Start from 27 curated places around Block Island, RI, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Eli's
A beloved, intimate bistro on Chapel Street in Old Harbor that has been turning out creative seasonal fare since 1994. Pan-seared halibut, the Eli's burger, and vegetable sofrito are perennial favorites. It fills fast and earns its reputation as the most reliably good dinner on the island.
Atlantic Inn Restaurant
The island's most refined dining room, set in a hillside Victorian inn with sweeping sunset views across the island. Small and large plates lean toward local fish, game, and vegetables; the wine list holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. A step up in polish from most island options.
Trails & outdoors
Clay Head Trail
A 3.6-mile coastal trail along the island's northeast bluffs through a 150-acre Nature Conservancy preserve, with open Atlantic views, clay sea-cliffs, and the labyrinthine unmarked side trails locals call the Maze. The combination of ocean panorama, freshwater swamp, and rolling meadow makes it the island's single best hike.
Rodman's Hollow Trail
A 3.65-mile loop through a glacial outwash plain — the first piece of land conserved on Block Island in 1972 and still the ecological heart of the island. Shad trees bloom in spring, the federally threatened American Burying Beetle lives here, and the trail opens to ocean views at the southwest end. Moderate with some steep slopes.
Things to do
Pond and Beyond Kayak Rentals and Tours
The island's most established kayak operation, based at New Harbor behind Smuggler's, offering rentals, guided tours, and basic instruction for paddling the Great Salt Pond. The sheltered pond is ideal for beginners; guided tours extend to birding and snorkeling excursions. The gentlest way to see the New Harbor ecosystem up close.
Block Island Bike Rentals (Old Harbor)
The classic way to see the island, with multiple rental shops clustered near the Old Harbor ferry dock renting beach cruisers, mountain bikes, and mopeds by the hour or day. The flat northern loop on Corn Neck Road is perfect for families; the south-shore hills reward those on geared bikes. Most of the island's sights are reachable within a 20-minute ride.
Landmarks & sights
Southeast Lighthouse
A National Historic Landmark brick lighthouse perched atop Mohegan Bluffs, guiding mariners since 1875 and relocated back from the eroding cliff edge in 1993 in a celebrated feat of engineering. The red-brick Gothic Revival tower and keeper's house are among the most photographed structures in New England. The site also offers the best mainland view of the offshore Block Island Wind Farm.
Mohegan Bluffs
Two-hundred-foot clay and glacial-till sea cliffs stretching along the island's south shore — among the most dramatic coastal scenery in Rhode Island. A wooden staircase of 141 steps descends to a remote, rock-strewn beach where you are likely to have long stretches to yourself. The clifftop path offers unbroken Atlantic views and excellent birding.