Exploring Cape Cod,
Martha’s Vineyard
& Nantucket

A Guide to New England’s Famous Coastal Escapes

Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket capture much of what travelers picture when they imagine coastal New England: historic lighthouses, weathered shingle homes, fishing harbors, sandy beaches, fresh seafood, and towns shaped by centuries of maritime history. 

Yet these three destinations each have a distinct character. Cape Cod stretches into the Atlantic with dozens of seaside communities and protected coastline. Martha’s Vineyard is known for colorful Oak Bluffs, historic Edgartown, beaches, and a rich cultural heritage. Farther offshore, Nantucket feels distinctly preserved, with cobblestone streets, historic homes, and a fascinating connection to America’s whaling era.

Visiting them together offers a deeper look at the history, landscapes, and communities that have defined the Massachusetts coast for generations. One of the best ways to experience this area is on a guided tour, and the Treasures of Cape Cod and the Islands tour is the perfect one to take! 

Getting to Know Cape Cod and the Islands

Cape Cod is the hook-shaped peninsula extending from southeastern Massachusetts into the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape is made up of numerous towns and villages, with landscapes ranging from protected dunes and salt marshes to historic harbors and long stretches of beach.

Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket sit offshore to the south of Cape Cod and are reached primarily by ferry or air.

Although they are often grouped together, the two islands are quite different. Martha’s Vineyard is the larger of the two and contains six towns, each with its own personality. Nantucket is smaller and more compact, with much of its historic character centered around Nantucket Town.

Together, Cape Cod and the islands reveal different sides of New England coastal life.

What Is Cape Cod Known For?

Cape Cod has been shaped by the sea for centuries. Fishing villages, lighthouses, cranberry bogs, beaches, dunes, and historic communities stretch along the peninsula, while the Atlantic continues to shape its coastline.

One of its greatest natural treasures is Cape Cod National Seashore, which protects miles of beaches, dunes, wetlands, ponds, and coastal habitats. The area also preserves stories connected to the Wampanoag people, European settlement, fishing communities, lighthouse keepers, and the lifesaving stations that once watched over these dangerous waters.

Farther north, Provincetown sits at the very tip of Cape Cod. Its harbor, galleries, shops, and distinctive coastal setting make it one of the Cape’s most recognizable communities.

Cape Cod Experiences to Look For

Spend time along Cape Cod National Seashore, explore historic coastal communities, see classic New England architecture, and learn how generations of residents made their living from the Atlantic.

For travelers interested in history, the Cape also pairs naturally with nearby Plymouth, where sites such as Mayflower II, Pilgrim Hall Museum, and Plimoth Patuxet Museums explore the complicated history of the region’s Indigenous peoples and English colonists.

What Is Martha’s Vineyard Known For?

Martha’s Vineyard lies just off the southern coast of Cape Cod and combines beach towns, historic architecture, farmland, lighthouses, and long-established island communities.

For many first-time visitors, Oak Bluffs is one of the island’s biggest highlights. Hundreds of brightly painted Victorian cottages fill the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association grounds, creating the famous neighborhood commonly known as the Gingerbread Cottages.

The cottages trace their history to 19th-century Methodist camp meetings. Temporary tents gradually gave way to permanent wooden cottages decorated with intricate trim, porches, and colorful architectural details.

Nearby, the historic Flying Horses Carousel dates to the 19th century and is recognized as the oldest operating platform carousel in the country.

Beyond Oak Bluffs: What Else Should You See on Martha’s Vineyard?

Martha’s Vineyard extends well beyond its famous gingerbread cottages.

Edgartown is known for its historic homes, harbor, shops, and classic New England streets. The town's whaling-era architecture reflects the prosperity brought to the island by maritime trade during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Travel farther across the island and the scenery changes. Beaches, ponds, farms, and smaller communities lead toward Aquinnah, home to dramatic clay cliffs overlooking the Atlantic.

Aquinnah is also the ancestral homeland of the Aquinnah Wampanoag. The Wampanoag people have lived in this region for thousands of years, and the Aquinnah Cultural Center preserves and shares the history and living culture of the community.

Martha’s Vineyard’s African American Heritage

Martha’s Vineyard also holds an important place in African American history.

Oak Bluffs developed into a prominent vacation destination for Black travelers during an era when discrimination and segregation restricted where African American families could comfortably vacation elsewhere in the United States.

