How to Find Cheap Hotels in Block Island, Rhode Island. Ten thousand years ago, 12 miles off the southern portion of Rhode Island, glacial ice spawned the birth of a rare piece of land with panoramic seascape views and a delicate ecosystem. This 7-mile long and 3-mile wide paradise is what we call Block Island.
Leave your troubles (and cell phone) behind. Here, the standard dress code is khaki shorts and sandals, no matter where you go or what the occasion. With only 800 year-round residents, Block Island features phone numbers with only 4 digits and house address numbers are nonexistant. The only town on Block Island is New Shoreham, which carries the dual distinction of being the smallest town in the smallest state in the U.S.
Get into the swim of things. With more than 17 miles of surf and 350 spring-fed ponds, the only things on your to-do list will be building sandcastles, riding the waves and soaking up the sun's golden rays.
Explore the natural surroundings. With more than 32 miles of nature trails, you'll have plenty of opportunity to study the flora and fauna. What you won't see here are chipmunks, raccoon, possum, squirrels or skunks. On Block Island, you'll only see deer, muskrat, mice and the occasional turtle. Snakes are rarely seen here.
Climb up a lighthouse. The Southeast Lighthouse permits visitors to mount the steps to its light in summertime, while the Northeast Lighthouse warns boaters to avoid Sandy Point, a stretch of dangerous shallows.
Climb down the bluffs. Next to the Southeast Lighthouse are the Mohegan Bluffs, where the native Manisee Indians drove the invading Mohegans over the cliffs to their demise below. Tourists can safely walk down a staircase to the bottom of the cliffs and look out over the Atlantic. On a clear day, it's possible to see part of New York from this point.
Bring your binoculars. The northern tip of the island is known to be a resting stop for birds migrating the Atlantic Flyway, eventually leading them to the warmer climate in the Gulf of Mexico.
To book accommodations, contact Rhode Island Tourism Division at (800) 556-2484 or visit their Web site (see Resources below).
Stay off island to get cheap accommodations. With regularly scheduled transportation to and from the island, there won't be any hassle getting back to the island each day. Nearby towns such as Wakefield and Westerly offer cheap accommodations and easy access to Block Island by ferry.
Stay on the island and still get cheap (but elegant) accommodations. There are several hotels and B&Bs on the island that operate from May through October with cheap accommodations ranging from $90 to $299 per night.
Let the water bring you in. Ferry services run to Block Island from Narragansett, Galilee and New London, Connecticut, to name a few.
Drive to Rhode Island and then take the ferry to Block Island. Interstate routes 95 and 195 will get you there.
Take the train to Rhode Island. Amtrak services Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
