Oak Bluffs Town Beach
Oak Bluffs Town Beach
Oak Bluffs Town Beach
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
109 reviews
Excellent
47
Very good
36
Average
20
Poor
5
Terrible
1
Kimberly C
Philadelphia, PA13 contributions
Jul 2020
Oak Bluffs should be a must on your list if you come to Martha's vineyards. The variety of shops, historical sites and amazing eateries with water views make it a great place to spend the day. We choose to get around on our own - no tour, and take the public transportation. This was the best idea as it was only $10 for the whole day and you could travel to 3-4 areas on the island. Had we rented a scooter ( which most like to do) parking is next to impossible during the summer season so most of your time would be trying to find a place to park and not see much. Looking forward to coming back next year for a longer stay.
Written July 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
csserious2
Chantilly, VA758 contributions
Jul 2021
We came across the beach by chance on a short trip to Martha's Vineyard on a beautiful summer day. We came by ferry and brought our car along, finding a reservation for the car is so hard. You'll need to check the Steamship Authority website regularly to find any an empty slot that fits your schedule. The beach has ample free parking on the roadside and public restroom as well. Views of calm water and boats on one side and the thriving bustling summer environment on the other side is quite relaxing and rewarding. Marhta's Vineyard has a number of cute beaches, and a trip to the island must include enjoying a day at one of them.
Written July 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Monica S
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada14 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
Martha's Vineyard was definitely on my list of things to see. We are very glad we went. I found it difficult to organize and plan our visit from home. So, I hope this helps. 1) The morning of travel you need to call Steamship Authority prior to your arrival to see which lot you will be departing from. This changes daily. As one lot fills up, they will direct you to over flow lots. You will need to have all lot addresses ready for your gps incase you are sent to a different departure point. Parking lots, are not next door to each other, they are in surrounding towns. We were told to proceed to Woods Hole parking lot ($15 parking daily rate for our car). Once there, you will be shuttled by bus (free shuttle) to the ferry. You can purchase your ferry tickets at ferry dock once off shuttle bus ($8.50 per person - one way)
The tourist Ferry ship will take you to one of two towns - Vineyard Haven or to Oak Bluffs. The town that you are taken too, depends on what time the next ship is leaving. ie. if you depart port at 9:30 am you will be taken to Oak Bluffs. If you depart at 10:45 you will be taken to Vineyard Haven. They alternate ships and ports all day long. Either entry port is fine to start your day with. Once the ferry docks (at either oak bluffs or Vineyard Haven) you can decide your means of travel and sightseeing. You can do a private tour, group tour or on your own, by local bus. The "all day" bus pass is $8 per person. We traveled by bus. Bus is very easy to maneuver and comes by very frequently.
There are a total of 6 towns on the island. Each with its own appeal. 1) Edgartown 2) West Tisbury 3) Vineyard Haven 4) Aquinah 5) Oak Bluffs 6)Chilmark
It's a very full day and not easy to see the entire island in one day - especially by bus. We saw 4 of the 6 towns - Oak Bluff- Edgar Town- Vineyard Haven and Aquinah. We felt quite satisfied with what we were able to fit in.
You do not have to leave from the same port/dock that you arrived from. We took the steamship to Vineyard Haven coming in, but departed from the Oak Bluffs ferry in the evening, because the time was more convenient for us. So do not panic about where you land or leave from. There will be a shuttle bus to take you back to the correct parking where your car is.
Buses on Martha's Vineyard, run quite frequently to take between the 6 towns. You should not have any trouble making the ferry time/location that you prefer. That being said, we were there early June on a week day. I would assume that it likely gets busier in the summer especially weekends.
I would suggest picking a good weather day as there is lots to fit in. Also- layer you clothes/ bring a jacket. The ferry ride back was pretty cool on the steamship. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing lots of walking. I even brought a beach towel. We used it to sit on the beach for a short rest. A back pack is ideal but don't over pack you will tire of carrying it.
