Chrissem

I'm spending 4 days / 5 nights in Bar Harbor. Is this too long of a time in this area, or are there many things/activities to do? Can you please give me suggestions as to fun things to do in the area. I'm open to anything.
Thanks!

micheleh

same question here so I'm bumping it up.

massteacher

Acadia National Park is a must. Driving around the island and stopping at the small seacoast vilages will afford you lovely views.
An often overlooked area on the other side of Acadia is Schoodic Point. Look on your map of Maine. The Blue Hill area is not a long drive with stops in the town of Blue Hill and Castine, the home of the Maine Maritime Academy. The drive down Route l to Camden, a delightful town, Rockland, and Boothbay Harbor are other worthwhile day trips. Again using the map, choose any of the inlets along the coast, and you will be in for a treat. We liked Stonington, a real fishing community very much. You can visit Port Clyde, another fishing town, and take a ferry for the day to Monhegan Island. Lots to do in this area in the way of sightseeing, if that is "your bag."

cindyj

Whether 5 days is too long really depends on what you like to do. Our family has spent the past 2 years camping there for a week without running out of things to do. We also never needed to venture off the island to the other nice ports the other poster mentioned. Hiking is very popular and short hikes yield great rewards because many of the mountain tops are open granite ledges offering wonderful views. Mountain biking on the famous carriage trails is also nice and not overly challenging. There are also whale watches and ferry trips to various islands for exploring. You can also do a half day kayak tour with one of the many companies on the island. Of course, there's always the popular drive around the park loop road, stopping at the crowded attractions along the way, and driving to the top of the island's highest mountain, Cadillac. Enjoy!

AHaugeto

Definitely not too long to stay! My husband and I spent the same amount of time there last September, and loved it. At the downtown harbor area you can pick up tickets to go whale-watching for 1/2 day, and they'll refund your money if you don't see any. We saw 4 different kinds of whales, and I was surprised at how breathtaking it was (rent binoculars for some of the other sealife). I second the suggestion to drive the Acadia loop, then stop at the visitors center and get yourself a map of all the hiking/biking trails within the park (I think $5). Downtown you can rent bikes and then go enjoy some of the awesome carriage trails - hiking or biking, they're really well-maintained. There's also two microbreweries on the Island that give daily tours and samples - very fun, but I forget their names (you can find them in a Google search on the web). Finally, wandering around the stores downtown is fun, and I would highly, highly recommend reservations for a dinner at Havana- I had one of the best meals ever there, and they have a salad with this raspberry/jalapeno dressing that made my week. I offered $40 for the recipe and our waiter just smiled and said the chef keeps his secrets! The estimable George's was good, too, but I just enjoyed the service at Havana better. Have fun!