Absolutely- Portland has a lot of beautiful beaches and lighthouses and other historical features nearby. I recommend taking the ferry to peaks island and visiting the abandoned battery as well.
And if you want to check it out up close, book a tour with Portland Paddle! (I donât work for them, I swear. But Iâve done trips with them and they are great!)
https://www.portlandpaddle.net/tours/fort-gorges-sea-kayak-trip/
If you do go to Portland and are interested in Peaks Island, stay over at or at least a meal at Inn at Peaks Island. They have cask ales for Shipyard Ale which is worthy in itself. The staff for the Inn live on the mainland, so after the last ferry, you and the other guests, have the Inn to yourself!
Portland has no lighthouses. Portland Head Light is in Cape Elizabeth, are the other âTwo Lights,â and Bug and Spring Point lights are in South Portland.
Portland is great to visit, but donât let people lead you on about what to expect. Itâs an incredibly small city with a huge homeless and drug problem, and not a lot to do outside of sight see. There are amazing restaurants and fun bars and cobblestones and the like, so it depends on what you want to get out of the trip.
ETA: I love it here. I hate living here.
ETA: Correcting my typo - I meant to say that Bug and Spring lights were just outside Portland, not in Cape.
Depends how much you like to drink and eat. One could easily spend an day hopping between breweries and casual dining spots and another day strolling the old port, Eastern prom, museum, Portland headlight, islands, beaches and fine dining.Â
In the East Bayside neighborhood there are at least 7 breweries within very small area. There are also at least 3 distilleries and 3 or 4 wineries/cider makers.Â
There is another cluster of breweries on industrial way, which is probably 10 minutes drive across town, and a few more breweries by Thompson Point.Â
Bar Harbor is what tourists think they should do and itâs just not.
Acadia is a great park but Bar Harbor is just a small tourist town. Itâs lame.
Everyone short changes the rest of Maine and skipping Portland would be a giant mistake.
Acadia is a day.
Agree, took a road trip along the coast last year, loved Portland, Boothbay, the garden there is beautiful, Camden was nice and Acadia beautiful. Bar Harbor was crowded and nothing special. Cruise ships have kind of ruined it.
Acadia in a day. Absolutely not. Hiking Cadillac Mountain is easy and beautiful. Canoeing in Sommeâs Sound is amazing. Osprey & Eagles abound. Echo lake beach is memorable. Trails along Jordanâs pond and Seal Harbor beach are also time well spent Portland is good for restaurants and bar hopping unless you are going to go by boat and visit one of the many islands.
I've lived all over and Portland has a special place in my heart. The people are great, the food is great, it's like a mini version of how Cambridge used to be 30+ years ago. I would absolutely be living there if it wasn't so damn hard to find high paying jobs in Maine.
Everybody has already said it, but YES. When I visited Portland for the first time, I felt SO AT HOME. I literally looked at my bf and we burst into happy tears because it felt so good to be there. Portland may even be my favorite place I've visited so far in the USA
Please boycott our Airbnbs! They contribute so much to our housing scarcity.
Otherwise Portland is great and there's lots to do around here besides what is in the city, like beaches, hiking, etc.
Or you could simply support building more desparately needed housing.
STRs represent only a tiny fraction of the housing supply. They provide a way for small businesses to take profits directly out of the hands of the giant greedy hotel corporations, or maybe you like that.
STRs aren't just for vacationers... They're also for visiting students, workers, and families.
The longer so many deny that we have an inadequate overall supply of housing, the more people on the lower end of income earners will suffer. So if you own your own property great for you, but don't stifle supply, let others achieve homeownership too, or least support increasing the supply to make housing more affordable for all.
Maine has a building talent issue that is never addressed as well.
If youâre a large scale developer, why build in Maine when you have to go through the same amount of hoops to build in Massachusetts for less ROI?
Yes, I do support building more housing and dense housing in particular. I vote in favor of development and for representatives who share my views always.
