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Stepping onto Bay Island is stepping back in time, when coming to the beach was a quiet experience without the commotion of modern life, because this is also Newport’s only island without car access. One of Newport’s original settlements, Bay Island actually originated as a duck hunting club early in the 20th century. There are just 26 homes, all bay fronts with docks, the center of the island is a common garden with a tennis court, and there are amazing close-up vistas across Newport Harbor which surrounds Bay Island on all sides. A foot bridge connects the island to Island Avenue on Balboa Peninsula, where residents keep their cars in a secure parking garage, and many “commute” home in golf carts.

Ocean beaches are two blocks away, and the ferry to Balboa Island is a few minutes stroll down the Edgewater bayfront promenade. Newport Harbor Yacht Club is a block west along Buena Vista.