Instagram-able Block Island

You can never have too many pictures of lighthouses, especially when they’re so historic that they’re listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built out of brown granite in 1867 and situated on the northernmost tip of the island, Block Island North Light offers a sturdy New England presence from both land and sea.

You should be able to capture some good shots at the surrounding dunes. Get creative with the many wondrous shapes etched within the sand, abstract and otherwise. Keep your eyes out for piping plovers, another joyous subject of interest on this part of the island and get ready to hit play as they scurry about. Head over to the National Wildlife Refuge for more magical shots of wildlife and the land, sea and sky that they inhabit.

Walk the Sacred Labyrinth in this northern part of the island and invite your mind to go blank within the serenity of this peaceful setting. There’s a place to sit in the center of the circle where you can take in the views of North Light, Sachem Pond, Block Island Sound and the distant Atlantic Ocean. Or, you can just close your eyes and listen to the wind. Take a picture to mark this special moment, so that it can transport you back there once at home.

Down at the opposite end of the island, Block Island Southeast Light, also on the National Register of Historic Places, is noteworthy for its elegant and sophisticated nineteenth-century architecture. While you’re here, take some shots of the 141 steps of Mohegan Bluffs and capture some wide-angle views of the ocean. You’ll discover that all this rates as an exceedingly dramatic part of the island.

Looking to kick it up a bit? Go to the harbors. There’s two from which to choose. Most of the big ferries circulate from Old Harbor whereas New Harbor shelters numerous full-service marinas that play home to a bevy of boats from extravagant yachts to small skiffs. Just about every angle at both harbors begs to be captured on film–or in your iPhone. And you can bet that the people watching rings in as some of the best around. Be discreet though because Block Island is everything but crass and you don’t want to come across as a bug-eyed tourist, especially if you encounter one of the many celebrities that summer here.

You’ll find restaurants galore in and around the harbors as well, convivial centers of rowdiness and calm that provide a supply of food and drink shots for recording the happiest of times.

Of course there are many moments to be captured out on the water. From documenting your buddy’s daring adventure with Block Island Parasail & Watersports to snapping a shot from one of Monica’s Taxi island tours to snagging the perfect image of the Block Island Hi-Speed Ferry barreling out on the Atlantic Ocean, the vast stretches of water surrounding this block of land–which was actually named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block–provide limitless opportunities for social media sharing.

And for that quintessential Block Island picture, make sure you feature the bluffs. Love those bluffs; they are largely what make this special spot in the sea so recognizable.