Expect to pay a bit more for your meals. The equivalent of a nicer restaurant. (oysters $3 each a glass of wine $8+ U.S $. There are lots of nice little shops with unique little items. There are no shortage of souvenir /t-shirt shops. Just as you would expect in a beach town. I bought a long sleeve t-shirt for $25 U.S $. Some shops offer to ship your items. This is convenient for U.S travellers.
My favorite towns were Oak Bluffs and Edgar town.
If you plan on sightseeing all day, young children will be bored. If you bring children, just pick one of their towns and just enjoy it, and its beach. We travelled beginning of June so saw few children.
The tourist Ferry ship will take you to one of two towns - Vineyard Haven or to Oak Bluffs. The town that you are taken too, depends on what time the next ship is leaving. ie. if you depart port at 9:30 am you will be taken to Oak Bluffs. If you depart at 10:45 you will be taken to Vineyard Haven. They alternate ships and ports all day long. Either entry port is fine to start your day with. Once the ferry docks (at either oak bluffs or Vineyard Haven) you can decide your means of travel and sightseeing. You can do a private tour, group tour or on your own, by local bus. The "all day" bus pass is $8 per person. We traveled by bus. Bus is very easy to maneuver and comes by very frequently.
There are a total of 6 towns on the island. Each with its own appeal. 1) Edgartown 2) West Tisbury 3) Vineyard Haven 4) Aquinah 5) Oak Bluffs 6)Chilmark
It's a very full day and not easy to see the entire island in one day - especially by bus. We saw 4 of the 6 towns - Oak Bluff- Edgar Town- Vineyard Haven and Aquinah. We felt quite satisfied with what we were able to fit in.
You do not have to leave from the same port/dock that you arrived from. We took the steamship to Vineyard Haven coming in, but departed from the Oak Bluffs ferry in the evening, because the time was more convenient for us. So do not panic about where you land or leave from. There will be a shuttle bus to take you back to the correct parking where your car is.
Buses on Martha's Vineyard, run quite frequently to take between the 6 towns. You should not have any trouble making the ferry time/location that you prefer. That being said, we were there early June on a week day. I would assume that it likely gets busier in the summer especially weekends.
I would suggest picking a good weather day as there is lots to fit in. Also- layer you clothes/ bring a jacket. The ferry ride back was pretty cool on the steamship. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing lots of walking. I even brought a beach towel. We used it to sit on the beach for a short rest. A back pack is ideal but don't over pack you will tire of carrying it.
Expect to pay a bit more for your meals. The equivalent of a nicer restaurant. (oysters $3 each a glass of wine $8+ U.S $. There are lots of nice little shops with unique little items. There are no shortage of souvenir /t-shirt shops. Just as you would expect in a beach town. I bought a long sleeve t-shirt for $25 U.S $. Some shops offer to ship your items. This is convenient for U.S travellers.
My favorite towns were Oak Bluffs and Edgar town.
If you plan on sightseeing all day, young children will be bored. If you bring children, just pick one of their towns and just enjoy it, and its beach. We travelled beginning of June so saw few children.
Written June 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Traveller & Foodie
Montreal, Canada3,381 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
There are many beaches in Oak Bluffs. There are beaches near the marina as well as off the side of the road. This little town has so much to see and so many pretty beaches. I would highly recommend staying in this area when visiting Martha’s Vineyard because there are so many things to see. I honestly fell in love with Oak Bluffs. Definitely a must place to visit.
Written August 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helen F
43 contributions
Sep 2015
We visited mid September. It was sunny and warm with only one brief spell of rain but the town was on its way out of season by then . This means we had the beach and sea front pretty much to ourselves. It's a pretty sea front, home to many and varied yachts. The ferries go across the bay regularly. There's plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by and for us, it was quiet and peaceful.
