This beach is well positioned for a great sunrise. I came during cold December and there were alot of locals that come here for sunrise to catch a vibe. A couple even went into the water. This beach is also near Sachuest point wildlife refuge, which is a great place to go after the sunrise. I would totally come back. 10 out of 10 would recommend. read more

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Third Beach is special. It's a a smaller beach with soft sand and calm waters. It's great for young children as there are no waves. It's very quiet and relaxed place. It's Parking is tricky as there are not a ton of spaces. Go enjoy "Third". read more

Typical Rhode Island beach: dirty, smelly, and totally underwhelming. Not sure why people have positive reviews; my assumption is simply that they haven't been to beaches that are actually clean and fun. read more

Love this place. It's really the only beach to go to if you're a local because they have a parking lot for Middletown residents. Therefore it's not over run by tourists. It's nice because there's plenty of space and quiet with less amount of people. The water is pretty cold and tons of seaweed. Not many people swim here but it's still nice to jump in. You can also see the boats not far off Further down is Dels Lemonade and kayak rentals. read more

Excellent beach! Not too many people or dogs early in the morning. Parking is free after season and there are public port O' potties on site. read more

This beach would get 5 stars if only based on how nice the sand is, how quiet it is and how secluded it is- especially on a windy day! When it's super windy at First Beach, head to this one without hesitation! Also the lifeguards are very friendly and helpful! Really I should give it 3.5 stars, but alas there are no half star ratings. My issues with the beach are most importantly the porta potty situation. There's no real bathrooms on the beach. The lack of concessions or soda machines. The insane amount of seashells on the shoreline making walking close to the water near impossible. The higher cost of parking ($15). read more

Best kept secret on Aquidneck Island! On an incredibly busy day during the summer, if you don't get to Second Beach before 10am, you'll be in a line of traffic for a while before hitting the sand. In which case, make a turn up Paradise Road, right on Green End Road, and right on Third Beach Road -- pass by Peabody Beach, then go to the gravel lot on the left. You'll find there are no waves since it's on the cove side, but the view is stunning, water is warm, and there's always a Del's truck :) Same deal with outhouses that are always clean as you would find at Second. Noticeably much less congested. Since it's smaller and there are no waves, it's filled to the brim with children. If you want to take your little ones somewhere, this is a great option. Or if you want your own nook of the sand with views of Little Compton...you've found your place. read more

People seem to confuse this beach with 2nd beach, but while they are on the same peninsula, they are very very different. While 2nd beach has waves and crowds, 3rd beach is more like a beach in a harbor. There are no waves, boats moored, and very few people - just how I like it. The sand is flat and soft with very few rocks, but some sea shells in parts. This is a great beach to go for exercise, whether that's running along the beach, or swimming laps. There is a roped off section of the water that is monitored by life guards, but they don't seem to mind if you swim outside of the ropes. The parking fees are the same as the other Newport beaches. While some people might want to go to the beach for the crowds, if you want to get away from all of that, check this beach out. read more

Of the 3 big beaches in Middletown, this is by far the most relaxed. The water is calm, so if you are looking for tons of waves for surfing or boogie boarding, this isn't the beach for you. However, it's relaxed atmosphere is GREAT for families with young children. The Red Tide is almost non existent on 3rd beach, which puts this beach over the top as my favorite. Soft sand, calm water and a family vibe. This is the best beach in Middletown if you want a nice calm beach experience! Also, if you have a boat, canoe, etc., there is a ramp here for entrance into the water! read more

NOTE: I have never been for a summer beach day to Third Beach. This review is for off-season experience. That said, it's the perfect spot for a spring, fall or winter walk along the water and along the rocks. It's in a cove, so the wind (if it is blowing) isn't often too bad - and I do love to look out at the boats on their moorings. You are also just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Sachuest Point and the bird sanctuary, so you could really make an afternoon/early evening of visiting along the coastline. The sites will not disappoint, nor the smell of the ocean. Visit at dusk and you'll be treated to a beautiful sunset across the dunes toward Second Beach. Off-season parking is across the street from the beach entrances in a dirt parking lot. A nice off-season retreat to get a little salt air in your veins. read more