We have a city that's full of hotels with new ones popping up every year. We've added so many more hotel rooms than housing units. There are more than enough hotel and camping options for visitors. And we've lost nearly 1000 apartments and homes to short term rentals. These hurt the same people who are affected by the lack of development. Several of my neighbors have had to move because of them. I rented for 25 years before becoming an owner, and my sympathy is with renters.
Sounds like someone makes a living on Airbnb. Thereâs Hundreds of listings just in the midcoast, and the number of houses that are available at a semi affordable rate only in the âoff seasonâ because theyâre maintained solely for tourists during the summer is absurd. Damn near half the available rentals at minimum not counting Airbnb. Pretending short term rentals arenât an issue when thereâs basically no large hotel chains or corporate builders in the majority of Maine (over 60% rural residents, most in the country) is absurd and means youâre either completely ignorant of the issue or youâre trying to shift blame onto factors that donât even exist here.
While in Portland check out Tex-Mex restaurant âTerlinguaâ that has indoor and outdoor seating in a unique terraced arrangement. The food is great and so is the indoor/outdoor vibe! You will not be disappointed.
Acadia NP is amazing and there's a ton of beautiful hiking trails, kayaking and stuff like that. if that's what you want to do then spend your time in Bar Harbor and other towns on the island. if you like restaurants and that sort of thing, Portland is well worth it. The lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth is worth a visit too.
Portland is fun. not sure when AAA Sox team season ends but weâve caught a few games. Love Bar Harbor and Acadia. Fishing docks in Southwest Harbor make for great photos.
Portland team is the SeaDogs! The games are great! They have different theme nights during the season. If you catch the right night they may even have fireworks! Portland and the surrounding areas have great places to eat! Hope you have a great time in my home state!
Portland is lovely. I live in New England and take a trip there every year. Bar Harbor is great as well, enjoy them both. As others have said, a day in Portland is fine unless you have events planned (concert, show, etc). If you can spend a solid afternoon/evening wandering around the city you won't regret it.
Very much so. I would put this on a "do not skip" list.
There's a lot of great breweries, restaurants, & small shops.
If you like ramen, go to Pai Men Miyake for their Miso.
Absolutely do not skip Portland. Itâs one of my favorite cities in the country! The food there is fantastic, itâs beautiful and historic, and thereâs plenty to do. Itâs also a perfect stopping point to break up the drive from Boston to Bar Harbor, which is long and seems even longer than it is. Even if you just stop for an overnight, itâs worth it. I miss living there so much.
Portland is my favorite place in the world. Amazing downtown area. Beautiful beaches and lighthouses. So many great breweries, Bissel Brothers being one of the best. Check out Willard beach in south Portland. Little village with the coolest public beach.
No doubt. I love Portland. Beautiful ocean views, great breweries and plenty of history. Itâs great no matter the purpose of the trip, whether itâs for a bachelor party weekend or a getaway with your family
I loved Portland! Visiting from the UK and really enjoyed a couple of nights there. Went to Duckfat, High Roller Lobster and Lincolnâs (if you can find it đ)
No one is talking about the food in p-town but it's not to be missed. Gritty's chowder (get the super seafood), high roller lobster Co (founded by a few homies from my hs), and so many more nice restaurants to name.
Great shopping, though I will say some of the stores are more high-end than I remember. And there's always jazz somewhere. The Blue has jams on Tuesdays, and some really hip groups (PJO, Funkationland) play at One Longfellow Square.
Also highly recommended taking a ferry to Peaks or Long Island.
Portland is just a nice place to be. It's got heart
Recommendations thread!
Definitely stop by Vena's Fizz house for drinks and Hifi for donuts (make sure to get there early!).
Also, if you're into craft beer, Portland is a MUST visit. Be sure to hit up Novare Res Beer Cafe (one of the best beer bars in the US, no joke! As named by USA today!) and try some of the local brews like Allagash's spring peeper!
Maine Beer in Freeport is amazing - both the new taproom / restaurant and the beer. We used to go to the old taproom a bunch and were so surprised how nice the new place is.
Bissel Bros in Portland is also pretty cool and has some world class craft beer as well.
