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South Beach - Katama, Martha's Vineyard

Edgartown, MA

41.34880° N, -70.51184° W

Where: Katama Rd, Edgartown View Map

Water Type: Salt water

Type: Surf

  • local_parking
  • wc

Good for: Swimming, Walking, Surfing, Sunbathing

About

South Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the Island. It's a free and public beach located in the southern, Katama area of Edgartown and facing the Atlantic Ocean. It is a barrier beach, which means surf on one side and a calm protected pond on the other. The surf can be fairly rough, which is fun for body surfing, but it's not great swimming for young kids.

Reviews

37 rated reviews | 61 total reviews


Danvers, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2024

7/28/2024

This is a great beach for those that want some exciting wave riding. The waves are big and the water is clean. I would suggest being an experienced swimmer, the water tends to throw you around. Kids loved it though!


USA
2 reviews
Member since: Dec 2023

6/27/2024

Family friendly with playground, snack place, restrooms, better parking, soft sand, picturesque.


Mashpee, MA
5 reviews
Member since: Apr 2012

8/12/2023

We love South Beach and Norton Beach. South Beach is closest and has bathrooms. Norton Beach requires you buy a sticker but you drive right onto beach. Our kids love it because it's so easy for them to bring the babies and the gear needed! Whole family meets there and grill and play. Amazing sunsets to the west light up the sky!


Laurel, MD
2 reviews
Member since: Oct 2022

7/22/2023

it was so relaxing. strong waves and great beach for pictures. patrol staff were very friendly and accommodating.


Barrington, RI
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2023

7/8/2023

Great parking, easy on/off, nice dunes and quiet along private end.


Burlington, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2023

6/24/2023

Great beach for kids, has a playground and snack shack with ice cream. It’s also right across from a great restaurant “Skipper’s”


Mount Holly Springs, PA
4 reviews
Member since: Jun 2019

6/18/2023

Lots of sand, restrooms at each end (where parking lots are), beautiful views and great beach to enjoy for the day! Make sure to bring your towel, sun hat & sunscreen, and leave it in better condition than you found it!


New York, NY
1 review
Member since: Jun 2023

6/12/2023

South Beach is magnificent. Easy parking, clean, and welcoming. Loved the pristine sand and untouched dunes. I highly recommend enjoying a long walk and taking a dip! Crisp and invigorating! Simply GLORIOUS!


Worcester, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2023

6/10/2023

Soft sand, quiet, easy to get to. Bathrooms were not open yet but other than that it was great.


Washington, NJ
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2021

8/27/2022

The sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean; wide sandy beach with picturesque dunes; also important - bathroom facilities!


Mashpee, MA
5 reviews
Member since: Apr 2012

8/13/2022

The beautiful beach is close to the house. Parking is close and they even have public bathrooms


Avon, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2021

7/16/2022

We loved the waves and the free parking!


Rochester, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Oct 2022

7/16/2022

Big waves which are great for boogie boarding. Be careful as the undertow can be strong at times. Great place to see the biplane do flying tricks over the ocean.


Lexington, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2022

6/14/2022

always has parking, no fee to park, long enough so you can always walk to an uncrowded area


Hanover, MA
4 reviews
Member since: Feb 2012

9/12/2021

Beautiful sandy beach. There’s plenty of space, lots of parking and often big roller waves to play in.


Bethesda, MD
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2021

8/21/2021

Nice sand. Decent waves


Lynn, MA
3 reviews
Member since: Jan 2021

8/1/2021

Drive on ( with permit). Good for surfing, swimming relaxing, meeting new people


Wakefield, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2020

8/1/2021

Waves and water isn’t freezing. Only negative is the little pebbles.


USA
1 review
Member since: Mar 2021

7/25/2021

Water was rough but it’s a beautiful beach


USA
2 reviews
Member since: Oct 2017

7/24/2021

Beautiful beach Experience over many many years.However it has eroded somewhat over the past few years.


Milford, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2020

7/18/2021

South Beach was our favorite. The kids loved boogie boarding in the waves.


North Branford, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Nov 2020

6/19/2021

Great sand, out of the way ... not a lot of rocks or seaweed .... but the waves are a tad bit rough.


Boston, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2020

9/30/2020

Big waves, great sand, ocean facing, serene.


Franklin, MA
2 reviews
Member since: May 2012

9/10/2020

Beautiful beach, crazy waves!


