Three Days in Narragansett, RI (including visits to Wickford Village and Block Island)

A stretch of rocky coastline dotted with pristine Cape Cod style houses, Narragansett might be considered the quieter cousin of neighboring Newport, which was once a bustling shipping port and summer residence of the wealthy from the Gilded Age (see my post Three Days in Newport, RI).  Back in the day Narragansett also had its share of beachfront luxury hotels, restaurants, and even a casino but it suffered a great fire in 1900 that caused severe damage.  It has been rebuilt over the years and shaped into the quieter, upscale coastal community that it is today.

We visited here for the first time on Memorial Day weekend.  Walking along Ocean Road, I was enveloped in the crisp, salty ocean air while listening to the sounds of the sea lapping gently against the shore.  The Narraganset Pier is a pristine beach village, and we felt very safe walking everywhere here.  The weather could have been better (it is usually in the 70s Fahrenheit by the end of May) but a weather system had pulled in that gave us cloudy conditions and temperatures in the lower sixties instead.  Regardless, bolstered by summer sweaters and light jackets, we set out to discover the area and get our fill of endless ocean views.

Day One

After getting off the train at the Kingston station, we got an Uber to our hotel, The Shore House. 

We were impressed with the clean, white décor of the rooms and how everything was packed into such a small space, which worked well for our brief stay.  After checking in we headed out for lunch at Surfside Deli, which wowed us with its “The Point Judith” sandwich – the chicken cutlet was so tender, the pesto delicious, the bun toasty, crisp and fluffy inside.  Honestly, I can’t think of getting a sandwich close to this good anywhere in NYC where I have lived.  I wished we had more time to try other things on the menu, but we headed out to freshen up at the hotel so that we could make our dinner reservation at the famed restaurant, The Coast Guard House.

The Coast Guard House

Established in the 1940s and located just in front of the iconic Narraganset Towers, The Coast Guard House is a top dining destination here.  Our reservation wasn’t until 8:15pm, so we decided to get drinks at the bar at the adjoining The Anchor.  I’m so glad that we did – nestled at the cozy and bright bar we enjoyed our drinks along with tender, crispy calamari strewn with basil which we dipped into a chili vinaigrette, while gazing out at the ocean as the sun set.  Perfect timing!

Once downstairs in the restaurant we were seated at another oceanside window table.  By now it had grown dark, and I gazed out at the inky black sky merged with deep, dark ocean.  For my entree I had the scallops on top of a corn puree, and the scallops were cooked perfectly golden.  To go along with it I drank a glass of Chardonnay from nearby Newport Vineyards, a rich and fruity, slightly oaky wine that quickly become a favorite.

After dinner we strolled along the Narragansett Sea Wall, soaking in the heady evening sea breeze, and nodded with happy satisfaction to others strolling by, before turning in for the night.

Day Two

Today was a deep dive into Narragansett Piers, with a look at The Towers, a stroll through the market, and then a day trip into nearby historic Wickford Village.

The Towers

Any picture of Narragansett will include its iconic two towers, simply named “The Towers and Casino”. 

The reason for the name is that the surrounding grounds used to include a busy casino and market where wealthy visitors back in the day could go for entertainment, to get a wagon wheel repaired, buy a new item of clothing, or what have you.  The complex burned down in the fire of 1900, and only the towers were rebuilt but the plaque that marks this spot has kept the original name.  Not only picturesque, The Towers is a popular event venue, and that weekend we could look up and see a wedding celebration happening each night.

We were fortunate as we walked by to run into a descendant of the family who once owned The Towers.  She was helping to prepare for that night’s celebration and when she saw us gazing up at the structure she waved us inside and let us take pictures. She was generous as well with her knowledge of how The Towers were handed down through the years in her family, showing us framed photos on the wall of the past fire damage and what everything used to look like. While not much of The Towers remain original, she did show us part of the brick wall that was original to the first building.

