It isn’t just the Obamas or the Kennedys who liked to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. This island off the Cape Cod coast is a popular New England vacation spot for many families. Luckily we have good friends who have vacationed on the Vineyard for decades and they took us under their wing to show us the best things to do on Martha’s Vineyard for first timers.
Tips for Visiting Martha’s Vineyard
Before we get into some fun things to do on Martha’s Vineyard, let’s start with some basics for first time visitors:
- If you want to bring a car, you need to book the car ferry reservation very far in advance. If you need specific dates for your vacation rental, book as soon as the ferry reservations open in late winter / early spring.
- If you want to take a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard, it is easiest to take a passenger ferry and leave the car in Woods Hole unless you made your plans very early.
- For day trips, you can take the ferry to either Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven from Woods Hole or Edgartown from Falmouth. Edgartown is a quieter town with cute shops and restaurants. Oak Bluffs is the largest town with plenty to do and is great for kids.
- There are a number of hotels on the Vineyard if you are just staying for a long weekend, but most people will want to rent a beach house.
- Groceries will be more expensive on the island so if you are staying for the week, try to stock your car with the paper and packaged goods that you will need for your stay.
- If you are staying for any length of time, you are going to want a car to explore all of these sites on the island.
What to do on Martha’s Vineyard
Take in the Sunset at Menemsha Beach
Pack a blanket, chairs, a picnic, and a bottle of wine and settle in for a beautiful nature show. Menemsha Beach is a popular spot to watch the sunset. Plan to go early because the parking lot fills up fast. You might want to to pick up your dinner at Larsen’s Fish Market and enjoy some lobster with your sunset.
Go Bridge Jumping at “Jaws” Bridge
Located on Beach Rd at the border of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, jumping off of Jaws Bridge (named for its appearance in the movie Jaws, filmed on Martha’s Vineyard) is a summer visitor rite of passage. Go at high tide for a shorter jump!
Spend a Day at Long Point Nature Reserve
Long Point Nature Reserve was one of my favorite places that we visited on Martha’s Vineyard. On one side you will find a peaceful, calm, shallow salt pond that is great for young kids. But walk across the dunes and you will find a beautiful long beach of white sand and rolling surf. Little kids start at the pond and graduate to the rougher surf. This was the first place my daughter could tolerate sticking her feet in the sand. Now you can even rent kayaks here.
Visit Aquinnah Cliffs
Moshup’s Beach, which sits just below the famous Aquinnah Cliffs, is a beautiful place to fish, view the sunset, or explore.
Climb the East Chop Lighthouse
Open seasonally every Sunday at sunset, you can climb to the top of East Chop Light and watch the sunset. Admission is $5.00 for adults and children under 12 are free.
Catch the Brass Ring at the Flying Horses Carousel
The Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs is the oldest platform carousel in the nation and a National Landmark.
Shop at the Morning Glory Farmstand
Open May through December, the Morning Glory Farm stand is a feast for the eyes and the stomach, filled with local produce and treats from their amazing bakery, perfect for stocking up the beach house kitchen or preparing a special vacation feast.
Visit Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium
Be prepared to stand in line, especially if it is raining, because Ben and Bill’s is very popular for its truffles, barks, turtles and fudge.
Go Biking or Running
Martha’s Vineyard offers 44 miles of bike trails, including section that runs from Vineyard Haven through Oak Bluffs to Edgartown, making it a perfect place to get some exercise. There are many bike rental shops on the island if you don’t bring your own bikes.
Pig out at Back Door Donuts
After you line up and stuff your face with a gigantic apple fritter or donut from Back Door Donuts, you’ll need to go back to #9 to burn off those calories.
Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Publisher of We3Travel. A former marketing executive and travel advisor, Tamara is an award-winning travel writer and recognized expert in family travel. Tamara is a member of SATW and the Adventure Travel Trade Association, and serves on the Board of the Family Travel Association. She is also the publisher of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Vacation Mavens travel podcast.
Thank You!! We leave on Wednesday!!
Have a wonderful time!
The idea of jumping off of Jaws Bridge is a really cool idea. I watched that movie with my family a lot when I was kid. I used to be scared to swim because of it, but I’m okay now.
Great post Tamara! Our favorite spots on Martha’s Vineyard: Norton Point beach, biking on Chappaquiddick, Kite surfing Edgartown Harbor. Whatever one chooses to do, the Vineyard is a blast in the summer!
Thanks for sharing!
hello, I love your suggestions on what to do in Martha’s Vineyard especially for first timers. My family and I had a question about the jaws bridge. We want to know once you jump off the bridge, how deep is the water & do you have to have advance experience in swimming in order to jump off? And also what is the age limit?
There is probably a sign not to jump actually but everyone does anyway. It is definitely deep and quite a far swim so I would say it should be for experienced swimmers. Younger kids do it with a life vest on but I would exercise caution.
I was there last summer and blogged about my top 10 favorite things as well! I did all of yours except for 2. Hope to make it back there next summer. It’s such a lovely place and I am craving the lobsters!
I’ll have to check out your post! It is a great summer destination. Luckily I live pretty close by so it isn’t hard to get to.
Great ideas, Tamara. One thing people need to remember about MV is how difficult it is to secure an accommodation. Last summer, about 45 days prior I started looking into a 1-2 night trip for my anniversary on September 7 and was shocked to see absolutely no availability in any price range on the popular hotel sides. It’s possible to do a day trip if you are on Cape; years ago we have even done a day trip from Boston suburbs but that (between driving, parking, taking a Ferry, enjoying the sites and making it back) made for a very long and tiring day.
So true!! And, if you want to bring a car you need to book that months in advance too for the high season.
I love all of these suggestions! I have always wanted to visit Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket – one day I’m going to get to both!
I feel the same about Nantucket and Block Island. BI has been on our summer to do list for about 10 years and we still haven’t made it, despite living in RI. Something about having to take a ferry and hotels requiring 2-3 night stays on the weekends always stymies us.
Honestly, after Nantucket and MV, BI was a disappointment. Pretty, nice to bike around, but basically one stretch of restaurants that aren’t well kept up. I’d go for the day to start.
We went last year for a day and found the same. Maybe better if you have a house with family or friends.