THE Elizabeth Islands — 16 land hops trailing southwest of Cape Cod like expertly skipped stones — are often overlooked. Fourteen of them are the property of the Forbes family and another, Penikese, is a former leper colony and now a sanctuary for roseate terns, which allows only limited access. Then there’s Cuttyhunk. Tiny and sparsely populated, to most it’s just a smear of craggy scenery viewed from the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. But for anyone willing to forgo cars, night life and reliable Wi-Fi, it’s an ideal short getaway, just two hours from Boston.

My family and I visited in early July, along with an avid sailor friend and his family. (The mellow, sheltered harbor of Cuttyhunk makes it a favorite spot for sailors; fishermen come for the bass and bluefish.) Upon gliding into the sleepy port we were met by Bonnie Veeder, the innkeeper of the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club, where we would be staying. She instructed us to load our luggage — including groceries, wine and beer (the island is dry) — into a purring golf cart and to follow signs to our lodging. On foot.

Many visitors to Cuttyhunk bunk on boats in the tidy harbor, but there is limited lodging on shore. In addition to the eight rooms at the Fishing Club, there is also the Avalon, an understated but handsome mansion with an expansive porch and seven rooms to rent. Both inns were private homes at points in their history, and their communal kitchens and shared living spaces can lend them a camplike feel. For a more private retreat, there are a handful of houses for rent.

But even if staying elsewhere, everyone eventually ends up at the Fishing Club, with its white clapboard exterior and cedar outbuildings. It’s the only place for a sit-down breakfast, so while you wait for a table, sink into an Adirondack chair and survey the clay cliffs of Martha’s Vineyard jutting forth like a proud chin.