The Towers are now owned by the Town of Narragansett and managed by Friends of The Narragansett Towers.

Narragansett Pier Marketplace

We then stopped for lattes at the popular coffee house Queen of Cups, located at the Narragansett Pier Marketplace.  Here we wandered in and out of shops like the Special T Shop, Nauti Girl Boat Décor & More and Shell Boutique.  I got a summery, flowy dress at The Traveling Gypsy, and if it had been a little warmer we would have stopped for some gelato at Nana’s Ice Cream and Gelato. 

With the afternoon stretching before us, we asked around the shops for any recommendations for what to do.  We got a great suggestion to check out Wickford Village and decided to get lunch there.  To our surprise, we found it to be a colonial historic gem tucked away in North Kingston and only a 20 minute drive away.

Wickford Village

Listed on the Historic District National Registry, Wickford Village is the location of one of the largest collections of owner-occupied Colonial and Federal period houses in the nation, as well as some Victorian-era buildings.  At its entrance stands the oldest wooden lighthouse in America.  We walked down Brown and Main streets to take a look, and it was almost like stepping back in time as we passed homes and what was once shops, banks etc. dating from 1770 to 1840.

We wandered in and out of art galleries and cute shops that are along these streets as well.  On Brown street I got a lovely glass vase at the home goods store, My Paris Apartment, and peeked into boutiques like The Pearl, Spring Pottery, and Harbor View Artisans.  On Main street we looked into The Chocolate Shoppe and Beauty and the Bath.

Two good places to eat with water views are Wickford on the Water, and Tavern on the Sea right across the street from it, were we got lunch.  I enjoyed a good fish sandwich with fresh, hot fries and friendly service.  However, you really can’t miss getting a sandwich at Shayna’s Place, voted Rhode Island’s #1 sandwich shop by Yelp and USA Today.  It’s a special place filled with love and delicious food.  Since we’d already eaten, we stopped here for one of their smoothies. 

Then we got into an Uber and headed back to Narragansett for a nap before dinner.

Celeste

The hot spot restaurant in town seems to be Celeste, serving European Coastal-inspired food in a chic and upscale setting.  There is outdoor seating that looks like a French bistro and inside looks like a bustling French Brasserie.  While we waited for our table I watched as the locals were having cocktails at the bar in upscale sweats, young women floated about in flowery summer skirts, sandals and jean jackets, and groups of people scuttled in and out.  It reminded me of a busy French Brasserie in downtown Manhattan, but with a lighter, cream and golden yellow coastal decor. 

Once seated, we ordered our wine and tucked into our appetizer, a wide bowl of mussels in a spicy tomato/chorizo sauce which were some of the best mussels we’d ever had.  For my main dish I had the cod in a delicious red pepper Romanesco sauce, and it was also perfectly done.  The cod was tender and flaky with a crisp, golden crust, served with lovely crisp roasted potatoes, and broccolini cooked just right (tender and not too crisp).  A really fantastic meal which we topped off with another walk along the Narragansett Sea wall afterwards, enjoying the evening air and the gentle hum of the surf.

Day Three

After watching the sunrise, we got some coffee and delectable cinnamon scones at Cool Beans Cafe, located right next to the deli near our hotel.  This is a true coffee shop with slouchy couches and worn leather armchairs, chalk boards and locals hanging out.  People line up as soon as it opens to start their day with a hot brew.  It was the perfect start to our day trip to Block Island. 

Block Island

There are several ferries that make the trip to Block Island each day, and we boarded one from Point Judith that morning and headed towards the Old Harbor.  (Note:  the Point Judith lighthouse and surrounding area was at that time fenced off and visitors were not allowed). 

The ferry boat swayed gently over the water, lulling me to sleep as I gazed over an endless expanse of blue water.  Slowly the tip of a land mass appeared spearheaded with the North Light, and then the pale peach bluffs of Clay Head passed by and guided us into the harbor.

