hole-in-the-wall beach

The view from this is one of the best we have to offer. The sand is soft, the view is spectacular and the sea breeze is just amazing. watching the boats come and go under the bridge is relaxing as well as peaceful. walking the boardwalk is optional, but it is a wonderful walk with those who are exercising and health conscious.

We love this beach been going for over 4 yrs. now. Was an Ocean Beach fan for 15 yrs then found this beach it is small BUT you also have the park and downtown area to visit and explore. Employees are always pleasant and the bathrooms are cleaned constantly, have never seen this area dirty. We are glad to see that the sand is also machine groomed. To us it's a quaint beach to go too without alot of noise and big crowds. You know we all can't wait to see improvements and the rebuilding of the boardwalk, hope it won't years of planning!!! Bristol, Ct. residents.

The beach was nice, but parking was over twice what we thought it would be. Very quiet secluded beach but they allow you to come and go the whole day which is nice. It connects to Crescent beach which has a playground, and a floating raft ( parking lets you in to both beaches,

Small beach with close parking...quiet, private, pretty except for power plant in view.Even a park to enjoy.

Especially great for families with small children. Small crowds make it easy to keep a close eye on your children. Children also enjoy watching the trains go by. Very convenient new beach house with showers & restrooms. Will be even nicer when boardwalk is completed.

It was our lucky day when I found this place while searching the Internet for a nice beach that's not too far away from our home in Pennsylvania. When we want to have a little getaway, we stay in the quaint seaside town of Niantic (East Lyme), Conn. It's about a three hour drive.The "Hole-in-the-Wall" Beach is very small, but inviting. You must go through a cutout in the railroad trestle to get to the beach; hence, the name. It's quite a sight as you approach the "hole" and see the beach and water on the other side -- like a framed picture.The tiny beach is in the shape of a half moon. It's not too crowded and the waves are gentle. There's a lovely park in the distance, "McCook's Point," which you can easily access in a leisurely walk.The town is a scaled- down version of larger beach attractions, and that's why we like it. It's very low-key and the townspeople are laid back and friendly. There is no shortage of great places to eat; there are many restaurants, outdoor cafes, and a terrific nightclub with outdoor music on the patio. With fresh seafood readily available, every restaurant we tried had delicious food.There are little shops and boutiques; my favorite is "Tumbleweeds," which specializes in "hippie chic" clothing and accessories.We always stay at The Niantic Inn, which is just across the street from the beach. It's in a quiet spot, very clean, and reasonably priced. We like to get a room with a kitchenette in case we want to cook some "catch of the day" that we purchased at a market. Right across the street is a little cafe that serves tasty creations for breakfast. Next door to that is a natural food store.On our way home, we take the scenic route for a while and explore some of the beautiful Connecticut countryside, including nearby Old Saybrook, which also has a beach.If you're looking for a beach experience on a small scale, then Hole-in-the-Wall Beach would suit you just fine.

Plenty of room and wonderful view. We wished the boardwalk was open, but with the new train bridge construction its understandable.

Good Parking, clean rest rooms, areas for walking. Close to an ice cream shop. The views are nice aside from Milestone. Usually quiet, we go in the late afternoon for a picnic dinner. I enjoy watching young families with little ones discovering birds and shells for the first time.

We were there on a very hot Saturday... not crowded at all. Had a nice walking trail to the top of a hill. Nothing fancy, just a quiet clean beach.

Hole in the wall is awesome for relaxing, hope the boardwalk can be repaired!