Despite past efforts of mansion owners on the preferred ocean side of Bellevue Avenue to close off access, Newport’s Cliff Walk has remained a public walking path since the days when the great palaces were at their prime.

The pathway along the rocky shore provides walkers with views of breakers crashing on the rocks below, as well as the mansions’ gardens and sea-facing facades above, and is one of the most popular – and free – things to do in Newport. The Cliff Walk begins well before The Breakers, the first major mansion it skirts, and after 3.5 miles, it passes by Rough Point, at the end of Bellevue Avenue. The exotic Tea House at Marble House stands just above the path.

Author’s Tip: You don’t need to walk the entire 3.5-mile length of Cliff Walk, or double back to the starting point if you want a shorter walk. You can begin at the end of Narragansett Ave., at a spot known as Forty Steps, and leave the trail at Ruggles Ave. to return by Bellevue Ave. This shorter route gives you a feel for the oceanside scenery and a look at several mansions, including The Breakers. The next exit point (and the last before the end at Rough Point) is a path connecting to Marine Ave.