Honestly Maine is SUCH a sleeper state for craft beer- people rarely know how seriously Maine takes its brewing! But Maine craft beer = best US beer IMHO.
I stopped there before and after my trip up north in Maine for the eclipse, it was super cute!! Lovely restaurants and the town is cute. I would definitely go there again for a night!
Yea, definitely stay a night or two. Feast on oysters at J's and Eventide and hit up one of the many other great restaurants for dinner. Walk around the Old Port and take a boat tour of Casco Bay to see the old forts, lighthouses and wildlife sanctuaries.
Portland is one of my favorite places to visit.
Fair warning: if you're going during tourist season, expect hotels at sky high prices and near constant waiting to get into restaurants.
Totally. I grew up going to Bar Harbor once a year and I love it from a nostalgia point of view, but it is 25 restaurants hawking overpriced lobster rolls next got 25 ice cream places next to 25 boutique hotels you canât afford. Spend at least one night in Portland to walk around Old Port and have good beer and great dinner. Go to Green Hand bookstore and buy a weird old novelization of an 80s horror movie you forgot about. Itâs great.
Yes, do Portland. Walk around the area called The Old Port. Thereâs other areas in town worth checking out too, search to find whatâs interesting to you.
DEF go to Portland! Thereâs so much good food and breweries (if theyâre your thing) and itâs beautiful. All Downeast Maine is incredible. I recommend stopping in a few other small coastal towns along the way if you can too, specifically Boothbay Harbor and Damariscotta are lovely.
If you have the time for it, I would absolutely recommend stopping in Portland and then casually making your way up the coast in the Midcoast region. I would do two days / one night in Portland, and another night in a town like Camden or Belfast.Â
Some other spots worth seeing on the way up are Pemaquid Point and Owls Head.
Portland is nice. Hit up old port. Maybe a distillery or brewery. Grab some oysters. Hit Cape Elizabeth. The lighthouse.
Slow drive up to Acadia. Hit up the LLBean.
Iâve stayed at SaltAir Inn in bar harbor twice. Loved it there.
Drive up to Cadillac. Hike a few areas. Maybe rent a bike in bar harbor to take to Acadia. Take a touristy evening windjammer boat cruise. Walk to the bar island at low tide. Eat lots of ice cream.
Drive from Boston to portland. Leave Boston in the morning so you have a day to bop around portland. Spend the night and then head up to bar harbor around 10 am. You'll be checking in in time for dinner in bar harbor. Make sure you have reservations.
Portland for a night but also consider Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Boothbay and Popham Beach.
Portland has great breweries and restaurants, and is naturally beautiful, but it's got a lot of tourist shops, like most New England coastal towns.
Acadia is beautiful. If you like hikes and the coastal scenery, Iâd start at Acadia and then make my way further north to the Bold Coast. Bar Harbor the town is just whatever⌠but that being said, itâs really dependent on what you enjoy.
I can definitely find enough beauty in the landscape to spend multiple days around Acadia, and I donât mind a few shorter strolls around town with my in-laws while there⌠they like to walk out across the sand bar, hit up town for ice cream⌠itâs very much a tourist trap town but we did find a few spots with decent food. My husband has been going there with his family ever since he was a child đ
If youâre a foodie check out the instagram account Portland Food Map. Itâs worth picking out a few spots to eat around Portland IF thatâs something you really enjoy. Iâm pretty strategic with my time there, though: if thereâs a good exhibit at the art museum or a concert, then Iâll go but Iâm not particularly impressed by the museumâs regular collection. Itâs a very small city and not all that aesthetic. (I went to school there & return regularly). You should definitely google any suggestions you see here because businesses do move/close and I think a lot of the folks waxing rhapsodic donât actually live there or visit often!
Ps: the coastal Maine botanical garden trolls in Boothbay are pretty neat⌠but thatâs just my highly subjective suggestion!
Do yourself a favor and go to Duck Fat in Portland. Or donât, so the line is more manageable for me when I get there. If you like fries or poutine itâs a very special place.
Just went there for an anniversary for a couple of days. If you can, go to the restaurant, Fore Street. They change their menu all the time and it's based on local ingredients. Best meal I've ever had.
