Many visitors to the Narragansett area come for the beaches, just 30 mi/50 km south of Providence. Narragansett Town Beach is particularly popular with surfers, and it hosts the New England Mid-Winter Championships each February.
Just to the south of town, close to the port of Galilee, are three state parks along the water—Fisherman's Memorial State Park (camping available), Roger W. Wheeler State Beach and Scarborough State Beach. Also nearby is Point Judith, where you can see an octagonal lighthouse built in 1816 and catch the ferry to Block Island.
But there's more to Narragansett than beaches. The Towers are what remains of the once-opulent Narragansett Pier Casino. The restored building arches over scenic Highway 1A and now houses the local chamber of commerce.
Visit the South County Museum at Canonchet Farm to view more than 20,000 artifacts documenting the area's heritage. St. Peter's-by-the-Sea Church has 17 Tiffany stained-glass windows—tours are available by appointment.
Narragansett chief Canonchet is commemorated with a big limestone statue in Gazebo Park, and another impressive sculpture in town, the 24-ft-/7-m-tall Narragansett Indian Monument, also honors the Native Americans who once lived in the area.
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