joseph sylvia state beach

fishing was good and walking the beaches was easy to do. Parking was available at whatever point you stopped.

Loved this beach, nice to swim in, barely any waves. Easy walk from free parking. Can't wait to return.

This is a wonderful summer beach- accessible, sandy and crystal clear water! Great for families, or for a stop after the store. Don't miss it!!

We visited on a very overcast day ... the kind of beach days I like :) We were able to park on the side of the road and walk about 25 feet to where we setup. Water was very calm and everyone around us was very nice.

I have been coming to this beach for over 50 years. Sand great, short walk from free parking. Get there early, it fills up by noon. Gentle waves, wonderful for everyone together in and out of the water. It is just heaven!

Most of the beaches are very rocky, so wear your beach shoes. You may have to to go out to Gayhead or Chappaquiddick to escape some of the rocks. The water is rather cold it all of the beaches in Martha's Vineyard. It's always been that way. I love it here. This is not Florida people.

We were staying in Oak Bluffs but took the bus to this beach. It has no facilities but its quiet, and beautiful. It was one of our best days on the island.

This beach was a great place to go with our 1 year old son. Parking on the street allows easy access onto the sand. Little to no waves make this calm beach a great place for little ones to go in the water.

Three families were visiting Martha's Vineyard for the day with 7 children between the ages of 10 and 15. This filled the bill for part of the day. All of the kids LOVED jumping off the "Jaws Bridge" which is about 15 foot above the water (despite signs saying no jumping off the bridge). It is between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. We took the public bus there on route 13 and the bus stops right at the Jaws Bridge. Busses run every 20 minutes or so in the summer, so you don't need to worry about getting stuck there. There is a small stand selling drinks and ice cream and even shirts about jumping off the bridge (for $20). There are no bathroom facilities unfortunately. We got to Edgartown via the Falmouth Edgartown ferry instead of the Steamship Authority ferry to Vineyard Haven.

This beach is very convenient to Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. You can rent various water craft (kayak, paddle board, windsurfer) here and there is a food stand during high volume times. Great for the younger ones to at since the waves are fairly calm most days. I love the kayaking and it's calm enough to get the kids out to teach them. There's an inlet so you have variety and the kids love collecting the ocean wildlife (crabs, etc) to look at and then release. Often, boats will anchor offshore. Great for a swim or snorkel. Take your buckets and shovels!

This is by far the best beach here. It is a good long stretch of clean sand, and smaller waves. Get there early in summer as it tends to fill up very quickly. If you prefer less crowded, visit later at night with a pizza and enjoy. Right on the public transportation route also. You can leave your car behind if you wish.

With an 11 and 12 year old in tow, we wanted a beach which would give them the opportunity to swim and have room to roam, while offering the adults a comfortable, attractive beach with space to stretch out. After our first day tour of the island we decided that State Beach (Joseph Sylvia) fit the bill. Our tour driver had suggested hanging out near the "Jaws Bridge" so the kids could watch (or participate in) the ritual of jumping into the water from the 15+ foot drop. We took his advice, and were not disappointed. The water was beautiful - calm and clear (albeit a bit cold), and the beach was long enough that we could stretch out and not sit on one another's head. Though a bit rocky in some places, for the most part it was a gentle beach and the kids had a blast. We also spent lots of time watching the hoards of jumpers who take great delight in leaping off the wooden bridge (on longer the original structure from the film). In fact almost all of the adults in our family, as well as the kids, took turns making the leap - a feat of which they are all more than proud! We also traveled by city bus, only $1.00 each way - cheap, convenient and no parking hassles. Words of caution though - parking is a challenge, there is only a small food truck for snacks by the bridge, and there are no lifeguards, bathrooms, umbrella/chair concessions or even waste baskets! Natural is the watch word here.

Reminds me when they were filming JAWS here when I was a young boy. Great place to visit, just be careful the hermit crabs will nip your toes !

Loads of sand and just the kind of ocean swim you want without any big waves. You can actually swim here and it's a great place to bring an umbrella and picnic lunch and spend the day. Other Vineyard beaches are also great, but this is the one I go to most often. Parking in summer can be tough though.

I spent a week on Martha's Vineyard for 11 years during my 20s and never once went to this beach. I drove by it many times and assumed it wasn't a good beach because of all the parked cars lined up on the road. I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I love this beach now. When you are on the beach you forget about the road behind you. The water is calm and beautiful. There are minnows, crabs and other small fish to catch. The narrow shoreline means you have an unobstructed water view. And, at the Oak Bluffs end of the beach you can jump the bridge.