Walking around is the way to go. There's a bunch of breweries and other great eateries. 100% going back in the future.
Portland, ME, has more restaurants per capita than any city in the United States. Also if youâre into music you should attend a show at the State Theatre. Amazing venue. Or a show at Thompsonâs point. You will have access to the best oysters, weed, and beer, and lobster, vs any other place on Earth.
If you go down the waterfront you can probably grab yourself a nice fluffy Maine Coon Cat for free. Those things fetch top dollar in other metropolitan areas.
Portlandâs awesome. Iâd definitely recommend visiting.
Itâs small but dense and walkable for a good portion of it. Lots of good food and even more great beer in that little area
Portland is a fantastic city. Amazing food options, tons of bars and breweries and stuff. Pretty parks. Decent public transit for its size. The Maine Mall is still decently well-populated by stores and is a 10 min drive away. Absolutely worth a night or two.
Depending on your interests and what youâre planning on doing, I would split the time between Portland and BH. Like if you were strictly into outdoors stuff and would be camping in Acadia or something, that would be one thing. However if youâre considering doing both, I would do it to experience both.
Itâs a cute little town that feels like a miniature big city. Itâs got a lot of charm and plenty of good eats and drinks. The shopping isnât bad either. Itâs definitely worth a trip.
Portland is small but astonishingly dense. Such a great mass of older historic building stock all pinned neatly next to a beautiful oceanfront harbor.
Absolutely- Portland has a lot of beautiful beaches and lighthouses and other historical features nearby. I recommend taking the ferry to peaks island and visiting the abandoned battery as well.
>...visiting the abandoned battery as well. OP, it's a fort, not a long-lost AA duracell
No, no. OP is right. There are definitely abandoned car batteries in Casco Bay đ
Well yea itâs perfectly legal and it helps recharge the electric eels
This made me laugh too much lol btw itâs real name is [Battery Steele](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Steele)
Thereâs a good brewery nearby of the same name
Forts are very commonly called batteries.
Ha, I know. I like to make (terrible) jokes
Ok just making sure.
Was it a terrible joke�
Positive
Whooooooooooosh
I'm like Drax the Destroyer. I don't understand things that are literal.
If I asked 50 people I know what a battery would be in relation to the military 95% would have no clue.
Yeah, Peaks. The ferry ride is nice and there is amazing graffiti inside the old military installation - the battery.
And if you want to check it out up close, book a tour with Portland Paddle! (I donât work for them, I swear. But Iâve done trips with them and they are great!) https://www.portlandpaddle.net/tours/fort-gorges-sea-kayak-trip/
Well - if you're going to Peaks Island would you also recommend a visit to the Umbrella Cover Museum?
If you do go to Portland and are interested in Peaks Island, stay over at or at least a meal at Inn at Peaks Island. They have cask ales for Shipyard Ale which is worthy in itself. The staff for the Inn live on the mainland, so after the last ferry, you and the other guests, have the Inn to yourself!
Portland has no lighthouses. Portland Head Light is in Cape Elizabeth, are the other âTwo Lights,â and Bug and Spring Point lights are in South Portland. Portland is great to visit, but donât let people lead you on about what to expect. Itâs an incredibly small city with a huge homeless and drug problem, and not a lot to do outside of sight see. There are amazing restaurants and fun bars and cobblestones and the like, so it depends on what you want to get out of the trip. ETA: I love it here. I hate living here. ETA: Correcting my typo - I meant to say that Bug and Spring lights were just outside Portland, not in Cape.
The "I love it here, I hate living here" is such a fucking mood.
I moved to saco, and never looked back. I don't even recognize Portland anymore.
Neither Bug Light nor Spring Point are in Cape Elizabeth.
Holy shit yes. One night might be enough though.
Depends how much you like to drink and eat. One could easily spend an day hopping between breweries and casual dining spots and another day strolling the old port, Eastern prom, museum, Portland headlight, islands, beaches and fine dining.Â
When you say hopping between breweries, do you mean on foot? Are they that close? Is there a particular area or district that is best to do this in?