Today, the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard connects more than 30 sites associated with the contributions and experiences of people of African descent on the island.

Learning this history adds important context to Oak Bluffs and helps explain why Martha’s Vineyard has remained significant to generations of Black families, writers, artists, leaders, and vacationers.

What Is Nantucket Known For?

About 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Nantucket feels like a remarkably preserved piece of maritime New England.

The island rose to international prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries as an important center of the whaling industry. Wealth generated by maritime trade influenced the homes, streets, churches, and public buildings visitors still see today.

Historic Nantucket Town is especially memorable. Cobblestone streets, weathered gray-shingle buildings, historic homes, shops, and a busy harbor make walking one of the best ways to appreciate the town.

Nantucket's historic significance extends beyond individual buildings. The island is recognized as a National Historic Landmark District, helping preserve the architectural character that distinguishes it from many other coastal destinations.

What Should You See on Nantucket?

Start with a walk through historic Nantucket Town. Look beyond the shops and restaurants at the architecture around you, where homes and buildings reveal the wealth, ambition, and maritime connections of generations past.

Travelers interested in the island’s seafaring history can learn more about the whaling industry and the people whose lives were connected to it. Nantucket also has important ties to Maria Mitchell, the pioneering American astronomer who discovered a comet in 1847 and later became the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College.

Beyond town, Nantucket opens into beaches, moors, quiet roads, and small communities such as Siasconset, commonly called ’Sconset. Historic lighthouses, including Brant Point and Sankaty Head, complete the classic Nantucket landscape.

Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: What Is the Difference?

Travelers sometimes wonder whether Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are essentially interchangeable. They are not.

Martha’s Vineyard is larger and has several distinct communities to explore. Oak Bluffs offers colorful Victorian architecture and significant African American history, Edgartown brings maritime elegance, and Aquinnah introduces visitors to dramatic coastal scenery and Wampanoag heritage.

Nantucket is smaller and feels more concentrated around its historic maritime identity. Its cobblestone streets, preserved architecture, whaling history, lighthouses, and gray-shingled buildings give the island an immediately recognizable character.

Visiting both makes their differences much easier to appreciate.

Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket Food

Seafood is naturally central to dining throughout Cape Cod and the islands. Depending on the season, menus may feature lobster, oysters, clams, scallops, and locally caught fish.

Clam chowder and lobster rolls are New England favorites, but the region’s food culture extends beyond seafood. Cape Cod is closely associated with cranberries, while Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have farms and producers supplying seasonal vegetables, fruit, meat, and other ingredients to area restaurants.

Eating along the Massachusetts coast is often as much about the setting as the meal, whether that means a harbor view, a historic dining room, or ingredients sourced from nearby farms and fishing boats.

Martha’s Vineyard and Jaws

Film fans may find parts of Martha’s Vineyard surprisingly familiar.

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws was filmed extensively on the island, which stood in for the fictional Amity Island. Locations around Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and the island’s beaches appeared throughout the movie.

More than 50 years later, fans still visit Martha’s Vineyard to recognize filming locations from one of the most famous movies in American cinema.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Cape Cod and the Islands?

Summer is the region’s busiest season, bringing warm weather, active harbors, beach days, and a full calendar of seasonal restaurants, shops, and attractions.

Late spring and early fall can also be excellent times to visit. Temperatures are generally cooler, and travelers may encounter fewer summer crowds while still being able to enjoy many of the region’s coastal experiences.

Weather can change quickly near the Atlantic, so layers are useful even during warmer months. A light jacket or sweater can make ferry crossings and evenings near the water more comfortable.

Why Visit Cape Cod and the Islands on a Guided Tour?

Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket may look close together on a map, but exploring the region involves ferries, transfers, seasonal schedules, and deciding what to prioritize within limited time.

Guided travel handles much of that planning while adding something equally valuable: context.

Instead of simply walking past a historic house or harbor, you can understand how whaling shaped Nantucket, why Oak Bluffs' cottages exist, how Wampanoag communities have shaped the region for thousands of years, and how the Atlantic influenced generations of life along the Massachusetts coast.

On tour, travelers can explore Cape Cod National Seashore, take a guided walk through historic Nantucket, visit Oak Bluffs and the Gingerbread Cottage Museum with an expert, and spend the night on Martha’s Vineyard. The journey also connects the islands with Boston, Plymouth, and Newport for a broader look at New England's history and coastal culture.