Rowley, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2020

8/16/2020

Norton Point had over sand driving which made beach life easy! Waves were good. At the time no jellies. We had seals!


W Hartford, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2020

8/9/2020

Clean, beautiful sunsets, nice waves for boogie boarding.


Westminster, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2014

8/2/2020

We love to drive on the beach with our jeeps. We bought the permit and drove onto norton point - what a blast!


Westfield, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2020

8/1/2020

The waves on the beach are amazing!!


Bow, NH
2 reviews
Member since: Mar 2012

8/1/2020

We bought an OSV permit to drive onto Norton Point beach which is an extension of South Beach. Good surf, easy parking and miles of sand make this an excellent beach.


Darien, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2020

7/19/2020

The beach is awesome. If you have a 4 wheel drive you can drive it on the beach. The beach is busy but not crowded we always got a parking spot.


Hilliard, OH
2 reviews
Member since: Nov 2020

7/18/2020

Well worth the drive from Oak Bluffs. The beaches were large and spacious with soft sand. The waves were also tremendous and made for tons of fun for the family.


2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2020

7/12/2020

Beautiful, huge sandy beach and big waves!


Scarsdale, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2020

7/9/2020

Very nice beach, can be a bit crowded on the weekends, get there early or even better, go int he late afternoon. It is the best time at the beach.


Franklin, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2015

7/21/2019

This is a beautiful beach with large waves.
There is plenty of parking.


West Kingston, RI
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2019

7/20/2019

When not at the beach across the street from the house, we would head off to South Beach, a 15 minute drive.
Beautiful wide ocean beach. Free parking along the road, lovely walk along the paths across the dunes.


Holliston, MA
3 reviews
Member since: May 2018

7/8/2019

Amazing waves !


Newtown, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2019

6/23/2019

We are used to the huge, wide beaches of Long Island, Fire Island and New Jersey. South Beach is smaller, more intimate and more relaxing. Clean, quiet and accessible. Great white sand, not rocky, great views. We tried a couple of the other popular beaches but liked South Beach best.


Warwick, RI
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2016

9/19/2018

The best beach I've been to on the Vineyard. There is no charge and the restrooms are clean. Soft sand and beautiful waves, which can get fairly rough. All in all, a pleasant and relaxing way to spend the day!


Canton, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2013

8/5/2018

Great waves, soft sand and very clean bathrooms!


Brockton, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2020

7/28/2018

Great crowds, waves and better sand than Inkwell. More folks of color.


Rensselaer, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2018

7/22/2018

Beautiful beach, always waves for the kids, great sand ...


Worcester, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2019

7/14/2018

South Beach was great - so close with great surf and easy to find parking!


Cambridge, MA
4 reviews
Member since: Dec 2006

6/16/2018

South Beach is one mile from the house [Katama Edgartown Vacation Rental ID 4633] and the bike path takes you right there. The surf can get rough after a storm but I think it's the best beach on the island. There are a number of lots and parking along the side of the road if you need to drive. In the middle of June when we visited, there was plenty of parking available.


Wayland, MA
1 review
Member since: Jan 2009

6/1/2018

South Beach was a frequent destination for me and my dogs. I didn't see any NO DOG signs until July 1st. The only problem is the poison ivy and ticks.


Schenectady, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2018

8/26/2017

Bigger waves for bigger kids. Plenty of space to park and to enjoy the beach if you arrive by mid- or late morning. Good amenities: changing area and public restrooms on the west end of the beach.


2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2017

8/5/2017

Beautiful, sand is perfect, lifeguards, close parking, port a potties!


2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2017

7/30/2017

This beach is our favorite for many reasons. It is long and pristine, a great place to spend a day relaxing. The water is amazing, and we love the high surf. You may even get to see a sea lion or two way out. Love it,


Concord, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2017

7/29/2017

Easy access to the house, ample car and bicycle parking, relatively warm water, great waves, an overall great beach vibe.


USA
2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2015

9/11/2016

Easy to get parking close to beach. Great surf. Clean beach.


Olney, MD
5 reviews
Member since: Apr 2015

8/6/2016

Beautiful beach, soft sand, spacious and less rocks and stones.


Wayne, NJ
2 reviews
Member since: Mar 2016

8/15/2015

Katama Beach, right at the fork. Great waves for body surfing. Smooth clean white sand. Don't forget your suntan lotion.


