Block Island

The island of the little god Block Island is a small chunk of land roughly 7 miles long and 4 miles wide. Located between Point Judith, Rhode Island and Montauk, New York, it sort of looks like a big pork chop from the air and is technically a terminal moraine which marks the spot where the Pleistocene glaciers finally stopped and started to recede. Artifacts found on the island show that the Narragansett tribe lived on the island for thousands of years but exactly how or when they arrived will never be known. They called their island Manisses or island of the little god, and lived primarily off the abundance of food from the sea. In 1524 Verrazzano noted the island but didn't bother to stop and it wasn't until 1614 that the restless and enigmatic Adrian Block decided to name it Adriaen's Eylandt after himself. The name change into Block Island and so it remains today Adriaen's island remains a very pristine place. Over 25% is protected land that will never be developed and great beaches, high bluffs, and tangled woods are found across the island. Also two of the very coolest lighthouses found anywhere. There is just one town, and even the word town is a bit of a stretch. Really just a couple of streets with various shops, tourists traps, the ferry terminal, hotels and some restaurants. A few more amenities are scattered around the island but basically once you leave the area of the ferry it's easy to find peace and solitude on a lonely, wind swept beach or isolated hiking trail. I have heard people say that they didn't like Block Island because there is nothing to do. That's the whole point, and as one long time resident friend keeps telling me, the island itself is the attraction. Nobody is going to entertain you on the island. You must seek entertainment yourself from the sea, wind, sand and solitude. Sure, everything on the island is expensive because it has to be shipped out and you better have a seriously fat bank account if you even want to consider living here, And It does get crowded with tourists during the summer months but most of the people seem to stay in the town near the restaurants and shops. In the off season the island becomes very, very quiet and you can bike the entire island and possibly not see another soul. Block Island is a very special place and most people that visit seem to have very strong opinions one way or another about it. It you want entertainment, constant stimulation and excitement it probably isn't a place you would enjoy. There are better places in America to suit your needs. I have biked, hiked and yaked just about every inche of the island for decades and I never get tired of it. Everytime out there feels just like the first time. This is a place for wind, salt, ocean and sand.

Only one review so far for BI? Wow. Okay, this place is by far my favorite local getaway. For $20 round trip from RI or approx. $40 rt from New London, CT ($30/$50 if you include parking), you can practically find yourself on another country for a short while away from McDonald's, BK, Dunkin Donuts, and a whole slew of other fast food joints (I did notice that one of the coffee shops just got Starbucks brewed coffee though). Walk off the ferry and find yourself in the town center where you have a ton of options. Grab lunch overlooking the water. Walk to grab bait and go fishing, rent a moped or a bike to explore. I feel like I will probably get death threats for writing this review. Such a place that is untouched by the hoards of people is very hard to come by. I think the real reason is that a) most people don't know about it and b) with Martha's Vinyard and Nantucket so close by and the vacationers who want to wake up and grab a McDonald's Big Mac for lunch instead of local fare flock to those islands instead. I love that BI is smaller than the other islands. Everyone is so friendly, you can walk or run some great routes, do some hiking. do some motorsports or kayaking, or walk down to a public beach. Do yourself a favor and get yourself onto this website. It is called google. You may have heard of that. Search "block island" and "things to do" or "places to stay." It is definitely perfect for a short romantic getaway. If you have a boat, dock it by Champlins and really put yourself into a boaters paradise. I just left there two days ago and I already want to go back.

i wanted to give Block 1 star just to keep people away, but that wouldn't be fair to the people and businesses there, so I will be honest. My go to place when I want to relax and block locals are really cool casual people, so that makes the place even cooler. It is casual, no one cares if you walk in a restaurant in a bathing suit, and that's what makes it better than Martha's vineyard or Nantucket, where everyone feels they have to prep it up. This is a true beach and beer goers heaven.