At Old Harbor we chatted up a policeman standing by about where to eat and how best to get about, and he was more than happy to share some tips with us.  As we were on Block Island for basically just the afternoon, we decided to check out Mohegan Bluffs and the Southeast Lighthouse, as they were relatively nearby.  He advised us that Block Island is actually quite hilly, and while you can rent bikes or mopeds to get around it can be more physically challenging than people realize.  A tip he gave us was that Mohegan Bluffs were up on one of the hills, so a good idea was to take a taxi uphill, and then walk downhill, if a couple of miles weren’t a problem for us.  We’re New Yorkers and definitely walkers, so we decided that was how we would manage it. 

He recommended Persephone’s Kitchen for brunch, so we headed over that way, but as might be expected on a Sunday around brunch time, the line was a mile long.  We decided instead to turn back around and get an egg and ham sandwich at Odd Fellows Café, which was just across the street from the ferry, and looked cozy and more manageable.  Hungry, we were chowing down on freshly made, hot breakfast sandwiches in no time, and sipping on our lattes.  Then we went back outside to the ferry dock and caught a taxi up to Mohegan Bluffs.

Mohegan Bluffs

Pale peach colored clay bluffs soar 200 feet above sea level at Mohegan Bluffs. 

We stopped at the lookout point, where I stayed to gaze over the Atlantic while my boyfriend made his morning exercise climbing down (and then back up!) the 141 steps called, maybe quite aptly, Payne’s Stairway.  It’s a steep climb, but one is rewarded with a beautiful rocky beach below and gorgeous ocean views.

The views from the lookout point itself are also quite beautiful.

Southeast Lighthouse

We then walked over to the nearby lighthouse.  Admission to Southeast Lighthouse is free, but I highly recommend the combined museum admission and lighthouse tour for $20.  While waiting for the tour to begin, we wandered through the museum and read up on its history.

The museum’s receptionist filled us in on how Block Island got its name – it is named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, who charted the island in 1614, and named it after himself….and the name stuck.

Once on our lighthouse tour, our guide Gus seemed to know everything there is to know about lighthouses and admitted he could talk on endlessly if we didn’t stop him!  We learned that the lighthouse had been built in 1873 and was maintained by three lighthouse keepers who lived on site with their families in the neighboring house.  While housing was free for the families, the lighthouse keeping life was hard labor.  There were barrels of oil that were kept in the base that had to be carried up the steps to feed the glowing oil lantern several times a day.  The iron steps that wound up to the top were original, and back then had to be painted over almost each day to prevent it from rusting from the salty ocean air. 

When the lighthouse was restored they had to remove many layers of paint, and then painted over them with modern rust-proof paint, so that kind of maintenance is no longer needed!

All the bricks in the lighthouse are original to the building as well, needing only occasional minor maintenance to the mortar.  Due to erosion of the bluffs that pull back the shoreline several inches a year, the entire lighthouse had to be moved back in 1993 to its current location.  It took 17 days to move, but not a piece of it was cracked or damaged in any way!

This is still a functioning lighthouse, which now uses an electric green light bulb of 1,000 watts to differentiate it from the white coastal lights to the passing ships.  The views from the top were magnificent.

I was also interested to learn about the wind turbines….the few that you could see just off the coast were part of The Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm in America and constructed in 2016.  It supplies all of Block Island’s energy now and has connected it for the first time to the Rhode Island energy grid. 

The current sustainable energy project underway is called Revolution Wind, set to complete the construction of 65 offshore wind turbines by 2026, working towards Rhode Island’s climate goal of being powered entirely by renewable energy by 2033.  You can see the wind turbines being built, faintly, in the distance!

After our tour of the Southeast Lighthouse, we walked pleasantly about 30 minutes downhill back towards the Old Harbor.  Along the way, there were wonderful ocean vistas.