Written October 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
LAM-Martin
New York City, NY20 contributions
Aug 2015
I love Martha's Vineyard and particularly Oak Bluffs. My husband and I have been going for years. It's like stepping back in time when life was simple, everyone spoke to and were cordial to each other, and before large restaurant and retail stores took over. Every store and restaurant is proprietor-owned complete with hand painted signs. It's simple and wonderful. While there are hotels and inns all over the island, the best way to stay and value is through renting a house - ideally with friends or family. Rentals are a minimum of a week during the high season in summer months. Only way to the island is by ferry boat which can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes depending on where you leave from. You can bring your car over - leaving from Wood Hole, Mass. or you can rent after you get on island. Bike rentals are also available. There are fantastic local restaurants everywhere and the freshest seafood you've ever had!! Plenty of great beaches all around the island. We enjoy it so much we are planning to return each year and may consider purchasing there. Highly recommended spring and fall months!!
Written August 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Luvs2TravelAnywhere
New York City, NY6,683 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
This is a nice, narrow beach close to the ferry. The water is a stunning blue green and it is perfect for taking a long walk.
Written August 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
RRB5437
Washington DC, DC160 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
Great beach if you are walking through Oak Bluffs. Locals use this beach as well, there are bathrooms with showers at one end near the fishing pier and Steamship authority.
Written October 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
travlndude
Martha's Vineyard, MA47 contributions
Jul 2012 • Family
Full disclosure, I live in this town. I do agree that the beginning of Circuit can be quite busy. I walked through yesterday evening and saw some litter but It was not strewn with trash. Especially considering the amount of people who were there. I wouldn't recommend that small part of town unless you wanted to frequent the many bars there. The other end of the street has lots of shops and a few restaurants and is much mellower.
The main ferry terminal where the over whelming majority of tourist, arrive has shaded benches to sit on and a two year old air conditioned ticket lobby and is located next to the town beach. There are also newly renovated public bathrooms in an adjacent building. Also right there is Ocean Park, a huge green lawn with a beautiful band stand where the August fireworks are held. A great place to fly a kite or throw a frisbee after the beach. A five minute walk from there are the ginger bread houses. Three hundred little ginger bread style houses set up around a large out door church, the tabernacle. It is rightfully in The National Register of Historic Places. The area from Circuit Ave, the main street east toward the beach is the first planned development in the country and has many green parks that promenade towards the water and have lots of cute houses along the way.
The main ferry terminal where the over whelming majority of tourist, arrive has shaded benches to sit on and a two year old air conditioned ticket lobby and is located next to the town beach. There are also newly renovated public bathrooms in an adjacent building. Also right there is Ocean Park, a huge green lawn with a beautiful band stand where the August fireworks are held. A great place to fly a kite or throw a frisbee after the beach. A five minute walk from there are the ginger bread houses. Three hundred little ginger bread style houses set up around a large out door church, the tabernacle. It is rightfully in The National Register of Historic Places. The area from Circuit Ave, the main street east toward the beach is the first planned development in the country and has many green parks that promenade towards the water and have lots of cute houses along the way.
Written July 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thomas Lukose
21 contributions
Oct 2019
Martha's Vineyard offers a variety of things to do and see. It is an island with breathtaking views of the ocean, and filled with great restaurants, beaches, and good hospitality. A tour of the entire island is a must do. You will go through a lot of historic landmarks. It is best to go during summer months if you want to relax and spent some time on the beaches. Winter months can be cold and lot of attractions can be blocked by fog, snow and other related natural phenomenons. Light house is a must see. Only negative is it is extremely expensive for food and drinks on the island, if you are a smart traveler, please get some food from the main land before you get on to the ferry to get there.
Written October 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Oak Bluffs Town Beach - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Oak Bluffs Town Beach
- We recommend booking Oak Bluffs Town Beach tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Oak Bluffs Town Beach tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Oak Bluffs Town Beach:
- (0.02 mi) Beautiful Oak Bluffs Home with Wonderful Waterviews
- (0.08 mi) Madison Inn
- (0.18 mi) The Dockside Inn
- (0.09 mi) Morgan Hotel
- (0.12 mi) Martha's Vineyard Surfside Hotel
- Restaurants near Oak Bluffs Town Beach:
- (0.03 mi) Big Dipper Cafe
- (0.08 mi) The Red Cat Kitchen
- (0.10 mi) Offshore Ale Company
- (0.10 mi) Giordano's Restaurant
- (0.12 mi) Back Door Donuts