Ah Block Island, you are so close and yet so far away. Block Island is the quintessential get away if you are a Rhode Islander. You feel as if you are in an island paradise, yet you can see the South County RI beaches from the shore (kind of). A quick, and relatively inexpensive, ferry ride gets you to the island and soon you are walking, or riding, along the streets of the cute "main st" area window shopping, eating ice cream, and gazing out over the ocean. My fave activity is biking along the rolling hills of the island, wind in my hair, sun on my shoulders, and at times, lungs burning. I recommend paying the extra money to bring your own wheels on the ferry as the rental bikes on the Island aren't the greatest (I know from experience). The scenery is unforgettable on a nice day. The beaches, wetlands, wildlife, and dunes passing by. It is all worth the effort when you get to the two lighthouses on the island or peaking down at the beach far below the Mohegan bluffs. Also, you can finish your ride back in town with a cold beer at Mohegan cafe and brewery. I haven't run in to a lot of locals, but everyone we passed by on foot or by bike seemed friendly. There is a grocery and liquor store if you need to stock up on supplies, some decent (but pricey) lodging if you are staying for more than the day, and the boat ride there is half the fun. As a RI transplant, I must say I have fell in love with OUR island.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The atmosphere is laid back, the sights are historic and the Ferry ride is one of the best. Recommendations: Avoid the rapid ferry if you get sea/motion sick. It is hard to stabilize on a boat the is wave bouncing. If you have no issues in this area -the ride is fun! Aldo Mopeds was great and they probably have a coupon in the booklet the Ferry operators give. Must see sights: Mohegan Bluff and the Southeast Lighthouse. There are great reminders of the human impacts on the environment and the history of this country (formerly known as Turtle Island).

Block Island is a very special place on Earth, I had a third date with my now wife there and it is where we fell in love. It is the perfect place to go for a daytime date of swimming and just getting to relax. The Islanders are wonderful and leave you alone if t hats what you want ,or very helpful if you need help. The beaches are wonderful, the choice of places to eat is ok but leaving the Island is hard,we have been back every year at least once. Go enjoy and thank the Islanders for keeping it so wonderful! Charlie

I went to Block Island for a day trip a couple weeks ago, and it was a lot of fun. The island is extremely small, only about 7 miles by 4 miles. It doesn't seem like there would be a lot to do, but I enjoyed walking around and hiking and certainly wasn't bored. My mom and I took the traditional ferry over to the island from Point Judith. As soon as you step off the boat, you are right in the middle of things. There's a long stretch of clothes and gift shops that we browsed through before walking along some rocks down to one of the island's beaches. Everyone on the island was friendly, from the cashier in the drug store to the people working the ticket counters at the ferry dock. Once you leave the main touristy area, you find that the rest of the island is a lot more peaceful. The beaches are beautiful, and there are plenty of them (17 miles I believe). The beauty of Block Island is that it's a place to go if you want to get away and spend the day (or several days) relaxing without being constantly on the go. One thing I would do differently if I were to come back is bring my bike over on the ferry with me. The island is indeed small, but it would still take an awful lot of walking to cover all or most of it. Mopeds are a popular method of transportation on the island, and a lingering smell of fumes fills the air in some parts of the island as a result. Bikes are definitely the way to get around on Block Island. We took the high speed ferry to get back to the mainland at the end of the day, and while it's a bit more expensive, the traditional ferry was just too slow.

This Island was amazing. So much to do and see. A good tip is to prepare before you arrive so you have a game plan on what you want to do. Next time I am just going to the beach part.

Block Island is the ultimate family experience for getting away and being together. We are planning our second trip this summer and staying in the same house we rented last year. This year we are bringing our bikes, finding the grocery sooner for picnic lunches, and planning to bike the entire island. What we loved was the lack of commercialism, ability to "get away"-- limited cell phone use, be outdoors on bikes all day and into the evening, and the fun hidden beaches. Every beach is different....some are rocky, some are not, some have special clay that the locals put on their body and some just have amazing cliffs nearby. You can hike, bike, kayak, SUP, walk or do nothing. We truly have fallen in love with BI and plan to continue going for years to come!

where to begin... my boyfriend and I had been looking forward to a relaxing getaway, we planned a 2 night stay at the national hotel which was decent, we had arrived about an hour before check in and were told our room was not ready but we could literally shove our luggage in a luggage room no larger then a closet. This room was not locked or supervised leaving us feeling pretty unsure of how safe our belongings were. We then went back to the desk as we had complementary biking vouchers, and dinner vouchers along with our stay. When we inquires about obtaining those to try to get our vacation going the receptionist looked at us and replied "well why would you want those right now". Our dinner was probably one of the better ones we had on the island, which isn't saying much for the other resturants. We had orderd fish and chips (which were standard)and steak frites(which were two thin strips of steak smothered in a salty cheese sauce) $98.00 later we were left unsatisfied. The continental breakfast includes a bagel, toast or english muffin. The only redeaming quality of this hotel is the fire pit in the backyard. The bike rental went smoothly after initially being givin a bike with a flat tire. We explored the sites upon other reviews and after paying 6.00 to view the lighthouse we were told it was unaccessable as it is under repairs. We also based our lunch and dinner choices of other reviews and sadly most meals were only ok. The best and only reason to visit block island is for the amazing coffee at the topsiders