Ocean Drive

Bellevue Avenue, the long boulevard lined by Gilded Age mansions, takes a turn at its southern end to become stunning Ocean Drive, part of Ten Mile Drive, which traces the southern coastline of the island. The views—light glinting off the water and lusty waves bashing the rocky shoreline on one side of the road and stone walls and enormous mansions on the other—are the main draw, but another highlight is sitting on the rocks at Brenton Point State Park to enjoy the sunlight and sea.

Newport’s fabled Ocean Drive curves with each jag and inlet of the Atlantic coast. Along this stretch of Ten Mile Drive, you’ll hardly lose sight of the water—crashing on the rocks, glinting with sunlight, mesmerizing. Beyond Brenton Point State Park, mansions begin to appear on craggy hills above the road or on rocky promontories. Enormous new houses take their places among the Gilded Age castles and shingled “cottages,” and exclusive beach clubs turn their backs to the road, their cabanas looking deceptively plain from behind. Tucked along the stretch are a few public beaches where you can sun and picnic on the flat rocks and watch the fishermen. Ocean Drive ends with a right turn on to Bellevue Avenue, the address of the most famous Newport mansions, so blink the sun out of your eyes and prepare for more grand sights. Photo by Mark Berry Reid//Flickr.