Block Island Hotels

Block Island Hotels

Hotels in Block Island are often required for tourists who need accommodation in the island. Some tourists may want to see the island to see the culture, the entertainment, the historic landmarks, the tourist attractions and the sports of the island. Some tourists may want to have a vacation or holiday on the island so they can can see the beaches of the island. Some tourists may want to have ahotel that has good views of the island and has good scenery. Some may want a hotel that has good prices and is luxury or cheap.

Block Island is part of the USA state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 13 miles south of the coast of Rhode Island, and is separated from the mainland by Block Island Sound.

block island hotels

Block Island was named by the The Nature Conservancy as one of twelve sites in its list of The Last Great Places in the Western Hemisphere. Roughly 20 per cent of the Island has been set aside for conservation.

The only town on the island is New Shoreham. The island is a popular summer tourist destination and is known for its excellent bicycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, and beaches. Two historic lighthouses are present on the island: Block Island North Light, on the northern tip of the island (established in 1829, current lighthouse was built in 1868), and Block Island Southeast Light, on the southeast side of the island (built in 1875). Much of the northwest tip of the island is an undeveloped natural area and resting stop for birds along the Atlantic Flyway.

Every summer the island hosts Block Island Race Week, a highly competitive, week-long sailboat racing event. On odd years, the event is held by the Storm Trysail Club, and on even years by the Block Island Race Week organization. Yachts compete in various classes, sailing courses in Block Island Sound, and circumnavigating the island.

Other popular events include the annual Fourth of July Parade and celebration. During these times the island's population can triple over the normal summer vacation crowd.

In 1524, what later became known as Block Island was sighted by Giovanni de Verrazzano who named it Luisa after Louise of Savoy, the Queen Mother of France. He described Luisa as "about the size of the Island of Rhodes." In fact, they are shaped very similarly. When the founders of Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations surveyed the land, they thought that Aquidneck Island was the place referred to by Verazanno--possibly because in 1614, it was charted by the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, after whom it is named. At the time of the arrival of the Europeans, it was occupied by a branch of the Narragansett people who called the island Manisses. English settlers from the mainland first arrived in 1661, when the island was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The island became part of the colony of Rhode Island in 1672 and the island government adopted the name New Shoreham. A Dutch map of 1685 clearly shows Block Island, indicated as Adrian Block Island (Adriaen Blocks Eylant).

In 1829 the original North Lighthouse was built, but it was replaced in 1837 after it was washed out to sea. This lighthouse was also claimed by the ocean. In 1867, the lighthouse that can be seen today was constructed. A few years later in 1873, construction began on Block Island's other lighthouse, Southeast Light.

Since Block Island has no natural harbors, in 1870 breakwaters were constructed to form Old Harbor. Block Island's other harbor, New Harbor, wouldn't be created until 1895 when a channel was dug that connected the Great Salt Pond to the ocean through the north west side of the island.

Beaches

Crescent Beach can be viewed from the Pt. Judith Ferry on the way to the island. It contains three smaller beaches, Fred Benson Town Beach (still popularly known as State Beach due to its former status as one), Scotch Beach, and Mansion Beach, all of which are located on Corn Neck Road. State Beach and Ballards Beach are the only beaches on the island with on-duty life guards. State Beach has a pavilion with food and beach rentals. The so-called Baby Beach begins at the Surf Hotel, near the Beachhead Restaurant on Corn Neck Rd. Scotch Beach is located just north of Fred Benson Town Beach and Mansion Beach is located north of Scotch Beach.

From Mansion Beach north you run into Clayhead and Pots & Kettles. Clayhead are the cliffs that you first see when riding the ferry in from Point Judith or New London. This area is rocky and full of iron rich clay deposits, great for shell and rock hunting. and if you continue north you will end up at the Northern tip of the island.

Cow Cove, Settler's Rock & Sandy Point make up the northernmost point of Block Island. Here lies the North Lighthouse and the postcard sunsets. Settler's Rock is here at Cow Cove, right where the settlers landed and swam to shore bringing with them the island's first cows which they pushed off the boats and forced ashore. Attached to the rock is a plaque that holds the names of the original settlers of Block Island. This beach is not good for swimming on the ocean side, especially at the point, as the rip current is fierce. On the other side, however, is Sachem Pond, fresh water and good for swimming.

On the south side of the island, Black Rock Beach is widely regarded as the best beach for surfing on the island due to its high surf. However, the beach tends to be very rocky and has a reputation for being a nude beach, despite laws against nudity on Rhode Island's beaches. It is located near the Mohegan Bluffs and Southeast Lighthouse.

Coastguard Beach is situated between the Great Salt Pond and the ocean on the north west side of the island. It is a popular beach for fishing and walking, but not particularly good for swimming due to the large number of boats traveling nearby.

Ballard's Beach is on the southern side of the Block Island Ferry Dock and jetty. Set right in front of Ballard's Restaurant and Inn, popular with boaters and with the young crowd. There are cocktail waitresses on the sand, and daily live music outside. There's also a busy volleyball court with daily games and tournaments. There are lifeguards at Ballards Beach, it's busy and sometimes noisy.

Bluffs Beach is accessed by parking at the Mohegan Bluffs entrance and walking down the stairs. There are 141 steps to this rocky area, the view from above is spectacular attraction. At the foot of these steep wooden stairs are big rocks leading to the beach. A word of caution also about walking near the bluffs. If you look up at the steep cliffs along the sand you will see where the island is eroding. This can be very dangerous as there is no warning as to when a chunk of land will fall from above. This has proved to be fatal in the past, so do not walk or sit too close to the bluffs. The same is true for when you are at the top of the bluffs, be mindful and watch your children. Do not walk too close to the edge. For this reason the main bluffs overlook is now closed to sightseers. Continuing south from the Bluffs you'll run into Vail Beach. Access this beach by parking at the first left on Snake Hole Road, where the painted rock is. There's only room for two or three cars here and the path can be a difficult walk. This is a popular surfing spot when the surf is up. You won't find many people here. It's very rocky, no sand and the surf is usually too rough for swimming.

Tourist attractions

Southeast Lighthouse is located at the southeast corner of the island on the Mohegan Trail. The lighthouse was constructed in 1875 and remains to this day an active US Coast Guard navigational aid.

Mohegan Bluffs is located a short distance to the west of Southeast Lighthouse. The Bluffs are the site of a battle between the invading Mohegan Indians, and the native Manisee Indians in which the Mohegans were driven off the edge of the tall cliffs to their deaths on the beach below. A long staircase leads to the bottom of these clay cliffs and looks out over the Atlantic. On clear days, Montauk, New York can be seen in the distance from the southern and western sides of the island.

Rodman's Hollow is a 230 acre glacial outwash basin, near the southern shore of the island. The hollow has several walking trails.

North Lighthouse is located at Sandy Point on the northern tip of Block Island. The North Lighthouse warns boaters of a sandbar extending from this end of the island. The surrounding dunes are part of the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, home to many species, including the Piping Plover and American Burying Beetle.

U-853 is a U-boat wreck 7 miles east of the island, lying in 130 ft of water. Recreational divers frequently visit the wreck, though at least three have died there.

Find a Villa from Across Europe

Grand World Villas - Find a Villa from anywhere in the world

Grand Global Villas - Find Villas from Around the Globe

Planet Villas

An Index with links to almost all our sites

Holiday to - Great places to go on Holiday to

Holiday to 2 - More Great places to go on Holiday to

Holiday to 3 - More places to go on Holiday to

Holiday to 4 - More places to go on Holiday to

Hotel in 5 (Five)

Hotel in 6

Hotel in 7

Hotel in 8