Travel Diary: A Newbie's Guide to Visiting Martha's Vineyard, MA
Welcome to part three of a three-post series exploring Martha’s Vineyard, MA!
When you close your eyes and think of the beach, what do you picture? I’m lucky to have a few beautiful, sentimental beaches in my life, whether it’s Sandy Hook on the Jersey Shore, where I went as a toddler with my parents, or Long Island, NY, where I went as a teenager/young adult, or the aquamarine waters we gaze at from our family’s condo in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, or the white sand beaches of Quintana Roo, Mexico, where I’ve spent many idyllic vacations, including my honeymoon! These are the beach places where I’ve made summer memories that can summon a smile in the toughest business meeting, or the darkest February day.
As a grown-up, the beach destination I’ve spent the most time at is the island of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, where we share a rental house with family each August. Martha’s Vineyard has a fascinating history. The tiny island (only 87 sq miles) was originally populated mainly by people of the Wampanoag Native American tribe, who still inhabit the Aquinnah section of the island, and who poetically called the island Noepe, or “land amid the streams.” It became a major whaling port in the 1800s, after being ‘discovered’ in 1602 by a British explorer and sassafras trader called Bartholomew Gosnold. Legend has it that Gosnold is the one who named the island, after his little daughter Martha (although, since his wife and his mother-in-law were also apparently named Martha, it really is anyone’s guess who in particular he had in mind) and the small grapes which were said to grow wild across the dunes in those times.
Martha’s Vineyard is a treasure-house of charming historic names, beginning with its main towns, Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Chilmark, and Aquinnah, each of which has its own character and villages. The island is divided into two local cardinal directions, roughly east-west, which the locals call Down-Island (the busier parts including Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, and Edgartown) and Up-Island (the wilder parts, namely Chilmark and Aquinnah.) It also formally includes the beautiful island/sometimes-penninsula of Chappaquiddick, once home to the Native American tribe of the same name, reachable by a teeny weeny 2-minute car ferry from Edgartown (and infamous because of a tragic car accident which resulted in the death of Kennedy campaign aide Mary Jo Kopechne) and known locally as Chappy, as well as the uninhabited and therefore accurately-named island of Nomans Land.
Getting there
As an island, there are a few key ways to get to Martha’s Vineyard from the mainland, namely by boat or by plane. Which you chose will depend upon your needs and budget.
My top ferry choices are :
The Steamship Authority car ferry from Woods Hole, MA, which puts into either Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs. This ferry line accommodates both cars and people in huge, comfy, dog-friendly air-conditioned boats with viewing decks, cushy seats, and a bar/cafe where you can purchase coffee, soft drinks, wine, cocktails and snacks for the ride, which is under an hour. The ferry is very affordable for passengers and bikes and a little more costly for cars, especially larger vehicles, however it is definitely more affordable than airfare, particularly if you have a larger group. As a bonus, you then have an automobile to carry off-island goods, groceries, spirits, gasoline, and of course yourselves and your luggage, and which you can then use to explore the island. Otherwise you will need to rely on bicycles, taxis or public transport to get around.
The Seastreak ferry from NYC is extremely convenient if traveling with a smaller group or if you’re being picked up and don’t need to bring your car. The route starts in New Jersey, and stops on the East Side of Manhattan at 35th St. before heading out of Long Island Sound into the open ocean, and arrives at Oak Bluffs, a total duration of about five hours depending on conditions. This is a smaller boat, and is more expensive for passengers and bikes. Like the Steamship Authority, these ferries are outfitted with a bar and concession, however as you are in for a longer ride and potentially a bit of seasickness if the weather is poor, I recommend you bring some Dramamine if it’s going to blow. The Seastreak is not pet-friendly on the MV route, unfortunately, and there are strict luggage restrictions, so make sure to check their FAQs.
Where to stay
Because each village has a unique character, you should think about what kind of experience you would like to have. Decide whether or not you plan to bring a car first of all and then decide if you prefer to stay in a town or in a more secluded spot, if you plan to dine out or cook out, and if you would like to mellow out in private or tour the island, explore and socialize.
If you don’t plan to bring a car, I would organize your accommodations with an eye to proximity, either to a bigger town such as Oak Bluffs, or to VTA bus stops, so that you can get around. You can also rent bikes, jeeps and motor-scooters in Oak Bluffs. Up-island is comprised mostly of forest and farms, so if you don’t have a car, you will want to stay down-island or hit the market and package store to get well-stocked-up, and prepared for some serious peace and quiet. On the other hand, if you have a car, you can seek out a more remote and private accommodation, knowing that you can nip out for some oysters or another bottle of Pinot Gris, should you fall victim to cabin-fever.
Hotel or house rental?
If you don’t plan to bring or have access to a car, or are looking for a more social experience, I would highly recommend staying in either of the busier down-island towns of Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, which have fun nightlife, including many restaurants, sizable marinas and plenty of lodgings. While Vineyard Haven is also a ‘bigger’ ferry-adjacent town, it feels very local and residential, and since it used to be a dry town (no alcohol until 2010 and no package stores even today), it has far fewer restaurants and less options for social life outside of private homes, so I would not recommend it for first-time visitors looking for fun, despite being walk-able from the ferry, like Oak Bluffs.
Hotels on the island range from casual to really quite fancy and there’s something for most budgets. If you have transport, you may want to look into staying at an inn or B&B in one of the wilder corners of the island. There’s also a family-friendly campground, boasting campsites, rental cabins and RV sites, if you feel up to it. In the words of Bartleby the Scrivener, I prefer not to.
If you have a boat with staterooms, you can opt to helm yourself to MV and arrange for a stay in the marinas at Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, which are super social and have amazing services (including, apparently, the ability to order dinner from a fine-dining restaurant in Edgartown Harbor and have it rolled up to your boat on a trolley under silver covers. Fancy!) There’s also moorage at Vineyard Haven and Lagoon Pond, Menemsha and probably a few other spots known to people with boats (i.e. not me.)
If you want a place where you can really spread out, you should definitely consider renting one of the many beautiful homes available, which is what we’ve always done. As a bonus, you can either contract to rent the same home year after year, or experiment with new properties every summer to get a taste for the island’s many possibilities, or at least until you fall in love with a particular spot :)
Bon voyage!
TIPS
For recommendations by town, please check out our Up-Island and Down-Island Martha’s Vineyard Travel Diary Posts.
For deep discounts on beach access and parking, become a member of the Trustees of the Reservation and enjoy the righteous pride of supporting amazing places all over Massachusetts.
Bring bikes: MV is threaded all over with bike trails and if you have a bike with a basket you can make errands and exploring, a real pleasure and a decent workout, to boot. Why rent when you already bought?
Because there are quite a few private beaches in MV, where non-residents/renters simply are not allowed either to park or walk on, you should definitely look up beach access details online - and double-check your gas gauge - before you undertake an exploratory mission to a new beach, especially up-island. The Vineyard is also short on gas stations. :)
It’s not to early to start planning a trip to the Vineyard for next summer. If you’re planning some travel, here are some of my very best packing tips.
If you like my travel diary for Martha’s Vineyard please pop over and have a look at the one for Dublin, Ireland!