USA
2 reviews
Member since: Jan 2015

8/1/2015

Oak Bluffs Beach is great for a few hours of the beach life every day. South Beach is a slight upgrade and only 3 or 4 miles away from Oak-Bluffs Vacation Rental ID 23663 by car or bus.


Johnston, RI
2 reviews
Member since: Sep 2015

8/1/2015

Best beach on Martha's Vineyard! So clean and the view is fantastic!


1 review
Member since: Aug 2015

7/27/2015

My favorite Beach was South Beach. It is clean and large and the water was nice and warm.


USA
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2014

7/11/2015

South Beach is very clean and beautiful. The water can be very rough at times, which older kids love for the waves, but it might not be so great for younger kids and older adults when it is rough. Great for everyone on calm days.


Belchertown, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2015

7/5/2015

This is a great beach for waves. The undertow will knock you down but once you get to the other side of it, you could spend all day jumping/riding waves as they come in on a regular basis. There are public rest areas and changing rooms (no shower).


Monroe, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2014

6/27/2014

Nice waves, close to house [ID 1713], beautiful beach. LOVE IT!!!!!


Glastonbury, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Nov 2013

8/11/2013

This beach is clean and the parking is plenty - I spend most days at this beach - great place to stay after the starts to go down.


Dudley, MA
3 reviews
Member since: Sep 2012

7/30/2013

The sand was very clean and the water temp was ideal.


Acton, MA
4 reviews
Member since: Jul 2013

7/27/2013

Awesome waves, very clean, beautiful sand.


Phoenix, MD
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2013

6/27/2013

Our boys loved the surf at South Beach and because they are excellent swimmers and the lifeguards were on duty we fest safe and all had a great time!

South Beach - Katama Vacation Rentals

sandwich
ID 5377
2 BR
1 ½ bath
Sleeps 6
Oceanfront Home On Private Beach With Panoramic Ocean Views!
Oceanfront Home On Private Beach With Panoramic Ocean Views!
Distance to beach: Direct Beachfront East Sandwich Beach and Beachfront (East Sandwich Beach) Privately Owned
36 reviews read reviews
OWNER SPECIAL:
ThksgivIng 11/24-12/1 $3200/wk $450 Wkdys $495 Fr&Sa. XMAS 12/20-1/1 $3200/wk $450 Wkdys $495 Fr&Sa.
Edgartown/Katama area located
ID 4789
4 BR
3 ½ baths
Sleeps 12
A piece of Katama Heaven near South Beach
A piece of Katama Heaven near South Beach
Distance to beach: Less than one mile to South Beach, many other beaches close by. South Beach - Katama and One mile to Katama's South Beach
3 reviews read reviews
Katama
ID 38197
4 BR
4 ½ baths
Sleeps 8
300 Yards to Beach on 1 1/2 Acres
300 Yards to Beach on 1 1/2 Acres
Distance to beach: 3/10 mi to South Beach - Katama
Katama
ID 33414
4 BR
2 ½ baths
Sleeps 10
Truly Katama - Heated Pool & Walk to South Beach
Truly Katama - Heated Pool & Walk to South Beach
Distance to beach: 4/10 mi to South Beach - Katama
17 reviews read reviews
Katama-Edgartown
ID 39604
4 BR
5 baths
Sleeps 10
Katama Ocean Views/ 4 Minute Walk to South Beach!
Katama Ocean Views/ 4 Minute Walk to South Beach!
Distance to beach: 3/10 mi to South Beach - Katama
Katama-Edgartown near South Be
ID 33910
6 BR
3 ½ baths
Sleeps 9
Near beach w A/C 6 br sleeps 9 Katama Gem
Near beach w A/C 6 br sleeps 9 Katama Gem
Distance to beach: 4/10 mile to South Beach - Katama
14 reviews read reviews
Edgartown
ID 31333
3 BR
2 ½ baths
Sleeps 9
Katama Rental Steps to South Beach, Bike To Downtown!
Katama Rental Steps to South Beach, Bike To Downtown!
Distance to beach: Approximately 1/2 mile South Beach
Katama - Edgartown
ID 25633
Edgartown
ID 22282
4 BR
3 baths
Sleeps 8
Katama Walk to South Beach
Katama Walk to South Beach
Distance to beach: 500 yards to South Beach
1 review read review

Location