While Connecticut’s beaches are placid affairs on the sheltered Long Island Sound, and Massachusetts’s South Shore beaches tend to be more rocky and rugged, Rhode Island claims long swaths of shoreline facing the waves of the Atlantic, as well as calmer bay beaches. It may be a small state, but Little Rhody has a beach to suit the taste of almost anyone—even if most locals would thank you for not letting everyone in on it.
Photo by John Woodmansee
There’s only one way in and out of Rhode Island’s East State Beach—a great option for those looking for a quieter place to get some sun.
The Ocean State’s beaches are still a well-kept secret. The state might be small, but there’s a sandy getaway spot for almost everyone here.
Rhode Island’s beaches, like the Ocean State itself, tend to be a bit overlooked. Cape Cod gets more attention as the New England beach destination, and although the city of Newport is world-famous for summer fun, Gilded Age mansions and yacht culture tend to overshadow the state’s shimmering sands.
While Connecticut’s beaches are placid affairs on the sheltered Long Island Sound, and Massachusetts’s South Shore beaches tend to be more rocky and rugged, Rhode Island claims long swaths of shoreline facing the waves of the Atlantic, as well as calmer bay beaches. It may be a small state, but Little Rhody has a beach to suit the taste of almost anyone—even if most locals would thank you for not letting everyone in on it.
Photo by John Woodmansee
Watch Hill Beach has entertainment for all ages and budgets.
Watch Hill Beach, Westerly
Spots like the grand Relais & Chateaux Ocean House hotel and beachfront mansion of singer Taylor Swift have brought national attention to the village of Watch Hill. But this far southwestern coastal community in the town of Westerly has been luring summer visitors since the 19th century, thanks to its broad, sandy beach; quaint shops; and renowned Flying Horse Carousel, a unique, kids-only merry-go-round where riders “fly” outward as the carousel turns. The Ocean House’s veranda and Seaside Terrace are open to visitors and guests alike for upscale seafood and casual beach dining, respectively. Take a walk into town for sunset drinks and a dinner of seafood or pasta at the century-old Olympia Tea Room or for ice cream at St. Clair Annex, which has been making and dishing it out since 1887. Work it off on a 1.5-mile walk from Fort Road to Napatree Point, a narrow peninsula where you’ll find seabirds, deer, and other wildlife living amid the ruins of a former artillery battery.
Misquamicut State Beach, Westerly
The half-mile-long Misquamicut State Beach is everything you could want for a day of sunning and surfing—and more if your patience for laying on the sand is limited. The first ocean beach north of Connecticut attracts locals, day-trippers, and summer renters. Beach bars like Paddy’s Beach Club (check its schedule for live music) and the Windjammer Surf Bar attract lively crowds—the latter is adjacent to the family-friendly Atlantic Beach Park, with its 1915 carousel, kiddie rides, snack bar, and ice cream stand. For more all-ages entertainment, across the street is the Water Wizz water park, and Movies on the Beach is part of a steady stream of evening entertainment at Misquamicut. It’s more than you can do in a day, but small hotels like the Andrea and the Breezeway make it easy to extend your stay.
Courtesy of Discover Newport / Surfer’s End is located on the northern part of Sachuest (Second) Beach.
Sachuest (Second) Beach, Middletown
South-facing Second Beach has views of the eminently Instagrammable Gothic chapel of St. George’s School, as well as waves steady enough to attract surfers to the aptly named Surfer’s End on the northern part of the beach. Local families and summer visitors love it here as an alternative to Newport’s busier Easton’s Beach, less than 10 minutes away. Along this one-mile crescent of sand you’ll find a campground, surf school, and a concession stand selling typical beach fare like burgers and hot dogs (though you might do better at the food trucks that occasionally set up in the parking lot). Continue south and you’ll walk onto the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, a favorite of bird-watchers. On the opposite side of the point is the even less populated Third Beach if you’re looking for calmer waters for the kids; the Norman Bird Sanctuary with seven miles of hiking trails is less than five minutes away by car.
Goosewing Beach, Little Compton
Goosewing Beach in the East Bay town of Little Compton sits between Quicksand Pond and the Atlantic, providing a home for seabirds like the least tern and piping plover. A mix of sandy and rocky sections, the beach backs onto high dunes and cliffs and is part of the Nature Conservancy’s 75-acre Goosewing Beach Preserve. Visit the Benjamin Family Environmental Center to learn about this unspoiled coastal habitat and join a guided nature walk, or relax for a laid-back beach day on the New England shore.
See full story by Bob Curley on Afar.com.
