This island off the southern coast of Cape Cod is a popular summer destination, featuring harbor towns, beaches, and lighthouses. Accessible only by ferry or plane, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities, including biking, hiking, fishing, boating, and exploring local farms and markets.
Our friends who live in Boston own an upscale timeshare resort and invited us for a week’s stay in the summer of 2023. We loaded our car with food and drinks, beach chairs, bikes and drove to Woods Hole from where we took the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard.
- Ferry Ride
- The Harborside Inn
- Gay Head Lighthouse
- Aquinnah Cliff
- Jaws Bridge
- Edgartown Lighthouse
- Chappaquiddick Island
- West Chop Lighthouse
- Manicured Flower Beds
- East Chop Lighthouse
- Beach Time
Ferry Ride – The ferry ride from Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard was a 45-minute ride with fantastic view of the surrounding water and as we neared the island, we feasted our eyes on all the gorgeous mansions on the waterfront.
The Harborside Inn – Our abode in Martha’s Vineyard was located on the waterfront with stunning views all around. It had a huge common kitchen area where we could cook, which we did on most days.
Gay Head Lighthouse – Located in the town of Aquinnah, this red-brick structure sits close to the rugged seashore cliffs. You can climb to the top for breathtaking view of the scenic surrounding. Built in 1799, The Gay Head Lighthouse was the first lighthouse constructed on Martha’s Vineyard. Many men in the Aquinnah community, including members of the Wampanoag tribe, worked at the lighthouse.
Aquinnah Cliff – Located at the westernmost tip of Martha’s Vineyard, it features multicolored clay cliffs that rises 100 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. There is an overlook from where you get commanding views of the clay bluffs and the surroundings, including the Gay Head Lighthouse. The colorful cliffs bear fossils of pre-historic sea monster bones, giant clam shells, crabs and vegetation
Jaws Bridge (aka American Legion Memorial Bridge) – The movie Jaws was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard back in 1975, but along with the movie, the American Legion Memorial bridge from the film is a famous landmark on the island. Dubbed the Jaws bridge, the wooden two lane bridge with a small bike path, benches and walking area on both sides sits just 12-15 feet above the salty water on Beach Rd. This bridge is the dividing line between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, with one side of the road-sign reading, Welcome to Edgartown and the other side, Welcome to Oak Bluffs. The bridge is the scene where Martin Broady (Roy Schneider) vaults the rails and sprints to his son in the movie.
Edgartown Lighthouse – The original lighthouse was built in 1828 on a small island in the harbor. It was later moved to its present location on land after the original lighthouse structure was damaged by a hurricane. A 2007 renovation added stairs, allowing visitors to climb to the top, and the Martha’s Vineyard Museum now manages the lighthouse. The lighthouse was within 10-min walking distance from out hotel.
Chappaquiddick Island – is a peninsula and occasional island off the eastern end of Martha’s Vineyard. Norton Point, a narrow barrier beach, connects Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick. Breaches occur due to hurricanes and strong storms separating the islands for periods of time. The two islands most recently reconnected in December of 2023. While both land forms have mostly been connected to one another in modern history, Chappaquiddick is nevertheless referred to as an island.
From Edgartown Dock, you can see the Chappaquiddick landscape especially the ferry landing area and the narrow strait separating the two landmasses. The ferry itself carries both vehicles and foot passengers and takes less than 10 minutes to travel across.
Visitors come to the isolated island for beaches, cycling, hiking, nature tours and birding, and the MyToi Gardens, a small Japanese garden created amidst the native brush.
West Chop Lighthouse – Located in a residential street on a private property with people living in the house associated with the lighthouse.
Manicured Flower Beds – As we walked around Edgartown, we enjoyed looking at the beautifully manicured flower beds outside private houses. Some of the houses had a formal gardens with traditional plantings like boxwood, hydrangea, and roses.
East Chop Lighthouse – is a historic lighthouse located in the town of Oak Bluff and one of five lighthouses on Martha’s Vineyard. The East Chop Light was built in 1878 and added to the national Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Beach Time – There were 4-5 beaches near the resort we were staying. We spent some time on a couple of them.