I LOVE this beach! Like as much as Toby Keith loves his bar. I am going to go out on a barge and say this is my favorite public beach in RI thus far. If it weren't for the dark blue, can't see the bottom as it gets deeper water, I could have sworn I was in the Virgin Islands. I avoided Third Beach for so long because I thought it was a true wilderness beach -- a.k.a. no facilities. Well, when First Beach and Second Beach were jam-packed this weekend, Third Beach came to my rescue, along with its porta-potties. Yeah, so it's not a beach shack with real toilets, sinks and showers, but it works when nature calls, and I was surprised at how clean and unsmelly they were. So, don't avoid this little strip of heaven because of that. The parking lot is small, and there are a lot of double or triple space-takers because of the boat ramp in the middle of the beach, but on the busiest Newport beach day I've seen in a while, this lot still had spaces. Granted, they were $20 spaces (it's $10 during the week). I will forever, from this point forward, go to Third Beach instead of First, which was my old standby. The difference is night and day. First Beach is loud, crowded, wavy, filled with aggressive seagulls and plagued by the infamous red tide. Third Beach is exactly the opposite: calm, conducive to all kinds of sports from running to stand-up paddle boarding, quiet, practically seagull free (but you will see fish in the water!), sheltered, beautiful, clean and seaweed free! Oh, and the water, it is gloriously warm. It is like taking a bath. There is also a pavilion with picnic tables for lunch in the shade, but I have a feeling you have to own that fast and early. There is also a charcoal grill nearby for more than just your standard cooler beach lunch. Serene, elusive and perfect... that is Third Beach. read more

Spent the afternoon here on a beautiful Aug Saturday. Calm, clean sandy beach. Calm water - good water quality. No red seaweed like first and second beach have been suffering from lately. Relaxed, pleasant environment. Great for young kids or anyone who doesn't want heavy surf, loud/crowded beach. Rocky bottom in the water was a little tough on the feet. Only facilities are port-a-potties. $10 weekdays, $20 weekends/holidays. read more

I didn't want to give the beach a terrible rating because it really is a quite beautiful place. The winding road getting there as well as the few vendors selling drinks and iceys make it a decent spot to toss up an umbrella, and enjoy the beach. Parking was pretty brutal to find for me and mine, but that's because we got there later than we should have. Speaking to the officer that was directing traffic, he said that you should aim to get there no later than 10 am. Unfortunately, it was low tide and the beach and water were absolutely COVERED in red seaweed which totally ruined our planned waterworks :( I haven't seen any other reviews that confirm this as well, so I'm guessing that this is a weird seasonal fluke. Would definitely go back, but only if I have strong confirmation of NO SEAWEED. read more

Not bad... A little bit of litter, but relatively clean as beaches on NE goes. LOTs of shells, not as crowded. Def a kept secret as it is a drive. Soft sand. Will def come again. But leave by sunset bc I saw a few sand fleas & tics! read more

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This beach isn't bad accept... There are little dead fish everywhere. It causes a pretty bad smell sometimes, not to mention you walk around trying to avoid stepping on them. The water is really calm, there are are SUP boards and kayaks available for rent, and it was a little less crowded than second beach (which was full when we passed by). So overall not a bad beach, but I was not a fan of the dead fish. read more

One of the best in New England, and this comes from someone who lived in the Boston area for over 20 years. It's a cove with soft white sand which has an intimate feel without the obnoxiousness and crowds of more popular beaches. It serves as a natural harbor for sailboats, so there's always something interesting to watch. The water gets deep at a small distance, so very little wading is needed to get a good swim. Parking fills up early, but if you arrive after 4, you won't have to pay the $20 fee and will likely find a spot. Perfect after a walk in Newport or Norman Bird Sanctuary read more

Love this beach. Not crowded, protected from the waves, and you can rent stand-up paddle boards and kayaks.

Nice beach if you want to just lay out in the sun, read, laze around. I love the quiet, but its a really small harbor with lots of boats docked so it doesnt make sense to go in the water (which was really cold when we went, though granted in mid-July)... Its nice to be away from the crowds, but honestly I wish there were more waves and more to do there. Im not sure if it totally justifies the $20 weekend parking fee for me... read more

I love third beach. It is quiet and and great place to escape and go for a walk. A true Middletown treasure!

This is a great beach,especially if you have little ones. Great sand. Very little waves and shallow for a long ways out.

September is just a perfect month for the beach.. This beach motivated me book a surfing lesson.. read more