Heading to MV for a day trip? If you’re envisioning a day surrounded by quaint cottages and ocean views, Edgartown is the town on MV that you’ll want to visit. While the Steamship Authority Ferry doesn’t come into Edgartown, it’s only a short bus ride away. We’ve put together a bucket list for HOW to get to and around Edgartown in a day-trip, and what’s a must-do.

To start us off, here are the things we suggest you add to your itinerary, and below we’ll give you a sample itinerary!

MV in One Day Bucket List

⛲ Walk Around Downtown Edgartown

Here are some of the more scenic walk suggestions of places you can route to in your phone while you walk around town

• Main Street- walk down historic Main Street and check out the shops. If you’re good on time, walk up North Water street to see the picturesque homes with impeccable gardens with roses and hydrangeas

• Chappy Ferry Dock - watch the 2-minute On Time ferry run from Edgartown Harbor over to Chappaquiddick from the top of the dock.

• Edgartown Lighthouse - a classic New England view, you can see Chappaquiddick from here and a gorgeous 360 view of the harbor.

🦞 Eat some Seafood

Some personal favorites that offer outdoor dining:

• Seafood Shanty - more casual, this spot gives you solid favorites like lobster rolls and fish and chips.

• The Atlantic - a bit more upscale, we love this spot for the chowder, lobster guac and carrot cake!

• Behind the Bookstore - if you’re not into seafood, or want a light meal or coffee, check out this hidden spot for the best latte and croissants on island

🌊 Beach!

• If you’re into laying on a beach, you can go to Lighthouse Beach or Fuller Street Beach, both of which are open to the public

📍Do something tourist-y

Whether or not you’re into history, there’s a few quick spots of note you can check out

• The Carnegie Heritage Center - this recently renovated library has rotating exhibits about the historic development of MV. They offer hour-long tours almost daily at 11am around downtown Edgartown. There is a $5 suggested donation for the museum, $10 for the tour Info here

• African American Heritage Trail - in Edgartown there are 3 sites dedicated to the formerly unrecognized contributions made by people of African descent to the history of the island - Edgartown Courthouse, Federated Church and Nancy Michael. Info here

🍦🍹 Get a treat or drink

• Cocktail - we love to grab a cocktail at the bar behind Bettini at the HarborView Hotel and sit to drink it on the porch overlooking the lighthouse! Runner Up: a cocktail at 19 Raw Oyster.

• Ice Cream - we love Ice Cream + Candy Bazaar on Edgartown Harbor for its rich ice cream, throwback candy selections and location/view.

Itinerary:

Now that you know the main players - here’s how this could realistically look for under $100 per person, leaving travel time on either side of the trip.

• 10:00 - Arrive, Park + Purchase round-trip ticket at Island Queen $25 (Parking +$20)

• 10:30 - Depart Falmouth

• 11:05 - Arrive in Oak Bluffs, take the #13 VTA bus to Edgartown, which departs every half hour on the :00 and :30 past the hour (between 9:00am and 9:00pm the bus departs every 15 minutes). This scenic route will take you past the long stretch of State Beach, along the eastern shore of the Island, and over the famous “Jaws” Bridge. $2 cash.

• 12:15 - Walk down historic Main Street and head to lunch at The Seafood Shanty $30.

• 1:30 - Walk around The Carnegie and then up North Water Street - stop to see the ferries go across the harbor on the Chappy Ferry. Check out Edgartown Lighthouse. $5

• 2:00 - Check out the shops on Main Street (be sure to go to Vineyard Vines or Black Dog) and head over to Dock Street to Ice Cream + Candy Bazaar for a cone. Walk back to Church Street to catch the bus. $5.

• 3:00 - Take the #13 bus back to Oak Bluffs $2 cash.

• 4:15 - Walk back and board the 4:30pm Island Queen Ferry home

I hope that helps! Eventually, I hope to post weekend-long and week-long bucket lists across various towns. More soon, MVactioners!

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