If you’re planning a visit, for a day, week or longer, there’s plenty to see and do, and within our guide to the Vineyard, we hope you’ll find the perfect ideas to start you on your way.

Summer is a wonderful time to be on Martha's Vineyard.

The stores are all open; the water is warm, the sand is hot and beach parking is scarce; the Island arts community is in full gear, and there is a broad menu of interesting activities and events happening during the height of the summer season.

First-time visitors are often surprised at the Island’s size. On a map of the United States it may look diminutive but up close it soon becomes apparent that within these 100 square miles there’s a terrific geographic and architectural diversity, with each of our six towns offering its own one-of-a-kind image to the world. To begin your tour, check out the maps page featuring an island map, town walking tours and a map of the island’s many bicycle paths.  

The Vineyard is basically triangular in shape, bounded on the northeast by Nantucket Sound and the northwest by Vineyard Sound, with the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Also, there are six main townships: Vineyard Haven (also known as Tisbury), Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah. 

It’s an island, so getting here means you’ll be arriving by boat or plane. During the high season of the year, ferries run from New York, Rhode Island, New Bedford, Hyannis, Falmouth and Woods Hole, so you have a variety of options to consider, all found under Getting Here on our website. 

If you have only a day, you may want to take a bus tour in order to get an overview of the entire Island, or simply spend a leisurely day strolling through one or two of our Down-Island towns. We have a comprehensive list of Island transportation on our Getting Around page.

While you’re here, enjoy the wide variety of cuisine offered at one of the Vineyard’s many restaurants, and for information on available hotels, inns, B&B’s and rentals, see our accommodations page.  

For many, the Vineyard is a unique oasis, and whether you’re seeking a peaceful retreat or an activity-filled vacation, the best advice we can give you is to take your time, and remember that if you don’t see everything on your first visit, you have a standing invitation to return.