Hundreds of masts sway in Narragansett Bay, schooners cruise under sail, and behind this nautical ballet rise the slate roofs of the most extravagant summer residences ever built in America. Newport, the sailing capital and showcase of the Gilded Age, welcomes its visitors by sea, as it should: ships anchor west of Goat Island and tenders dock in about ten minutes at Perrotti Park, one block from the shops of Thames Street, with a visitor centre and street musicians as a bonus on fine days.

The palaces of the Gilded Age

At the end of the 19th century, the Vanderbilts, the Astors and other industrial dynasties made this small colonial city their summer playground, building 70-room "cottages" inspired by European palaces. Several can be visited, starting with The Breakers, an Italian Renaissance–style extravagance set facing the Atlantic, and Marble House, a white marble fantasy directly inspired by the Petit Trianon. The interiors, with their gilding, mosaics, painted ceilings and ballrooms, tell of an America that was then inventing its own aristocracy for six weeks each summer — and the basements, where dozens of servants worked, show the other side with welcome honesty.

The Cliff Walk, between lawns and sea spray

To grasp the contrast that defines Newport, nothing beats the Cliff Walk: this 5.6-kilometre trail winds along the clifftops, squeezed between the ocean rumbling below and the gardens of the great mansions. Access is free, entry points are numerous, and the stretch near the Forty Steps, the staircase that descends to the edge of the waves, is easily covered in an hour round trip, sea spray included on days with a swell. On clear days, the surfers at Easton's Beach complete the picture on the east side.

Wharves, taverns and colonial lanes

Back at sea level: around Bowen's Wharf and Bannister's Wharf, the old rigging warehouses now house lobster taverns, chandleries and nautical shops. The neighbouring colonial district, one of the best preserved in the country, lines its gaslit lanes with pre-Revolutionary wooden houses, the White Horse Tavern, which has been pouring drinks since 1673, and the Touro Synagogue, the oldest still standing in the United States. Enthusiasts will venture to Bellevue Avenue, where the International Tennis Hall of Fame occupies a turreted Victorian casino, original grass courts included.

Getting organized from the pier

Back by the bay

Many end the day where Newport excels: on the water. From 1930 to 1983, the America's Cup was raced off these shores, and the city has never stopped living to the rhythm of regattas; Fort Adams, an imposing granite fortress guarding the harbour entrance, now hosts the major jazz and folk festivals that make its summer reputation. Ninety-minute outings on former racing yachts circle the bay, passing a lighthouse, forts and mansions in the evening light, sometimes escorted by local training sailboats. When the tender then takes passengers back to the ship, the city stretches across its hill, steeples and masts blending together, and everyone appreciates what makes it unique: three centuries of American history, from colonial cradle to gilded splendour, summed up in a single coastal walk.