket. In 2015, the median sales price for real estate on the Vineyard was $650,000 compared to about $1,500,000 for Nantucket.  The greater variety of real estate and pricing options makes the Vineyard affordable to more people, and helps to cultivate its more relaxed, "down-to-earth" atmosphere.

More Accessible

Martha's Vineyard is much closer to the mainland than Nantucket, allowing for shorter and more frequent ferry trips to the Island for foot passengers and vehicles.

For example, the Steamship Authority's summer schedule offers six traditional ferry rides from Cape Cod to one Nantucket port throughout the day; its summer schedule for Martha's Vineyard has 14 time options serving two ports on the Island. The traditional ferry ride from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard takes about 45 minutes, while it takes 2 hour and 15 minutes to get to Nantucket.

More Fun

To put it simply: Martha's Vineyard is just more fun! Whether you are looking for a vacation spot to enjoy with the family, a romantic escape, or something in between, this is an amazing place to buy or rent property. The atmosphere is lighthearted and relaxed, and there are so many great dining, shopping, water sports, and entertainment options, not to mention the beautiful beaches and rolling coastline.

Maybe you'll even bump into someone famous while you're here  - in recent years, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan, Michael J. Fox, Bill Murray, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Cam Neely, Ray Allen and both the Clinton and Obama families have vacationed on Martha's Vineyard!