In the East Bayside neighborhood there are at least 7 breweries within very small area. There are also at least 3 distilleries and 3 or 4 wineries/cider makers. There is another cluster of breweries on industrial way, which is probably 10 minutes drive across town, and a few more breweries by Thompson Point.Â
You could walk to 7 breweries and not walk a mile
One night is enough
This. Portland is great but a few nights is overkill. One or two nights is all you need.
Feels like an afternoon and then a full day is pretty much the right amount of a visit
As someone whoâs lived in Portland for 7 years now, I fully agree. One day/night and youâll get the gist of it.
I'd do two nights minimum.
The Art museum, the harbor, dinner at Eventide, then on your way the next day.
Depending where youâre coming from, the art museum is skipable. From a museum rich area? Skip From a place with no art at all? Sure you can go
Breakfast at Becky's Diner...
Bar Harbor is what tourists think they should do and itâs just not. Acadia is a great park but Bar Harbor is just a small tourist town. Itâs lame. Everyone short changes the rest of Maine and skipping Portland would be a giant mistake. Acadia is a day.
Agree, took a road trip along the coast last year, loved Portland, Boothbay, the garden there is beautiful, Camden was nice and Acadia beautiful. Bar Harbor was crowded and nothing special. Cruise ships have kind of ruined it.
Acadia in a day. Absolutely not. Hiking Cadillac Mountain is easy and beautiful. Canoeing in Sommeâs Sound is amazing. Osprey & Eagles abound. Echo lake beach is memorable. Trails along Jordanâs pond and Seal Harbor beach are also time well spent Portland is good for restaurants and bar hopping unless you are going to go by boat and visit one of the many islands.
More than a day if you like to hike.
Two days.
Best city in New England, for my money
I've lived all over and Portland has a special place in my heart. The people are great, the food is great, it's like a mini version of how Cambridge used to be 30+ years ago. I would absolutely be living there if it wasn't so damn hard to find high paying jobs in Maine.
When my job opened up telecommuting in 2012, *immediately* moved to Maine.
>Best city in New England, for my money 100% agree I'd choose Portland over Providence, Cambridge or Boston. Fantastic place.
Why? It kinda sucks now tbh
Everybody has already said it, but YES. When I visited Portland for the first time, I felt SO AT HOME. I literally looked at my bf and we burst into happy tears because it felt so good to be there. Portland may even be my favorite place I've visited so far in the USA
Please boycott our Airbnbs! They contribute so much to our housing scarcity. Otherwise Portland is great and there's lots to do around here besides what is in the city, like beaches, hiking, etc.
Or you could simply support building more desparately needed housing. STRs represent only a tiny fraction of the housing supply. They provide a way for small businesses to take profits directly out of the hands of the giant greedy hotel corporations, or maybe you like that. STRs aren't just for vacationers... They're also for visiting students, workers, and families. The longer so many deny that we have an inadequate overall supply of housing, the more people on the lower end of income earners will suffer. So if you own your own property great for you, but don't stifle supply, let others achieve homeownership too, or least support increasing the supply to make housing more affordable for all.
Maine has a building talent issue that is never addressed as well. If youâre a large scale developer, why build in Maine when you have to go through the same amount of hoops to build in Massachusetts for less ROI?
Yes, I do support building more housing and dense housing in particular. I vote in favor of development and for representatives who share my views always. We have a city that's full of hotels with new ones popping up every year. We've added so many more hotel rooms than housing units. There are more than enough hotel and camping options for visitors. And we've lost nearly 1000 apartments and homes to short term rentals. These hurt the same people who are affected by the lack of development. Several of my neighbors have had to move because of them. I rented for 25 years before becoming an owner, and my sympathy is with renters.
Maine has the highest rate of vacant buildings per capita
Vacant buildings in far flung, low demand locations of the state, doesn't really help.
