Heading to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island? We’ve got the perfect roundup of what to see, do, and eat while you’re there, plus where to stay when it’s time for bed. Read on to see our picks for the best of Narragansett Bay for 2015!
BEST ATTRACTIONS IN NARRAGANSETT BAY
BEST PETTING ZOO
BIOMES MARINE BIOLOGY CENTER, North Kingstown
If it inhabits Narragansett Bay, chances are you can observe it and maybe even touch it at this private marine-education center. Devoted staff and volunteers have assembled the most diverse collection of New England marine life you can see anywhere, and open tanks invite you to pet stingrays, skates, sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, sharks, and a tortoise.
6640 Post Road. 401-885-4690;
biomescenter.com
BEST RAIL TRAIL
EAST BAY BIKE PATH, Providence to Bristol
Sights, sounds, and scents of the bay accompany your walk or ride along any or all of this 14.5-mile shoreside path from Providence’s India Point Park to Independence Park in Bristol. Possible stops include photo ops, a Crescent Park Carousel ride, wildlife watching at Audubon’s Environmental Education Center, and Del’s frozen lemonade at Colt State Park.
dot.ri.gov/community/bikeri/eastbay.php
BEST EQUESTRIAN ADVENTURES
C & L STABLES, Warwick
Horseback riding on the beach is affordable for the whole family at this busy barn, operating year-round within Goddard Memorial State Park. Pony rides for young horse lovers and hour-long bridle-trail rides are options, but the peak experience—even for beginners— is a 90-minute or two-hour bayside beach ride with an enthusiastic professional guide.
1095 Ives Road. 401-886-5246;
candlstables.info
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN NARRAGANSETT BAY
BEST FAMILY HIDEAWAY
WYNDHAM BAY VOYAGE INN, Jamestown
From the outdoor pool, you can gaze at sailboats sliding across Narragansett Bay and feel much farther than 5 miles from the hubbub of Newport. A convenient retreat for families, this all-suite property offers modern comforts while retaining its original Victorian feel. Rates: from $180.
150 Conanicus Ave.401-423-2100;
wyndhambayvoyageinn.com
BEST BAY-VIEW INN
3 ROYAL WATERFRONT SUITES, Warwick
Effervescent innkeeper (and avid baker) Daneish Hazard has made over her home on Narragansett Bay as a couples’ haven with a trio of spacious, yet intimate bedchambers. A decadent, customized morning meal is served en suite, but guests almost never eat breakfast in bed when they can savor bay views from their private porches. Rates: from $139.
3 Royal Ave. 401-323-3290;
3royal.com
BEST HOTEL ALTERNATIVE
SLEEP ABOARD, Providence
Just upriver from the bay, globetrotting sailor and motorcyclist Neil Malik has discovered a port adventurous enough to call home, and he’s amassing a petite fleet of floating accommodations to share the experience of urban marina living. Choose a houseboat, modern MetroShip, or stunning 61-foot Hendel yacht for a memorable overnight stay. Rates: from $220 for 4.
525 South Water St. 617-233-7161;
sleep-aboard.com
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN NARRAGANSETT BAY
BEST PAIRINGS
JAMESTOWN FISH, Jamestown
Quadrilingual chef Matthew MacCartney is as meticulous about building his wine and beer lists as he is playful with his alwaysevolving menu of ingeniously spiced and artfully plated local seafood. And he’s practically giddy when connoisseurs of either beverage recognize and order one of the limited-edition beers or rare bottles of wine he’s acquired.
14 Narragansett Ave. 401-423-3474;
jamestownfishri.com
BEST SEAFOOD ON THE BAY
QUITO’S, Bristol
A trio of chowders … a heaping plate of scampi loaded with shrimp, littlenecks, lobster, mussels, or calamari … Fresh seafood meets Italian cooking’s flair for overabundance at this casual, boisterous, seasonal eatery. Whether you’re sittin’ on the dock overlooking the bay or inside by the fireplace on cool evenings, you’ll be wishin’ you never had to leave Rhode Island. Entrées from: $13.
411 Thames St. 401–253–4500;
quitosrestaurant.com
BEST FISH CHOWDER
MELVILLE GRILLE, Portsmouth
Boat or drive to the marina-side restaurant at East Passage Yachting Center for the staff ’s Portuguese fish chowder. Chef/owner Scott Cowell loads this decadent, paprika-pink soup with scallops, shrimp, cod, and mild chouriço. It’s twice been named seafood-chowder champ at Newport’s prestigious Great Chowder Cook-Off. Cup: $4.95.
1 Lagoon Road. 401-683-4400;
melvillegrille.com
