Looking for relaxation on sandy shores or gentle waves for the kids? Or is carving rough water more your style? The good thing is the beaches of Martha's Vineyard offer something for everyone. The following is a list of beaches open to the public. Not included are beaches owned by individual towns that are restricted to short- or long-term residents of those communities.

TISBURY

1. Lake Tashmoo Beach: At the end of Herring Creek Road, off Daggett Avenue. Choose Lake Tashmoo (salt water), or Vineyard Sound (small waves). Lifeguard on duty in season. Limited parking.

2. Owen Park Beach: On the harbor just a short walk from downtown Vineyard Haven. Clean sand, small waves and harbor views. Limited parking off Main Street. Lifeguard on duty in season.

3. On Vineyard Haven Harbor: A narrow strip of beach between the Steamship Authority docks and the Black Dog Tavern. A place to wade, not to swim. Wet your toes or relax in the gazebo nearby.

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OAK BLUFFS

4. Eastville Point Beach: A county beach on the eastern harbor side of Vineyard Haven just after crossing the drawbridge into Oak Bluffs. Calm waves with views of Vineyard Haven harbor and Vineyard Sound. Swimmers should be cautious of boats and the current running into and out of the Lagoon.

5. Oak Bluffs Town Beach: A popular, very narrow beach stretching from the Oak Bluffs harbor entrance to the ferry dock, and continuing to the end of Waban Park. Lifeguards on duty at the Waban Park end of the beach. A stretch of this beach, on the other side of the harbor entrance, can be accessed by taking East Chop Drive to a gate marking the entrance to a walkway to the beach.

6. Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach: the Island's "people's beach," a great family beach located between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown on Beach Road. Calm waves and easy to reach on the bike paths. Parking is permitted along the roadway, but stay on the pavement to avoid getting fined.

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EDGARTOWN

7. Bend-in-the-Road Beach: a section of the Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach. Shallow water, small waves, clean sand, lifeguards on duty in season, and a beautiful view of Nantucket Sound. A popular beach for families with small children.

8. Lighthouse Beach: the harbor beach at Starbuck's Neck. A lovely spot with calm water and scenes of sailboats, the Chappy ferry, and fishing boats. Gentle waves on the outer part of the beach are safer for small children. Seldom crowded and a short walk from North Water Street.

9. Chappy Point: Just a ferry ride across the Edgartown harbor to Chappaquiddick. Two beaches, one facing the inner harbor, the other looks out toward the outer harbor and Nantucket Sound. Both offer small lapping waves. Not suitable for swimming due to harbor traffic.

10. East Beach: on Chappaquiddick, a long, beautiful, and relatively empty place, managed by The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR). Loved by fishermen and used by swimmers, bathers, and waders. Admission for walkovers (adults, $3; children under 15, free) and a charge for auto access. Yearly prices for over-sand vehicle permits are as follows: TTOR member with Island car registration, $80; member with off-Island registration, $130; non-member with Island car registration, $150; non-member with off-Island registration, $200. Admissions and permits can be obtained at the property's gate house; at TTOR's Vineyard Haven office, Tisbury Marketplace, Beach Road; and at Coop's Bait and Tackle in Edgartown.

11. Wasque Point: a TTOR property, a place to enjoy the ocean, ponds, and Katama Bay. The actual point, known as Wasque Rip, is very dangerous for swimming but good for fishing. The south side for swimming is reachable by the boardwalk from the parking area; vehicles can enter at Dyke Bridge. TTOR admissions and permits apply to this beach as well (see East Beach, above).

12. Katama or South Beach: At the end of Katama Road in Edgartown. A long, popular south shore with fine surf. Swimmers take note: undertow can be fierce.

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WEST TISBURY

13. Long Point Beach: open to non-residents who purchase stickers from TTOR's office near the beach: adults, $3; children under 15, free; parking, $10 per vehicle. Beautiful, isolated, with good surf. Follow nature trails to discover Tisbury Great Pond (brackish water) and the wide ocean shore. Limited parking; spaces fill early.

14. Uncle Seth's Pond: small freshwater pond on Lambert's Cove Road. Small beach very close to road. Watch your children and the traffic. In the summer Vineyard Transit Authority buses pick up and drop off at the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School for transportation to Uncle Seth's.

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CHILMARK

15. Menemsha Public Beach: next to colorful Menemsha harbor. Fun and safe for kids. Lifeguard on duty in the roped off area. Sunsets are spectacular.

16. Chilmark Pond Preserve: a Martha's Vineyard Land Bank-owned property with access to Chilmark Pond. Use a kayak or canoe to reach a small, dramatic, and isolated south shore ocean beach. Very limited parking.

17. Great Rock Bight Preserve: off North Road. Another land bank-owned property with swimming permissible at its 1,300 feet of Vineyard Sound beach. The trail to the beach is long and steep and has stairs. Secluded sandy cove and views from the seaside bluff.

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AQUINNAH

18. Lobsterville Beach: on Lobsterville Road. A calm north shore beach with good shells and sea glass. Pleasant and protected. Very limited parking.

19. West Basin: at the end of Lobsterville Road. A north shore beach with small waves and good beachcombing. Parking along West Basin Road is limited.

20. Moshup Beach: a Martha's Vineyard Land Bank property, located near the Gay Head Cliffs. A prime south beach for bathing and sunning. Drop-off area at the beach and a town parking just up the hill from the start of Moshup Trail ($15 per day).

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