Filming locations in Martha's Vineyard

Visiting Martha's Vineyard: a set-jetting guide. This genteel New England island of clapboard towns and long beaches is reached by ferry from Cape Cod, and arriving by water is the right way to meet the place that became Amity, the fictional town of Jaws. The 1975 summer blockbuster was shot all over the island, and its locations still draw fans every season.

The most playful of them is the Jaws Bridge, the little drawbridge between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs that the shark famously swims under. It has taken on a life of its own: through the summer, locals and visitors leap from it into the water below, a tradition you can join at your own risk. The bridge is free and open to walk across, with the beaches on either side equally open, so it makes an easy, atmospheric stop.

For the heart of Amity itself, head to Edgartown, the white-clapboard town that stood in for the film's harbour and main street. It is a genteel place to wander, with a lighthouse, a working harbour and grand whaling-era mansions, all free to enjoy on foot. It gets busy in high summer, which only adds to the sense of stepping into the film's crowded beach-town setting.

Set-jetting here pairs naturally with the rhythm of an island holiday. Edgartown and the bridge sit on the eastern shore, easily linked by bike or car, and around them the island unfolds in beaches, lighthouses and lanes made for slow exploring. The film locations slot into the kind of unhurried summer days the Vineyard does best.

Plan around the ferry and the seasons. The crossing from Cape Cod sets the pace, and high summer brings both the crowds and the full beach-town buzz that make the Jaws connection feel alive. Bring a bike, give yourself a few days, and let the island reveal Amity at the gentle tempo it deserves.