10 Most Instagrammable Spots on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket

Sponsored by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce While Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island are most widely known as New England’s summer playgrounds, they also offer some of the most scenic views on the East coast. From stunning sunsets to iconic landmarks, here are our top ten most Instagrammable spots on the Cape & Islands.

10 Most Instagrammable Spots on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket

1. Menemsha Beach Sunset, Martha’s Vineyard Everyone has their favorite beach sunset on the island, but most can agree that the one over Menemsha Beach is surreal. It’s so incredible that boats honk their horns and beachgoers clap when the sun sets. The colors are a variety of reds, pinks and golden orange hues that your camera will likely capture—but there’s nothing like the real thing.

2. ’Sconset Bluff Walk, Nantucket ‘Sconset Bluff Walk is arguably the most beautiful walking path on the island. Empty stretches of prime Nantucket beach are part of the Bluff Walk’s two-mile path, and unrivaled scenery and carefully located signage reminds visitors that the Bluff Walk is a place for strolling (leashed dogs permitted). The path leads from ‘Sconset village toward Sankaty Head Light and part of its scenery includes impressive homes between the ocean and Baxter Road, where the path winds and twists along the bluff (which also happens to be along the edge of landowners’ properties).

3. Nauset Light, Eastham A trip to Cape Cod isn’t complete without visiting at least one of the many lighthouses that dot the shore. While Race Point Light at the tip of Provincetown feels like you’ve reached the end of the world, the picturesque Nauset Light is the most widely photographed—bonus points if you pose in front of Nauset Light with your Cape Cod Potato Chips, which feature the lighthouse right on the bag.

4. Gay Head Cliffs, Martha’s Vineyard Quite possibly one of the most captivating spots on Martha’s Vineyard is the Gay Head Cliffs, a magical location where you’ll snap dozens of photos because of its grandeur and magnificence. The quiet, natural serenity is something that your photos will capture.

5. Steps Beach, Nantucket Steps Beach is off Cliff Road about four miles from town, sandwiched between Dionis and Jetties. Its southside Nantucket Sound surf is calmer and somewhat warmer than Atlantic waters and the beach is sandy with signature gray-shingled mansions. From the formidable set of stairs (remember you have to make the trek back up the stairs, too!) leading to the beach, there is a superb vista toward and including Great Point Light off to the right, as well as one of the most dramatic views of any other island beach.

6. Pilgrim Monument, ProvincetownPilgrim Monument offers a high vantage point with a bird’s-eye view of land and sea. Climb to the top of the 252-foot tower, where you’ll spot ships in the harbor and the bustling town below. Look out in the distance to see the shoreline bend and twist, and imagine what the Pilgrims saw in 1620 as they docked the Mayflower in Provincetown before heading to Plymouth.

7. Steamed Lobster on Oak Bluffs Harbor, Martha’s Vineyard Head on over to Coop de Ville in Oak Bluffs for a steamed lobster dinner on Tuesdays during their Lobsterfest, order the whole steamed lobster with corn and butter, and strategically place the lobster on the harbor’s edge, crouch down and get the harbor and boats in the shot along with the lobster!

8. Nantucket Lighthouses Nantucket lighthouses are a must-see. Iconic Brant Point Light, which welcomes visitors and returning locals to Nantucket Harbor, is the most widely photographed spot on the Island. Sankaty Head Light, which presides over Sankaty Bluff at the island’s easternmost point in Siasconset, offers climbs to the top only two times per year. Great Point Light, at Nantucket’s northernmost point, began its life in 1784 as a wooden tower, was destroyed by fire in 1816, and rebuilt as a 70-foot tall stone tower the following year. It was toppled by a storm in 1984, and in 1986 a replica stone tower was built and presides over a thin spit of beach where the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound currents meet.

9. Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich In search of a vibrant backdrop with pops of color? Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich boasts botanical blooms throughout the year, including rhododendrons, daylilies, hostas and hydrangeas. Visitors can spend the day wandering through miles of trails and 100 acres of manicured grounds on the banks of Shawme Pond.

10. Whale-watching Could there be a more spectacular Instagram-worthy action shot than a humpback whale breaching in the ocean, right before your eyes? The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is considered one of the best places in the world to view these magnificent creatures frolicking in their natural habitat. Plot your journey for whale-watching adventures (along with other statewide attractions inspired by whales) along the Massachusetts Whale Trail at whaletrailma.com. Funded by Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism