Martha’s Vineyard is a beach lover’s paradise with beaches of all shapes and sizes dotting its picturesque coastline.
Some of these beaches are very well hidden and some only accessible to the public at certain times of year; Cow Beach in Edgartown is one such beach.
Cow Beach is located just past Bend in The Road Beach at the southernmost end of State Beach. It is a private beach that is the property of the Cow Bay Association and can only be accessed from the land during the off-season when the Association’s summer residents have departed.
Heading towards Edgartown on Beach Road the turning to the beach is on the left shortly after passing Sengekontacket Pond. Follow the road down to the bottom and you’ll find a small parking lot.
Again please respect the owners and do not try to access in the summer months unless invited by an Association member.
The beach is a beautiful crescent of sand, backed by undulating sand dunes and waving beach grass. The water here is shallow and good for swimming. It was the fact that the water was shallow that made this location the choice for filming the opening scene of “Jaws” in which Chrissie is the shark’s first victim. Cue music!
The area used to be a working farm and thus its name, Cow Beach, is a hat tip to its heritage. The only animals you now likely to see however are a myriad of shore birds some of which nest on the beach.
Safe travels,
Simon