Travel Spotlight

Where to Go on Martha's Vineyard This Summer

Lying off the Massachusetts coast, Martha's Vineyard is as well-known for its famous visitors—from the Obamas and Caroline Kennedy to Bill Murray and Amy Schumer—as for its delightfully mellow scene.

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a summer escape to Martha's Vineyard.

Where to Stay on Martha's Vineyard

Newcomer Nobnocket Boutique Inn offers chicly appointed accommodations just a block from Vineyard Haven, the island’s most charming town. The old-fashioned Charlotte Inn, in Edgartown, is preferred for a romantic escape.

Where to Eat on Martha's Vineyard

For lunch, pay a visit to The Larder, to purchase provisions like charcuterie and homemade cookies for a beach picnic, or the retro Art Cliff Diner, to sample temptations like tacos and garlic fries (both are in Vineyard Haven). Helmed by a vet of Alice Waters’s famed Chez Panisse, Behind the Bookstore is a favorite for an alfresco dinner in Edgartown. Another option for fresh seafood and an expansive selection of oysters and raw bar offerings is 19 Raw Oyster Bar, in Edgartown. Or, for a super-local and personalized experience, island chef Spring Sheldon offers private meals, in-home cooking classes, and provisioning services all with locally sourced ingredients. A perfect day on Martha’s Vineyard ends with a sugar fix at Back Door Donuts, a secret spot at Oak Bluffs’ Martha’s Vineyard Gourmet Café & Bakery; the kitchen doles out freshly baked donuts from its back door between 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. during the summer season.

Where to Shop on Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard is more about the great outdoors than designer outposts, but it has a few stores that carry unique items. Vineyard Haven’s Main Street has the most concentrated collection of shops, including fabulous lifestyle boutique Magnetic North. Art lovers should make a point to visit West Tisbury's Granary Gallery. For an up-island fix of casual beach cover-ups and jewelry made locally, head to Pandora's Box in Menemsha. In Edgartown, Salte, sister store to the popular women's shop, Slate, sells a nicely curated assortment of  high-end home accessories, beach bags and hats.

Martha's Vineyard Island Secret

“A favorite activity is to take the bike ferry from Menemsha to Aquinnah, which is famous for its beaches,” says Indagare member and Magnetic North owner Maggie Towles. “And for the best on-island wake-up, head to Little House Café for its breakfast egg wrap with goat cheese and harissa aioli in a warm pita.”

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a summer escape to Martha's Vineyard.

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