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UNITED STATES | The Seacoast, Massachusetts Travel Guide
Friday, April 19, 2024
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Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket
These are the two large islands off the coast of Cape Cod, and the ones to receive most of the visitors. A string of very small islands called the Elizabeth Islands is farther west and is mostly in private hands. There is a ferry from New Bedford, MA to Cuttyhunk, which can be visited but has few amenities (it’s a pleasant place for a quiet walk or picnic, though).
Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard is 23 miles by nine miles, and lies only seven miles off the coast. Yet it is a world apart from the mainland and, despite a heavy load of summer visitors, it never quite loses its loveliness and leisurely pace. There are three principal towns on the island: Vineyard Haven, where most of the ferries dock, with entertaining shops and a busy nightlife; Oak Bluffs, a family resort town with picturesque Victorian “gingerbread cottages” from its years as a Methodist camp meeting spot, and a classic carousel in the center of the village; and Edgartown, a serene ship-captains’ town, rich with art galleries, historic walks, and a peaceful lighthouse. These are called the down-island towns, where up and down refer to longitude on a ship navigator’s map. In between them are all varieties of beaches, from wild and wave-struck to soft and sandy. At the far western end of the island, where public transportation won’t take you but the tour bus (or a very costly taxi) will, you can savor the multicolored cliffs of Gay Head (Aquinnah is its Native American name) and the quiet sadness of an Indian burial ground. Near Gay Head is a fishing village, Menemsha, worth a visit for dinner and the sunset on the nearby beach. West Tisbury, another village toward the west side, is charming and picturesque, embodying an earlier century’s beauty. Chilmark is the third “up-island” town. The coast that binds them all is 124.6 miles long.
Nantucket
Nantucket is a smaller island, only 14 miles by 3.5 miles, and a third of its 10,000 acres are held as wildlife preserves. The entire island is a national historic district; there are more than 800 buildings that date back before 1850, to the island’s roots as a whaling town. Today it is mostly a vacation destination, with a few thousand determined year-rounders who savor the quieter wintertime. There is only one real town, where the ships come to the harbor, but there’s also a quaint village named Siasconset (“land of many bones”), pronounced “Sconset.” Bike paths link the two locations, as well as the 50 miles of beaches, many in private hands but all open to the public for swimming, with some good surfing as well.
Farther South
Yes, there is a section of the Massachusetts coastline that runs south from Cape Cod to the Rhode Island line. Here are the bustling seaport cities of New Bedford and Fall River, as well as some little-known beaches. New Bedford offers plenty of whaling history and diverse ethnic dining choices. From Cape Cod, take Route 25 away from Bourne and connect with Interstate 195 south. To get here directly from Boston, use Route 24.
Last updated March 30, 2008
Posted in United States | The Seacoast
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