what is there to do on marthas vineyard
Often Martha's Vineyard is mentioned in the same breath as its equally famous neighbor to the east, Nantucket. But while these two Massachusetts islands both have miles of white-sand beaches, historic districts, and boat-filled harbors, they each take their own singled-out personality. Martha'due south Vineyard stands out for its size — about twice that of Nantucket — and its ease of access, being merely a 45-minute ferry from the mainland. But even more than notable is Martha'south Vineyard's diversity. It has six distinct towns, a range of landscape from forest to pasture to shore, and a history shaped by Indigenous and Black isle residents.
You could easily spend a week or more exploring this archetype summer getaway in the waters off Cape Cod. But if you lot accept just a 24-hour interval or two, here are the five best things to do on Martha'southward Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Summer blooms burnish a seaside vista in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard.
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
5 All-time Things to Do on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Go Exploring in Oak Bluffs
The downward-isle town of Oak Bluffs is a production non of the whaling age just the Victorian ane. Rooted in an almanac Methodist military camp meeting start held here in 1835, the town has grown up around its hundreds of gaily painted Victorian gingerbread cottages that radiate out from the open-air, wrought-iron 1879 Tabernacle. Oak Bluffs is besides known every bit the traditional hub of the island'due south Black community, and many stops on the Martha's Vineyard African-American Heritage Trail can be institute here. The main thoroughfare is humming Circuit Avenue, home to the oldest platform carousel in America, the Flight Horses Carousel, forth with shops galore, and eateries including longtime favorites The Sweet Life, Mocha Mott's, and Mad Martha'southward Ice Cream. And don't miss Back Door Donuts, a landmark bakery on Kennebec Avenue whose "back door" is open tardily into the nighttime during the high flavor.
Visit the Polly Loma Arboretum
Who says isle life is all about the embankment scene? This 72-acre public garden in Westward Tisbury is the perfect place to bask the greener, lusher side of Martha'southward Vineyard. Listed on the National Annals of Celebrated Places in 2015, the arboretum is a attestation to founder Polly Hill, who at age l began reimagining the landscape at her historic family farm as a treasure chest of rare trees and plants from around the globe. Highlights include a nationally accredited collection of camellia-like stewartias and the big-leafage 'Julian Hill' magnolia, named in honor of Polly'due south married man, whose blooms span 18 inches. (Garden lovers who visit Martha's Vineyard volition also want to make time for a trip to Mytoi, a Japanese-way precious stone on Chappaquiddick.)
Snap a Lighthouse Movie
Martha's Vineyard is said to accept more lighthouses, in more diverse styles, in close proximity than anywhere else in the country. And for good reason: The island has long been known for treacherous tides, rocky shores, sandy shoals, and the underwater reefs dubbed the Devil's Bridge, off Aquinnah. At the far western edge is Gay Head Light (c. 1844), the unique cherry-brick lighthouse that overlooks Aquinnah'due south stunning red clay cliffs. On the north side, the entrance to the Vineyard Haven harbor is bracketed by Due west Chop Lighthouse and East Chop Lighthouse, which also date to the 1800s but take the more typical pristine white exterior (note: W Chop is not open up to the public). Moving southeast leads to Edgartown Lighthouse and, across that, the most remote of the group, Cape Poge Lighthouse, on Chappaquiddick's northeast point. And in that location's even a sixth lighthouse, in a way of speaking. The original 1854 Fresnel lens used in Gay Head Lite is at present at the Martha'south Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven, where it stands sentinel — in spirit, anyway — over Lagoon Pond.
Banquet on Seafood in Menemsha
Generations of local fishermen take peddled their briny wares on the docks of this hamlet, which remains seafood primal on the Vineyard. From the landmark fish markets Larsen'due south and Menemsha to the classic shack Menemsha Galley, yous can procure a takeout feast of steamers, fried clams, lobsters, and more — a compensation that is best enjoyed correct on the beach, earlier one of the grandest sunset views on the Due east Declension.
Get for a Cycle Ride
Biking is a great style to run into Martha's Vineyard, which offers more than than forty miles of trails and roadways through its breathtaking towns and along its coast. Bikes are welcome on the ferry (and cheaper than bringing your car), and the island's MVTA buses are equipped with racks for user-friendly transitions between biking and public transit. Yous can too hire some wheels at any of the isle's several bike rental shops, handily clustered virtually the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal and the seasonal terminals in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Routes range from easy (a seven-mile, mostly flat loop from Edgartown to South Embankment and dorsum) to challenging (the hilly, winding 12-mile 1-way ride from West Tisbury to Aquinnah), so in that location's something to please every passenger.
Have your own list of the very best things to do on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts? Exit your picks in the comments beneath!
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Source: https://newengland.com/today/travel/massachusetts/marthas-vineyard/best-things-to-do-on-marthas-vineyard/
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