Aquinnah

town on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States

Aquinnah (formerly known as Gay Head) is a town at the western end of Martha's Vineyard. The bright, multi-colored clay cliffs at Gay Head are a fabulous sight. Aquinnah is home to the Wampanoag Tribe, residents of Martha's Vineyard for thousands of years and the majority population of the town. The town consists of sparsely developed bluffs surrounded by beaches.

Get in

  • West Basin Bike Ferry, West Basin Road, Aquinnah. Carries bicycles and people, but not cars, between Menemsha and the Lobsterville part of Aquinnah. Operates summer only. 
  • Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority, ☏ +1 508 693-9440, fax: +1 508-693-9953, . The #5 bus runs from West Tisbury through Chilmark to Gay Head, then loops along Lobsterville Road and back to Chilmark. 

Get around

Bicycling is popular, but the roads are windy and steep. The MTA bus provides limited service within Aquinnah.

See

  • Gay Head Cliffs, Aquinnah Circle. Public area adjacent to the lighthouse with spectacular views of the beach below, Vineyard Sound, and Cuttyhunk 
  • 🌍 Gay Head Lighthouse, Aquinnah Circle (end of State Rd in Aquinnah), ☏ +1 508-645-2211. Tours on summer evenings to see the sunset $5 adults, under 12 free. 
  • Moshup Beach. Pay lots on Moshup Trail just south of State Road, with beach access and a drop-off spot about 0.5 miles south of the pay lot. This beach stretches for over a mile along the southwestern end of the island, wrapping around the Gay Head Light. This beach is known for the picturesque clay cliffs that rise up from the edge of the beach. Nudity is common and tolerated on the northern end of the beach. Aquinnah police strictly enforce the ban on disturbing the clay cliffs, but do not enforce clothing requirements. Naked is OK, but covered in clay will get you in trouble. 
  • Lobsterville Beach. Two miles of beach on the northern side of Aquinnah, which is more sheltered than Moshup Beach around to the south. 
  • Philbin Beach. Limited to Aquinnah residents. 
  • Gay Head Moraine, Lobsterville, Rd.. Land Bank property for hiking, picnicking, birding. 
  • Martha's Vineyard Leisure Charters. Take a tour of the magnificent cliffs from the water. Day trips for 1 to 6 people. Departs from Oak Bluffs. The adventurous may want to ask about their clay bath option, using imported French bentonite clay 

Do

  • Stay off the cliffs and out of the clay. Both are illegal.

Buy

Aquinnah's only retail shops are a group of stores on Aquinnah Circle, adjacent to the Gay Head Lighthouse. Most close around dusk.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Go next

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