best beaches

Sand sky and water are wonderful treats when you visit the best beaches on the vineyard. Beach walking and enjoying the sights and sounds of the shore are wonderful any time of year on Martha’s Vineyard.

People enjoy walking their dogs on the beach in the fall winter and spring, when it really doesn’t matter if the beach is a private or public area… its just a great place to be in the moment with the vineyard and your best pal.

The North shore of the vineyard is the calm side of the island where there are sand bars and gently lapping ripples of water but no waves. The South shore of the vineyard is the surf side of the island with waves that are great for surfing or surf casting and a fun place to ride the waves on a boogie board.

North Shore beaches:

Aquinnah:

Lobsterville Beach:

On Lobsterville Road and West Basin are two parts of beach along Lobsterville Road. This beach has very limited parking and changing access rules but it is a lovely beach and easily accessible in the off season.

Menemsha Beach:

At the end of the road to Dutcher’s Dock. A great place to watch the sun set, find beach glass on a afternoon walk, have a nice swim in calm water and enjoy the sun rise as you fly fish or spin cast from shore or the jetties.

Chilmark:

Great Rock Bight Preserve:

Off North Road. This land bank property has great calm water swimming along its 1,300 feet of Vineyard Sound beach frontage. The long trail to the beach is a pretty walk with stairs leading down to the beach.

Vineyard Haven:

Lake Tashmoo Beach:

At the end of Herring Creek Road, off Daggett Avenue. This is a pretty little beach with a wonderful down island sunset view. You can swim on the sound side or in the pond and its a great place to build sand castles.

Oak Bluffs:

Eastville Point Beach:

This is a great beach any time of year. Nice walks, good sun bathing and snoozing and a great place to catch fish. It is just over the draw bridge into Oak Bluffs. You can enjoy watching large sailboats head out in early morning or heading in late evening.

Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach:

I like to this of this as the clam bake beach. Its a great beach for swimming, sailing, windsurfing or taking a snooze in the sand. Brightly colored beach umbrellas, sand castle construction and splashing in the aquamarine water give you a quintessential vineyard day at the beach.

Edgartown:

Bend-in-the-Road Beach:

A section of the Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach. This is a great stretch of beach for the littlest beach goers. There are life guards on duty and soft white sand make it a popular spot for families enjoying a fun day at the beach on the vineyard.

Lighthouse Beach:

The harbor beach at Starbuck’s Neck. This curving stretch of beach flows from the inner harbor in Edgartown to the outer harbor around the light house and into Nantucket Sound. Pretty shells, good fishing and white soft sand to play in

South Shore Beaches:

Chappaquiddick:

East Beach:

On Chappaquiddick, This is a long open area of beach managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Great for swimming, sun bathing, fishing and long relaxing beach walks. You can access it by 4-wd vehicles with a permit or by taking the ferry over to chappy and driving around to the beach access point.

Katama or South Beach:

At the end of Katama Road in Edgartown. You will often hear people refer to going to the beach at the Left fork or the Right fork. This long stretch of beach is a popular beach party location. Radios playing, beach volleyball nets, and bodies soaking up the suns rays.

West Tisbury:

Long Point Beach:

This wonderful expanse of beach is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. There is great swimming surf side and you can also swim in the great pond. Sunsets are pretty and fishing at dawn with the sun rising is memorable experience.

Chilmark:

Chilmark Pond Preserve:

A Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank property with access to Chilmark Pond. You can venture out in a kayak or canoe to reach a wonderful isolated south shore beach.

Aquinnah:

Moshup Beach:

A Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank property, located near the Gay Head Cliffs. A great place for swimming and body surfing. This beach is best if you have someone drop you off as there is only limited paid parking in the town lot.