With an area larger than all of the other New England states combined, Maine provides plenty of pockets of solitude in its harbors and glacially carved inlets and bays along the Atlantic Coast. Maine’s 3,500-mile shoreline is dotted with tiny fishing villages, colonial settlements and summer resort towns. While luxury hotels and commercial summer resorts seem to pop up every year, the coastal towns of Maine are as renowned for their quaint bed-and-breakfasts and classy Victorian inns as they are for their lobster rolls.
Bar Harbor: The Doorstep of Acadia
- Bar Harbor was once a trendy summer hot spot for wealthy New Englanders, but those old mansions from the first half of the 1900s have been converted into charming inns. Bar Harbor lies at the doorstep of Acadia National Park, the only national park in the state. Take a romantic hike to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,532 feet above sea level, it is the first place in the United States where you can see the sunrise from October to March.
Ogunquit: The Beautiful Place by the Sea
- The Abenaki tribe named the town of Ogunquit, meaning “beautiful place by the sea.” The town is perfect for a quiet beach getaway, with warm water coves that spill onto 3 miles of sandy beach. Stroll to Perkins Cove along Marginal Way, a walking path just off the beach.
Boothbay Harbor: A Victorian Hideout
- Boothbay Harbor is famous for its Victorian houses and dockside seafood restaurants. Catch majestic views of the harbor from the wooden footbridge and of the Atlantic from McKown Hill. To really get away, take the ferry to Monhegan Island, voted the most beautiful place in the state by the website Maine Today.
Kennebunkport: Summer Hot Spot
- The Kennebunks -- Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Kennebunkport Beach -- are often packed during the summer, but the area is a year-round vacation spot that's often forgotten during the off-peak months. The scenic vistas of Ocean Avenue and the 200-year-old mansions are breathtaking, and the art galleries, boutiques and seafood restaurants around Dock Square should not be missed by anyone traveling along Maine’s coast.
Lubec: A Little Piece of Canada
- Mingle with Canadians in this small fishing village, which is separated from the neighbors to the north by the narrow Lubec Bay. Quoddy Head State Park’s West Head Light is the easternmost point in the United States. Lubec sees the sun before any other town in America around the equinoxes, and the park has scenic overlooks of Canada and three other lighthouses.