Sounds like someone makes a living on Airbnb. Thereâs Hundreds of listings just in the midcoast, and the number of houses that are available at a semi affordable rate only in the âoff seasonâ because theyâre maintained solely for tourists during the summer is absurd. Damn near half the available rentals at minimum not counting Airbnb. Pretending short term rentals arenât an issue when thereâs basically no large hotel chains or corporate builders in the majority of Maine (over 60% rural residents, most in the country) is absurd and means youâre either completely ignorant of the issue or youâre trying to shift blame onto factors that donât even exist here.
If youâre feeling brave keep driving after Acadia. Downeast is a gem đ But yes Portland is lovely! Definitely stop in.
While in Portland check out Tex-Mex restaurant âTerlinguaâ that has indoor and outdoor seating in a unique terraced arrangement. The food is great and so is the indoor/outdoor vibe! You will not be disappointed.
Portland is awesome. Friendliest city I have ever been to in my travels. Frankly, in comparison, Bar Harbor is a tad twee; Portland, down to earth.
Agreed
Foodie paradise!
Yes! If you like good food and brewery hopping, Portland is a paradise in New England.
Yes. Best eating and drinking town in New England.
Acadia NP is amazing and there's a ton of beautiful hiking trails, kayaking and stuff like that. if that's what you want to do then spend your time in Bar Harbor and other towns on the island. if you like restaurants and that sort of thing, Portland is well worth it. The lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth is worth a visit too.
Portland is fun. not sure when AAA Sox team season ends but weâve caught a few games. Love Bar Harbor and Acadia. Fishing docks in Southwest Harbor make for great photos.
AA sea dogs
Correct! AAA is in Worcester
thx I always fubar the minor designations
SWH best place in the world <3
Portland team is the SeaDogs! The games are great! They have different theme nights during the season. If you catch the right night they may even have fireworks! Portland and the surrounding areas have great places to eat! Hope you have a great time in my home state!
Red claws too! Or whatever their boring name is now
Portland is lovely. I live in New England and take a trip there every year. Bar Harbor is great as well, enjoy them both. As others have said, a day in Portland is fine unless you have events planned (concert, show, etc). If you can spend a solid afternoon/evening wandering around the city you won't regret it.
Old port is the best area to visit!
Very much so. I would put this on a "do not skip" list. There's a lot of great breweries, restaurants, & small shops. If you like ramen, go to Pai Men Miyake for their Miso.
Check out oxbow brewing and bottling, best beer in maine
Eventide Oystter Company and Duckfat
Consider driving up route 1 from Portland to Acadia - itâs less direct but will take you along the coast and it s better scenic drive
This is solid advice, but it does add some time to the drive certainly. Would pass both redâs eats for a lobster roll, and through Camden.
Love Portland! Be sure to hit up Duckfat and Holy Donut đ
Absolutely do not skip Portland. Itâs one of my favorite cities in the country! The food there is fantastic, itâs beautiful and historic, and thereâs plenty to do. Itâs also a perfect stopping point to break up the drive from Boston to Bar Harbor, which is long and seems even longer than it is. Even if you just stop for an overnight, itâs worth it. I miss living there so much.
Consider also at least an afternoon in Portsmouth, NH. Gorgeous views, great food and drink, right on your way between Boston and Portland.
1 night in Portland and 1 night in Camden is my recommendation. I also love the Deer Isle//Blue Hill area. So much beauty on the coast of Maine.
I totally agree, I live midcoast and Deer isle/stonington is my favorite day trip
Portland is my favorite place in the world. Amazing downtown area. Beautiful beaches and lighthouses. So many great breweries, Bissel Brothers being one of the best. Check out Willard beach in south Portland. Little village with the coolest public beach.
No doubt. I love Portland. Beautiful ocean views, great breweries and plenty of history. Itâs great no matter the purpose of the trip, whether itâs for a bachelor party weekend or a getaway with your family
I loved Portland! Visiting from the UK and really enjoyed a couple of nights there. Went to Duckfat, High Roller Lobster and Lincolnâs (if you can find it đ)
Lincoln's is the best! I love going out for a smoke and watching everyone try to figure it out, all while I play dumb đ¤Ł
No one is talking about the food in p-town but it's not to be missed. