Edgartown

Edgartown combines a distinctive historic Main Street with a variety of natural and coastal experiences. Rather than committing to just one kind of vacation, you can choose among Greek Revival and Federal-style homes, trails through varied landscapes, and wind-swept beaches. This mix makes the town appealing if you’d like to plan both cultural activities and time outdoors for your trip.

Historic Streets and Whaling History

Edgartown’s streets are lined with stately white homes built in the Greek Revival or Federal style and carefully preserved and lovingly restored. The architecture gives the town a distinctly historic character: as you explore the streets, you’ll encounter different expressions of classic American architectural styles. If you’re especially interested in historic Edgartown, Main Street’s Old Whaling Church and Dr. Daniel Fisher House offer a starting point for exploring the historic district.

The town’s history is closely connected to whaling. From the mid- to late 19th century, Edgartown was the center of whaling on Martha’s Vineyard. The Old Whaling Church and Dr. Daniel Fisher House can therefore serve as specific points of interest for a visit focused on history. Whaling history offers its own perspective on the town, while the preserved and restored homes also reveal its architectural development.

The Edgartown Village Market is also part of the historic downtown scene. This open-air market is located in the heart of the area and is accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. If you’d like to explore downtown on foot or by bike, you can include it as a stop on your trip.

Trails Through Meadows, Woods and Wetlands

At Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, a total of 4 miles of trails wind through woods, meadows, ponds and salt marshes, as well as along shorelines. The variety of landscapes alone makes the sanctuary appealing to nature lovers: a trail through the woods offers a different setting from a stretch beside a pond, marsh or shoreline. You can take the 4-mile trail network into account when planning your outing.

The FARM Institute offers another way to combine a landscape visit with seeing animals. Visitors can walk through the barn, visit the animals or stroll through the Friendship Garden. The grounds also have two flat walking trails along the southern pastures. Each trail is less than two miles long.

These different nature experiences each offer something distinct: at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, woods, ponds, salt marshes and shorelines shape the trails. At the FARM Institute, the barn, animals, garden and pastures are among the possible visitor experiences. For a trip with children, having a choice between nature trails and a visit with animals may be especially appealing, even though the two places offer different experiences.

Wind-Swept Beaches and Views

South Beach is a wide, wind-swept beach in Edgartown’s Katama area. Its description highlights a different side of the surrounding area than the trails through woods, meadows and wetlands. Norton Point is also a beach in Edgartown, where overland travel across the sand is permitted. If you’re interested in beaches, these are two distinct options: South Beach is known for its wide-open expanse and wind, while Norton Point allows travel across the sand.

Edgartown Harbor Light offers spectacular views of Edgartown Harbor, Chappaquiddick and Cape Cod. This adds a viewpoint to the town’s streets and landscapes, with these three named destinations defining the view. Nearby, Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge is located on Chappaquiddick Island. Its landscape includes a dune beach with a sandy shoreline, extensive salt marshes, a saltwater pond and a distinctive colony of hardy red cedars.

Choose Edgartown as a Vacation Destination

The vacation rental in Edgartown that’s right for your trip depends first on which experiences you’d like to focus on. The town’s historic character can itself be a reason to choose Edgartown as a vacation destination. So, when choosing Edgartown as the location for your accommodation, consider which of the town’s features matter to your trip.

Chappaquiddick Island can also be part of getting oriented in the area: the Chappy Ferry provides a year-round connection between downtown Edgartown and the island. If you’re considering the view from Edgartown Harbor Light or the landscape of Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge as part of your trip, you can take this connection into account as you get your bearings. The year-round ferry connection and the scenic destinations give Edgartown another distinct point of reference beyond its historic downtown.

If you’d like to discover other towns, you’ll find West Tisbury, Aquinnah, Tisbury and Oak Bluffs here.

For the broader travel overview: Dukes.