POV: You wake up at 9 am & your partner tells you “Get dressed, we’re going to Block Island and the ferry leaves at 10.” You act quickly– throw on the first thing you think of: tank top, jean shorts & sneakers. Oh yeah, and you probably should grab a hat, sunglasses & bathing suit too.
That’s exactly what we did on a summer Tuesday morning in Montauk. With 10 minutes to spare, we booked the tickets online on the way to the docks. It’s a miracle we made it! Here’s a guide to a day on Block Island, a fun day trip from Montauk:
What to pack:
- Sneakers (or if you’re okay with just sandals, do you!)
- Hat
- Swimsuit
- Sweater or windbreaker
- Water
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock
- Cash
- Dramamine
Prep: Buy your tickets online at at Viking Fleet it’s $40 + tax one way: Montauk to Block Island Ferry
9:50 am – Get to Viking Fleet Marina, check in at the booth before boarding
10:00 am – Ferry Departure
On board, you can buy snacks, coffee/tea & drinks.
We got hot coffees for $2 & a homemade coffee cake for $3. I was very grateful since we didn’t have time to grab anything before we left! The ride was beautiful but admittedly choppy on the way over. We had some rough waters this day. It was a bit windy, so I definitely recommend a windbreaker or some sort of sweater.
11:15-11:30 am – Arrive at Champlins in Block Island & disembark the ferry
Once we got off the ferry, we saw tons of boats docked. As we walked down the dock, the boaters were asking us about our ride (they know the waters & knew it must’ve been a bumpy ride.) At the end of the dock, there are bathrooms on the left.
11:45 am – Grab a taxi & ask them to take you to Old Town
There are tons of taxi vans that arrive waiting to take passengers that just got off the ferry to wherever they want to go & don’t worry if the first few get filled up, more are on the way. It cost us $14 for the taxi so we gave our driver $20 (don’t forget to tip! We want to give back to the local businesses.) We had a lovely older lady who had fresh eucalyptus in her van. She was very kind.
12:00 pm – You’re in Old Town!
This is where there are quite a few shops. Our first stop was “Odd Fellows” to get caffeinated (again.) If you know me, you know my love of iced coffee is strong.
I’d recommend getting a moped as soon as possible as they apparently go quickly. The ways to get around on Block Island are walking, biking, or mopeds. There are definitely hills if you’re exploring the island so be aware if you’re not an experienced cyclist.
The soonest available time slot for a moped was 1:30, so we signed up for that spot & reserved it for 3 hours. It cost $96 & the driver needs to have a license.
12:15 – 1:00 pm – Grab a bite to eat at the “Poor People’s Pub”
After we got our moped situation settled, we walked over to the Poor People’s Pub for a bite to eat & to kill some time. I was SO hungry by this point. It’s a no-frills dive bar, perfect for holding us over till dinner. The fish sticks were DELICIOUS. I’m not exaggerating, they were that good. Initially, when I thought of fish sticks, I thought of the frozen school-version. These couldn’t be further from that– these were proper beer battered fish sticks made from fresh Atlantic cod. While you’re there, you also MUST try a “stuffie.”
1:00-1:15 pm Walk back for your moped reservation
Here, you’ll sign a release form, grab your helmets from the bins & instructors will give the driver a quick tutorial & mini driving test to make sure you’re good to go.
1:30- 3:00 pm Go Sightseeing
Time to explore the island! Hopping on your moped will allow you to cover a lot of ground in a little amount of time.
Mohegan Bluffs – A gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the ocean
This view will make you think you’re on the coast of France or New Zealand. It’s a steep trek down flights of stairs. If you’re not equipped to go all the way down, there are signs letting you know when you’re at the halfway point. Just remember, as far as you go down, you’ll have to hike back up!
Ride around more. At this point we just rode around to see where the roads would take us. We drove around taking in views of the ocean & we came across this massive preservation called Rodman’s Hollow.
After, we stumbled upon a pebble beach.
Other options: Check out the Southeast light house if you have time!
3:15-4:00 pm Have dinner at “The Beachead”
We sat outside and started off with 2 dozen oysters (they were $1 today!), a lemonade & a whaler’s pale ale. After deliberating for a bit whether we were really hungry or not, we decided on clam strips, another half dozen oysters & split a lobster roll on a brioche bun. A perfect meal to round out the day.
4:00-4:30 pm Buy your return tickets & do a little shopping
We returned our mopeds when we got back into town, booked our return tickets for the ferry & decided to pop into one of the little shops. I needed a hoodie so we spent some time looking for the perfect coziest one.
Other options: Grab an ice-cream cone.
4:30-4:45 pm Take a cab back to Champlin’s Marina
We hopped in the van to head back to the marina, our ferry leaves at 5! We spent the same amount as we did on the way over($20.) Our driver had such a small town charm to him, I loved hearing him chat about what’s it’s like living on Block Island year-round & him telling us how cold the winters can get over here.
4:45-5:00 pm Get ready to depart!
Arrive back at Champlin’s Marina & get ready for your journey back to Montauk
5:00-6:15 pm Ferry back to Montauk
Wave goodbye to Block Island! I’ve got to tell you–it was choppy on the way back, but the views were beautiful. I was so mesmerized by the water & just how powerful it truly is. All I could think was: “the ocean is NOT to be messed with.” It definitely got chillier on the boat & I was very thankful I had bought that hoodie.
6:15 pm You’re back in Montauk!
It was so sweet; people were waving to us from the docks as the ferry came in. I was exhausted by the end of this adventure-filled day but very satisfied. We disembarked the ferry & enjoyed the rest of our evening.
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