Lambert’s Cove Beach

A completely magical place, Lambert’s Cove deserves every accolade. A visit to this beautiful beach will restore your spirits in any type of weather, at any time of day (or night), and during three out of four seasons. If you are sad, broke, lonely, tired, mad, or in the midst of a dramatic upheaval in your romantic life, a long trek here will be more restorative than stiff tequila shots, expensive drinks at an Edgartown hot spot, Wellbutrin or Prozac. You will feel rested, healthy and happy after a walk on this piece of enchanted coast line, where the light is especially stunning as the sun goes down. The water is calm and warm in the summer, the rocks are perfect for picking up and stuffing in your pail or pocket and the sand is softer than most beaches. Why not five stars? Because for three months of the year, this beach is only available to residents of West Tisbury, is jam packed at all hours and has a parking lot that is way too small, forcing people to park along the road and walk in the street. If Mother Nature were in charge, this beach would be a more serene place all year long and available to everyone who appreciates tranquil beaches.

locals might hate me for spilling the beans on this well kept secret but i don’t care because this beach is as close as it comes to a tropical paradise like experience in the north atlantic. you can’t access this place unless you are a resident or a guest at a local inn with a private beach pass. i don’t know– just figure it out and find a way to get a slice of this little piece of heaven. trust me on this –you will not be disappointed. pack well, plan ahead and bring food because there are no bathrooms or other amenities here.
after parking in the little lot if you have a pass, you walk through about a ¼(?) of a mile of shrubby wooded brush until you emerge in what might be the most glorious place in the commonwealth. this is not where you go to see and be seen but it is where you want to be for an utterly relaxing retreat from the madness that carries on at some of the other more popular beaches on the vineyard. go here for peace and quiet and complete seclusion.
the water here is crystal clear, turquoise and miraculously free of rocks and seaweed. it’s just cool enough, smooth and placid, perfect for swimming and is quite conducive to fancying yourself a Caribbean Queen for the mere cost of a ferry ride and perhaps an internal organ to be sold on the black market to get one of those elusive private passes.