Joseph Sylvia State Beach
The most family-friendly beach you’ll find is the one known simply as "State Beach." It stretches along the Island's eastern coastline from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs and different sections go by different names. Whether...
South Beach
Pretty and popular
One of the most popular public beaches on the Island is Edgartown’s South Beach, complete with lifeguards, surf, a volleyball net, and parking. Stretching out nearly three miles, you can stake out...
Lighthouse Beach
Follow the (Edgartown) Light
Lighthouse Beach is the area surrounding, you guessed it, the lighthouse in Edgartown. You can park and walk from almost anywhere downtown, and take the path down to the beach from...
Moshup Beach
A kaleidoscope of colored clay
Think of the beaches of Aquinnah like a necklace encircling the western tip of the Island, with the biggest opalescent gem in the middle. That would be Moshup Beach, or...
Lobsterville Beach
Enjoy long walks on the beach?
Lobsterville is a calm, quiet spot with good shells, good fall fishing, and occasional sea glass. It's a great beach for a long walk. In the 1960's it very...
Philbin Beach
Big and beautiful
Philbin is pretty much open to anyone, but parking is reserved for sticker holders. You can, however, park at the Cliffs ($15) and walk down.
The Beach Expert Says:
Philbin is the home of...
Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve
VH Hideaway
In the most beach-deprived town on the Island, this five acre hideaway on the north shore is a closely guarded secret by aficionados. It's not just jealousy, it's that there is hardly any...
Chilmark Pond Preserve
BYO Kayak
The one truly public beach on the ocean side in Chilmark is the tiny Land Bank property called the Chilmark Pond Preserve. It's like a local miracle, even if you have to bring your...
Owen Park Beach
Vineyard Haven's Picnic Beach
Though not a beach you’d pack for and camp out all day at, Owen Park Beach, along the Vineyard Haven Harbor, is a great place to have a picnic. There is...
Safe harbors
Beacons on hilltops have guided mariners to safe harbor since the dawn of recorded history, and when Martha’s Vineyard was an important port for whale ships and other seafarers, lighthouses showed the way safely...
