Maine’s coast is nicknamed the “Rockbound Coast” for a reason. Wild, scenic, moody, salty, authentic. Think lighthouses, fresh lobster, fog horns, and sea spray. Over 3,000 islands, dozens of lighthouses, and Acadia National Park.
The Maine shoreline is one of the most rugged, dramatic, and soul-stirring coastlines in the U.S. Stretching for over 3,500 miles (including all the inlets and islands), it’s wild, weathered, and incredibly beautiful. Think rocky cliffs, hidden coves, pine-lined peninsulas, crashing surf, and working harbors filled with lobster boats.
The Maine Vibe
- Portland is a cool, hip, and a large urban area. It’s also divides the state in terms of beaches. South of Portland and all the way to Key West, FL it’s basically one big sandy beach. Just the names change. North of Portland there very few sandy beaches. There’s some like Popham Beach but mostly it’s the rocky coast of Maine that you will find.
- North of Portland Maine’s coast is more about exploration, raw natural beauty, and timeless charm.
- Old Orchard Beach is a funky old beach town with an amusement park, arcades, great beach food, and good beaches.
- There’s something special about Maine towns. Maybe it’s the long, cold winters that shapes them? The quality of everything is good in these coastal towns.
Food
Maine likely has the best “classic” seafood in the US. It’s got everything. Lobster is everywhere and cooked all kinds of ways.
The clams used for chowder and fried clams in Maine are mostly steamer clams. It’s good in chowder, not so good fried. The bigger belly quahogs of southern New England are better for that.
Biking
Biking in Portland and south is fairly easy coastal style biking. Not much for hills. Peak’s Island and Chebeauge Island are both excellent for side trips.
North of Portland it gets more hilly and not much in the way of coastal scenery from the road. There’s few beaches and the water is much colder when there’s no sandy bottom to absorb the sunlight. It’s deep and dark right from the edge.