The Southern Coast
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Southern Coast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Sort by:
38 Recommendations
{{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }}
0 Recommendations
Loading...
-
1. Dock Square
Restaurants, art galleries, clothing boutiques, and other shops—both trendy and touristy—line this bustling square and nearby streets and alleys. Walk onto the drawbridge to admire the tidal Kennebunk River; cross to the other side and you are in the Lower Village of neighboring Kennebunk.
Dock Sq., Kennebunkport, Maine, 04046, USA -
2. Goose Rocks Beach
Three-mile-long Goose Rocks, a 10-minute drive north of Kennebunkport, has a good long stretch of smooth sand and plenty of shallow pools for exploring. It's a favorite of families with small children. Pick up a $25 daily parking permit at one of two kiosks along the beach: one outside of Goose Rocks Beach General Store at 3 Dyke Road and the other at the Proctor Avenue beach path. Dogs are allowed (on a leash), but only before 9 and after 5 during the summer season. There is one porta potty behind the General Store, but otherwise no facilities are available at the beach. Amenities: parking (fee). Best for: walking; swimming.
Dyke Rd., Kennebunkport, Maine, 04046, USA -
3. Nubble Light
On a small island just off the tip of Cape Neddick, Nubble Light is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the globe. Direct access is prohibited, but the small Sohier Park right across from the light has parking, historical placards, benches, and a seasonal information center that shares the 1879 light's history.
-
4. Ogunquit Museum of American Art
Ogunquit has long been an important site for artists, and this stellar museum—the only one in Maine focused solely on American art—continues that legacy. The collection includes 3,000 early modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, drawings, and more, including works with ties to Ogunquit's once-famous artist colony. The main gallery offers sweeping views of Perkins Cove. Leave time to stroll around the 3-acre seaside sculpture park in good weather.
543 Shore Rd., Ogunquit, Maine, 03907, USA207-646–4909Sight Details
Rate Includes: $12, Closed Nov. 1–Apr. 30 -
5. Portland Head Light
Familiar to many from photographs and the Edward Hopper painting Portland Head-Light (1927), this lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in 1790. The towering, white-stone structure stands over the keeper's quarters, a white home with a blazing red roof, today the Museum at Portland Head Light. The lighthouse is in 90-acre Fort Williams Park, a sprawling green space with walking paths, picnic facilities, a beach and—you guessed it—a cool old fort.
1000 Shore Rd., Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 04107, USA207-799–2661Sight Details
Rate Includes: Museum $2, Museum closed mid-Oct.–late May -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
6. Winslow Homer Studio
The great American landscape painter created many of his best-known works in this seaside home between 1883 until his death in 1910. It's easy to see how this rocky, jagged peninsula might have been inspiring. The only way to get a look is on a tour with the Portland Museum of Art, which leads 2½-hour strolls through the historic property.
5 Winslow Homer Rd., Scarborough, Maine, 04074, USA207-775–6148Sight Details
Rate Includes: $65, Closed Nov.–Apr. -
7. Brick Store Museum
The cornerstone of this block-long preservation of early-19th-century commercial and residential buildings is William Lord's Brick Store. Built as a dry-goods store in 1825 in the Federal style, the building has an openwork balustrade across the roofline, granite lintels over the windows, and paired chimneys. Exhibits chronicle the Kennebunk area's history, art, and culture for kids and adults alike. In addition, museum staffers lead walking tours of Kennebunk's National Historic District (at noon on Thursday and Saturday from June through October) and of the town's beaches (at 11 on Saturday from July through September).
117 Main St., Kennebunk, Maine, 04043, USA207-985–4802Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Closed Mon. -
8. Cape Elizabeth Light
This was the site of twin lighthouses erected in 1828—and locals still call it Two Lights—but one of the lighthouses was dismantled in 1924 and converted into a private residence. The other half still operates, and you can get a great photo of it from the end of Two Lights Road (note that it's not quite visible from the nearby Two Lights State Park). The lighthouse itself is closed to the public, but you can explore the tidal pools at its base, looking for small, edible snails known as periwinkles, or just "wrinkles," as they're sometimes referred to in Maine. Picnic tables are also available.
At end of Two Lights Rd., Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 04107, USA -
9. Cape Neddick Beach
With a sheltered location just north of Short Sands Beach and at the mouth of the Cape Neddick River, this small rocky beach is the perfect place for wading and tide-pooling. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming; walking.
Cape Neddick, Maine, USA -
10. Cliff Walk and Fisherman's Walk
Two walking trails begin near Harbor Beach. Starting in a small nearby park, the Cliff Walk ascends its granite namesake and passes the summer "cottages" at the harbor entrance. There are some steps, but, as signs caution, tread carefully because of erosion. Fisherman's Walk, on the other hand, is an easy stroll. Starting across Stage Neck Road from the beach, it passes waterfront businesses, historic homes, and rocky harbor beaches on the way to York's beloved Wiggly Bridge. This pedestrian suspension bridge alongside Route 103 (there is minimal parking here) leads to Steedman Woods, a public preserve with a shaded loop trail along the York River estuary's ambling waters. You can also enter the preserve near the George Marshall Store in York Village.
