36 Hours
36 Hours on Martha’s Vineyard
![A view over a harbor with docked boats at dusk. The sky is turning orange at the horizon. In the foreground is a New England-style house with a weather vane on the roof.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/07/08/travel/29hours-MV-cfbv/29hours-MV-cfbv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Step off the ferry and inhale that salt air deeply — that is a feeling that has called visitors back to this island off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts year after year. The Vineyard, with a history of presidential visitors, has a reputation as a respite for the elite, a narrative that prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to send two planeloads of migrants there without warning last fall, throwing the island in the national spotlight once again. In spite of the stereotypes, the Vineyard’s many cultures — African American, Brazilian, Jamaican and islanders that go back dozens of generations or far more, including Native Americans — have come to redefine this longtime summer destination as a place of community and joy.
Recommendations
- Joseph Sylvia State Beach, a more-than-two-mile-long barrier beach along Nantucket Sound, offers easy swimming and is very accessible.
- Mo’s Lunch, a small takeaway counter within the hall of a Portuguese American Club, has sizable sandwiches for a perfect picnic lunch.
- The Gay Head Lighthouse offers panoramic views of the dizzying colors in the clay cliffs below.
- The Old Whaling Church epitomizes Edgartown's whaling history and is a top sight in a stroll through the town's Greek Revival and Federal-style architecture.
- Wesleyan Grove, a historic district in Oak Bluffs, is home to most of the town’s brightly colored gingerbread cottages.
- Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary has four miles of trails that show off the Vineyard’s diverse but fragile ecosystem.
- Island Spirit Kayak rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to cruise around Sengekontacket Pond and Joseph Sylvia State Beach.
- Lambert’s Cove Beach is for West Tisbury residents only, but in the early morning and evening, when parking restrictions aren’t enforced, anyone can jump into the turquoise waters.
- Morning Glory Farm, the largest farm stand on the island, sells its own produce, flowers and prepared foods as well as other island-grown goods.
- Edgartown Books frequently hosts book signings on its front porch for local authors and Pulitzer Prize winners alike.
- Salte offers a collection of housewares, local art and sun essentials that make you feel like you are in a dreamy vacation home.
- North Water Gallery showcases some of the island’s best creative talent.
- Aquila MV and the Gay Head Store, both Native-owned and near the Gay Head Lighthouse, offer coffee and local souvenirs, among other goods.
- Nancy’s serves seafood shack standbys and Mediterranean fare right on the harbor. It has a lively bar downstairs, Donovan’s Reef.
- The Pawnee House offers a retreat from a busy dining scene with an expansive menu and creative cocktails.
- The Ritz is a dive bar perfect for singing along with live cover bands.
- Red Cat Kitchen has a porch to take in the summer scene with a house-made punch in hand.
- Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium has lines out the door for ice cream and candy hauls.
- Larsen’s Fish Market and Menemsha Fish Market provide lobster traps and long benches to sit on while you enjoy your oysters (just watch out for diving seagulls).
- The Homeport has a dining room that overlooks Vineyard Sound, meaning you will have a perfect view no matter the weather.
- Menemsha Galley is perfect for a lobster roll, a fish sandwich or a burger, but don’t skimp on the soft-serve ice cream dipped in chocolate.
- Dock Street Coffee Shop, a single-counter greasy spoon, hasn’t changed much in its nearly 50-year history.
- The Harborside Inn in Edgartown is spread out in a handful of historic buildings along the waterfront, with the oldest house dating back to the 1700s. Newer buildings and amenities have been added over the years, including a pool overlooking the harbor. Rooms from $325.
- Summercamp in Oak Bluffs has hosted guests at the base of the Methodist campground, on a site overlooking the harbor, since 1879 (with different names and owners) but went through an extensive remodeling in 2016. Rooms from $300.
- Finding an inexpensive place to stay is not easy on the Vineyard, but the HI Martha’s Vineyard Hostel in West Tisbury has beds in shared dorm rooms from $50 a night.
- The easiest way to get around is by car, and there are plenty of car rentals; the Steamship Authority also has a car ferry, but reservations can be hard to come by. The Vineyard Transit Authority has bus routes across the island. There are several private taxi companies, and the ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft also have drivers.
- Remember that the island is divided into two directionals: “Down island” refers to Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven in the east, while “up island” is West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah in the west. (The phrases are based on nautical terminology.)
Itinerary
Friday
![A row of cottages: Each are brightly painted in different colors, and have front porches. The one in the foreground has an American flag displayed.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-zclf/29hours-MV-zclf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A row of cottages: Each are brightly painted in different colors, and have front porches. The one in the foreground has an American flag displayed.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-zclf/29hours-MV-zclf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person wearing glasses and a short-sleeved shirt sings into a microphone next to a guitar player. Nearby, people appear to be dancing. The ceiling is rigged with rows of brightly colored string lights.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-vgjq/29hours-MV-vgjq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person wearing glasses and a short-sleeved shirt sings into a microphone next to a guitar player. Nearby, people appear to be dancing. The ceiling is rigged with rows of brightly colored string lights.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-vgjq/29hours-MV-vgjq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people arrange flowers in black plastic pots that rest on white trestle tables set up on long grass.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/07/10/multimedia/100000008971995-zqwc/100000008971995-zqwc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Saturday
![A winding outdoor path covered in woodchips. There are trees and wild shrubbery on either sides of the path.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/travel/29hours-MV/29hours-MV-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A winding outdoor path covered in woodchips. There are trees and wild shrubbery on either sides of the path.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/travel/29hours-MV/29hours-MV-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Sheep standing in long grass during the daytime. Behind the sheep is a low fence made of large gray stones.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29Hours-MV-gbmc/29Hours-MV-gbmc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Sheep standing in long grass during the daytime. Behind the sheep is a low fence made of large gray stones.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29Hours-MV-gbmc/29Hours-MV-gbmc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A view of a metal tray with cooked lobster, a corn cob, a baked potato and corn bread. A pair of hands are breaking open a piece of the lobster.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-lfch/29hours-MV-lfch-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A view of a metal tray with cooked lobster, a corn cob, a baked potato and corn bread. A pair of hands are breaking open a piece of the lobster.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-lfch/29hours-MV-lfch-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Red cliffs seen from across a calm body of water at dusk. The top of a lighthouse peeks from behind the cliffs.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29Hours-MV-fbqw/29Hours-MV-fbqw-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Sunday
![A wooden path leading downhill to a calm beach in the daytime. Two people make their way from the sand towards to wooden path with a dog.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/27/multimedia/00-36Hours-MarthasVineyard-tjcg/00-36Hours-MarthasVineyard-tjcg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A wooden path leading downhill to a calm beach in the daytime. Two people make their way from the sand towards to wooden path with a dog.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/27/multimedia/00-36Hours-MarthasVineyard-tjcg/00-36Hours-MarthasVineyard-tjcg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person walks down a shaded retail street in the daytime. In the foreground is a store with a blue awning, a blue door and blue planter boxes.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29Hours-MV-fzhg/29Hours-MV-fzhg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person walks down a shaded retail street in the daytime. In the foreground is a store with a blue awning, a blue door and blue planter boxes.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29Hours-MV-fzhg/29Hours-MV-fzhg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close up view of colorful flower bouquets.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-hpqc/29hours-MV-hpqc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close up view of colorful flower bouquets.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/06/29/multimedia/29hours-MV-hpqc/29hours-MV-hpqc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)