Crab-less Katama

Only a few miles away from the swanky streets of downtown Edgartown is the sprawling beach at Katama, which could easily be mistaken for Southern California. Unlike many of the other beaches on the island, Katama is wide and spacious and, when you look out into the distance beyond the waves, you do not see the mainland. Katama is not on Nantucket Sound or Vineyard Sound: It's actually on the Atlantic Ocean. Gazing out into the distance, you see nothing except ocean and sky.

The waves here produce foam that looks like liquid rock candy mixed with cappuccino froth: dense and crystal-white and sparkling. Above the sand you'll see thick fields of tall grasses and those ever-present wildflowers that seem to spring up wherever they can. Signs warn of the dangerously strong current, and they're not kidding. If you step just a few feet out into the water, you'll begin to feel the pull of the current around your ankles. This would not be a place for beginning swimmers to try their luck. I wasn't tempted to dive in, either; after walking through the surf, my toes were already tingling from the water's chill. One brave soul did take the plunge for a few minutes while I was taking pictures (if you look carefully, you will see his silhouette in the picture at the top). He told me the water "wasn't too bad, really," but I decided to stay on the sand anyway.

The general consensus seems to be that Katama takes its name from a Wampanoag word that means "crab-fishing place," although there wasn't a crab to be found on Katama this particular afternoon. There weren't even dried-up, sun-bleached crab claws or pieces of shells, which are a common sight on other beaches. If this is a truly some sort of hotspot for catching crustaceans, you'd never guess it.

What a perfect place this would be for a little late-evening star-spotting, though. The sky over Katama is glorious enough in the sunshine, as the many shades of blue blend together overheard and wispy clouds loiter lazily above the water. At night, it must be a dazzling sight.