Coastal Discovery

Coastal Maine Hot Spots

Overview | Hot Spots | Festivals and Events | Suggested Itineraries | Coastal Maine Advertisers

Southern Coast

Maine’s most populated geographic area, the southern coast, begins and ends with shopping. From Kittery to Freeport, it includes miles of long sandy beaches, ice-cream huts, clam shacks, boardwalks, boat rides, galleries and lighthouses. It also includes Portland, Maine’s largest city.

Kittery

At the southern tip of Maine, just over the Piscataqua River, one of the fastest-developing retail centres in Maine is Kittery, an outlet oasis with a spattering of well-known local stores such as the recently expanded three-storey Kittery Trading Post. Kittery Point rivals York as the oldest community in Maine and retains a wealth of historic mansions along with the state’s oldest church and Fort McClary State Park, with its ocean views, picnic areas and an 1846 blockhouse. The Kittery Historical and Naval Museum on Route 1 includes shipbuilding displays and area artifacts. From here you can wind your way north on Route 1, which runs along the coast, or take a faster drive to your next destination on Interstate 95.

The Yorks

Follow Route 1 over the York River and you’ll arrive in York, distinguished by four separate sections: York Village, York Harbor, York Beach and Cape Neddick. The village, along Route 1A, is marked by the First Parish Church, a grand 18th-century meetinghouse. At the Old York Historical Society next door, tour the village’s oldest buildings: the Old Gaol, Jefferds Tavern, the one-room schoolhouse and fine homesteads. York Harbor Beach includes the scenic Cliff Walk, which clings to ocean cliffs and runs through the backyards of some of the area’s grandest houses. The beach boasts miles of white sand, the zoo and amusement park at York’s Wild Kingdom as well as The Nubble, an 1879 lighthouse.

Kennebunk / Kennebunkport

Well known in the U.S. as the summer home of former president George Bush, the Kennebunks offer ocean views, distinctive gift stores, fine restaurants and harbour cruises. Take a nature walk at the Rachel Carson Wildlife refuge. Tackle town history at the Brick Store Museum. Ride the rails at the Seashore Trolley Museum. Shop at Dock Square or take a picture of the elaborately decorated but privately owned Wedding Cake House. Kennebunkport also is famous for the world-renowned accommodations and cuisine at the White Barn Inn.

Portland

Maine’s commercial centre and the state’s first capital, Portland is a friendly city known for its theatres, galleries, museums and gift shops. The Art District includes Merrill Auditorium, a 100-year-old world-class venue that hosts operas, the symphony, ballets and Broadway shows. The SALT gallery offers fine art, photography and documentaries about Maine subjects. Up the street is the Portland Museum of Art, founded in 1882, which showcases the works of traditional and modern artists from Maine and beyond, and next door is the Children’s Museum of Maine, which gives little ones a chance to let loose after taking in all those paintings.

Victoria Mansion, one of the most popular Portland attractions, is among the finest Italianate homes in the country. Fans of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow can visit the 1786 house in which he was raised. Stroll in the Victorian gardens out back or visit the Maine Historical Society next door; it’s the fourth-oldest historical organization in America, and both Aaron Burr and Daniel Webster contributed to its collections.

Sea buffs will enjoy hiking up the staircase at the Portland Observatory, the only remaining 19th-century maritime-shipping signal tower on the Atlantic. Railroad lovers can hop a train at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum, which operates the only parlour car ever to run on two-foot tracks. Maritime buffs will want to make the most of the area’s major lighthouses, including Portland Head Light. Commissioned by George Washington, the light not only is the first lighthouse built it Maine but it also is the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

Freeport

Best known for big-city shops and a small-town feel, Freeport’s Main Street is loaded with the latest designers. Built around L.L. Bean’s ever-expanding flagship store—open 24 hours a day, 360 days a year—the town retains its place in history. It was here the papers annexing Maine from Massachusetts were signed in 1820 in the historical Jameson Tavern, where you can still enjoy lunch or dinner. Walk the trails at the Maine Audubon’s Mast Landing Sanctuary, where ship masts were once harvested, or visit the state’s only desert, The Desert of Maine, with rolling hills of glacial sand. Wolfe Neck State Park is a prime picnic spot with nature trails along Casco Bay, and Bradbury Mountain offers sweeping views of the bay and beyond.