Stage Neck Rd., York, Maine, 03909, USA -
11. Crescent Beach
Lined with summer homes, this sandy strand is busy in the summer, but the beach and the water are surprisingly clean, considering all the traffic. The swimming's good, and beachgoers can also explore tidal pools and look for seals on the sea rocks nearby. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming.
Webhannet Dr., Wells, Maine, 04090, USA -
12. Crescent Beach
Just off scenic Route 77, this ½-mile-long, half-moon-shape swatch of sand has some of the warmest ocean currents in the state, making it a favorite for swimming. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.
-
13. Drakes Island Beach
Smaller and quieter than the other two beaches in Wells, Drakes Island Beach is also a little more natural, with rolling sand dunes and access to salt-marsh walking trails at an adjacent estuary. The ice-cream truck swings by regularly in the summer. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: walking.
Island Beach Rd., Wells, Maine, 04090, USA -
14. First Families Kennebunkport Museum
Also known as White Columns, this imposing Greek Revival mansion with Doric columns is furnished with the belongings of four generations of the Perkins-Nott family. From mid-July through mid-October, the 1853 house is open for guided tours and also serves as a gathering place for village walking tours. It is owned by the Kennebunkport Historical Society, which has several other historical buildings, including an old jail and schoolhouse, a mile away at 125–135 North Street.
8 Maine St., Kennebunkport, Maine, 04046, USA207-967–2751Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 -
15. First Parish of Kennebunk Unitarian Universalist Church
Built in 1773, just before the American Revolution, this stunning church is a marvel. The 1804 Asher Benjamin–style steeple stands proudly atop the village, and the sounds of the original Paul Revere bell can be heard for miles.
-
16. Footbridge Beach
This spot offers excellent swimming, beach combing, and bodysurfing opportunities, as well as a boat launch for kayaks, small boats, and standup paddleboards. Typically less crowded than neighboring Ogunquit Beach, it’s reached by crossing a footbridge that runs over the Ogunquit River. Dogs are welcome from September through March. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best For: solitude; sunrise; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking; windsurfing.
Ocean St. and Ocean Ave., Ogunquit, Maine, USASight Details
Rate Includes: Parking $30 a day (mid-Apr.–Oct.) -
17. Fort McClary State Historic Site
Given the clear line of sight down to the Piscataqua River from here, it’s easy to understand why this has been considered a strategic locale since the 1600s. The fort was named for Andrew McClary—an Irish immigrant whose family settled in New Hampshire prior to the Revolution and who was reportedly the last Continental Army soldier killed at Battle of Bunker Hill—and although it never saw a major conflict, it was manned and developed during several of them, including the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The remaining fortifications showcase the history of American military architecture and include the Magazine Building (circa 1808) and the iconic Blockhouse (1846), a large, hexagonal structure set atop an imposing granite-block foundation. Wandering the grounds or along a short trail here is, given the original purpose of the site, an ironically peaceful way to pass an afternoon.
Pepperrell Rd., Kittery Point, Maine, USA207-439–2845Sight Details
Rate Includes: $4, Closed mid-Oct.–late May -
18. George Marshall Store Gallery
The storefront windows and bead-board trim at the George Marshall Store Gallery (built in 1867) pay homage to its past as a general store, but the focus here is on the present. Changing exhibits, installations, and educational programs focus on prominent and up-and-coming regional artists. Stop in on weekends or by appointment through summer and fall.
140 Lindsay Rd., York Village, Maine, 03909, USA207-351–8200Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. and Jan.–Apr. -
19. Kennebunk Beach
Kennebunk Beach has three distinct stretches, one after another, along Beach Avenue, which is lined with cottages and old Victorians. The southernmost Mother's Beach is popular with families. Rock outcroppings lessen the waves, and a playground and tidal pools keep kids busy. This is followed by the stony Middle Beach. The most northerly, and the closest to downtown Kennebunkport, is Gooch's Beach, the main swimming beach. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: walking; swimming.
Beach Ave., Kennebunk, Maine, 04046, USA -
20. Kennebunk Plains
For an unusual experience, visit this 650-acre grasslands habitat that is home to several rare and endangered species and managed, in part, with controlled burns. Locals call it Blueberry Plains, and a good portion of the area is abloom with the hues of ripening wild blueberries in late July; after August 1, you are welcome to pick and eat all the berries you can find. The area is maintained by the Nature Conservancy.
Webber Hill Rd., Kennebunk, Maine, 04043, USA207-251–2256Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
-
{{ (numCurrentPage-1)*numPageLimit+index+1 }}.
{{ item.neighborhood }} | {{ item.first_keyword }}{{ item.review }}
{{ item.address }}{{ item.phone[0] }}{{ item.details.title }} Details
{{ item.details.content.toString() }}View Tours and Activities -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
No sights Results
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