I particularly liked seeing the stone walls, which are still standing from colonial times.  Farmers would use the stones that they gathered from clearing the land for farming to build natural stone walls that delineated their property lines.  These stone walls can still be seen all over Block Island.

Once back in Old Harbor we got some lunch at The National Hotel, again mostly because it was close to the dock and we had tickets to board the ferry at 4:00pm.  The food was ok but pricey….perhaps due to harbor view one can enjoy while eating on the deck. I hear that Dead Eye Dick’s has the best lobster roll on the island, but I didn’t get a chance to try it. After lunch, we strolled through some of the shops.  We stopped at the STAR Department store, which has a lot of T-shirts, memorabilia and the like.  I enjoyed getting a thought-provoking book as a memento from the Island Bound Bookstore.

Obviously, our short afternoon excursion on Block Island just scratched the surface of everything there is to see and do here, and there are some great eateries I am sad we missed.  It definitely warrants another trip back.  For more information on what to do, check out The Block Island Guide.

At night back in Narragansett we had dinner at Agave Social, where the passion for authentic Mexican cuisine and warm hospitality was evident.  We started with their Camarones, which were garlic shrimp plated in a rich roasted arbol chili sauce which was just divine!  It was perfect washed down with two local beers, Whalers Beer by Rise (a crisp and lightly fruity IPA) and Narragansett (a deeper but also crisp and refreshing Pilsner).  Then we moved on to the Carne Asada served with corn tortillas, black beans and some of the best guacamole I can remember having.  Grilled fished tacos nestled in corn tortillas and topped with crisp shredded cabbage completed our meal.  We decided to eat at the bar and the bartender was so excited to see that we were enjoying the food, showing the pride that they feel in what they are doing here.

Last Morning

On our last morning the sun peeked out a bit from the clouds, but it was still cold.  Nevertheless, we threw on our light jackets and went for a walk along the sea wall and towards Narragansett beach, for one last look at the ocean.

Narragansett Town Beach is accessible to the public but there is a $12 daily fee.  It is not too large, but so close to everything we had done this weekend and I know I want to come back during hotter weather.  For a larger beach, there is also Scarborough State Beach, only about a ten minute drive away, to explore.

After our walk we got a light lunch at Boon Street Market, a new techy self-serv food mall and bar probably more fun in the evening, but we wanted to check it out. It opened at noon, so we got a quick and yummy fig and prosciutto pizza and sat outside, happy to soak in a few minutes of sunshine.

Afterwards, we headed back along the Narragansett Sea Wall to Monahan’s Clam Shack .  Popular during the summer, the line can wind long but service is friendly and fast.  This is the place in town to get a lobster roll, not to mention a creamy cup of clam chowder, crab cakes, crunchy deep fried popcorn shrimp or clam strips, etc.  There’s their famous frozen lemonade, an ice cream counter in the back and a bar on the side along with ample casual outdoor seating with an ocean view. 

We chowed down on fresh flounder sandwiches and popcorn shrimp with a spicy kick of a sauce, then called an Uber to pick us up with our bags and take us to Kingston Station to catch our train home.

Kingston Station

A small, clean and quaint little train station, Kingston Train Station is also on the National Registry of Historic Places.  Thanks to the diligence of a volunteer group Friends of Kingston Station, it has been lovingly restored even despite a fire in 1988 that almost destroyed it.  It now stands as the oldest continually operating all-wooden train station in America.

Narragansett’s quiet coastal European charm has captured my imagination.  The endless ocean views and varying shades of blue that coalesced as the day turned from sunrise to sunset were mesmerizing.  The friendliness of the people I met here, the many “good mornings”, “hellos”, and smiles I heard and saw left me with a lovely impression that this was simply put a happy place, and a great find on the New England coastline.

 Date of trip:  May 2025

Hi! I’m Irena Springer, a travel writer based in New York who’s passionate about sharing packed itineraries that make the most out of every trip I take – helping readers to experience and enjoy each destination to the fullest as well.

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