Often overshadowed by its glitzier neighbor to the south, Bristol Harbor is no slouch as a boating destination. Quite the opposite. With its historic downtown area filled with cool shops and restaurants, plus a great boating museum to explore, Bristol easily ranks as one of Narragansett Bay’s best daytrip options.

Budding sailors prepare for a lesson aboard a classic 12 1/2 at the Herreshoff Museum.

You can stay overnight too, and Bristol’s harbormaster, Gregg Marsili, is making sure that transients feel welcome these days. While the immediate downtown area lacks a full-service marina, boaters can arrange for dockage at the Town Marina or rent one of the town-managed moorings. Just be aware that the harbor is exposed to the prevailing summer southwesterlies, which can make for a rolly stay.

Another option is to rent a mooring through Bristol Harbor Marine, on the more protected west side of the harbor. The marina’s launch can give you a lift to one of the public landings, but you can easily walk or bike into town if you wish.

BIKING ALONG

Speaking of bikes, Bristol marks the southern terminus of the East Bay Bike Path, which runs all the way to Providence. You can rent a bike at Pedego on Thames Street then pedal north, stopping at various parks and towns along the way. Be sure to take a detour at Colt State Park (the former estate of industrialist Samuel Colt), which features acres of rolling fields, picnic areas, a beach and a first-rate boat launch—one of no less than four free ramps in Bristol.

After your ride, head back to Bristol for some rest and refreshment. You’ll find no shortage of restaurants, pubs and ice cream vendors in town, starting with the laidback Quito’s restaurant, which specializes in fried clams, lobster and other seafood delights. Enjoy your meal at one of the picnic tables along the water next to Independence Park— also home to a boat launch and the site of summer concerts. If you’ve got a hankering for frozen treats, head across the street to the Daily Scoop, which serves amazing homemade ice cream, frappes, Lime Rickeys and more.

Follow the wooden boardwalk that winds along the harbor and you’ll come to Thames Street Landing. Boaters can tie up to the floats here for up to three hours if they plan to visit the Landing’s businesses, such as the Waterside Bar & Grill, which offers amazing views of the harbor, especially from its upper deck. Next door is the upscale DeWolf Tavern, housed in a historic stone warehouse used to store rum during Bristol’s days as a trading port in the early 1800s. The Tavern serves excellent food, both indoors and on its patio, and you can’t beat the ambience.

DAYTRIPPER’S DELIGHT

Continue south along the waterfront and you’ll come to the State Street launch ramp, which has free but limited parking in an adjacent lot. The Town Marina and its 140-foot-long float is right next door. Daytrippers can tie up here for an hourly rate, with the fee collected by the harbormaster’s office, located in the armory building across from the Prudence Island Ferry terminal.

DeWolf Tavern, a former rum warehouse used when Bristol Harbor was a major trading port.

From here it’s a short walk to Thames and Hope streets. The latter bears a red, white and blue median strip as a reminder that you are in one of the most patriotic towns in America. Indeed, Bristol is home to the country’s oldest Fourth of July Parade, and the event is a huge deal each summer. (Note: do not attempt to drive through or even close to Bristol on Independence Day!)

Lovely, tree-lined Hope Street, with its well-tended Victorian and Colonial buildings and homes, is where one really gets a sense of historic Bristol. There are even more restaurants here, as well as several intriguing boutiques, clothing stores and gift shops. Grab a slice of pizza at Leo’s or a pint at Aidan’s Irish pub. And sure to stop by the Bristol Art Museum or the Rogers Free Library, which offers all sorts of free activities for kids and adults.

HOME OF HERRESHOFF

Of course, the singular must-see item on a Bristol boater’s bucket list is the Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame, near the southern end of the harbor. The museum pays homage to the prolific and revolutionary boat designer Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and has a pier and moorings where visiting boaters can tie up.

Inside, a world of fascinating boating lore awaits. The museum is home to an incredible collection of wooden boats, all of them built at the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, which occupied the site from the mid-1800s to the 1930s. Many fine examples of rare, restored wooden boats— from dinghies to yachts—are on display, along with intriguing backstories.

Also featured is a replica of “Captain Nat’s” workshop, complete with the actual lathes, files and planes he used to create the models for his magnificent designs. The room contains hundreds of hand-carved half-models, as well as the original offset machine used to transfer each model’s measurements to blueprints for the full-scale boats produced in the factory.

While Herreshoff may be the best-known name in Bristol boatbuilding, the town continues to serve as home to several current builders, including Goetz, Shannon and C&C Marine (builder of NorthCoast and Albin), as well as a host of marine support services. That’s all in keeping with a town that clearly has boating in its blood.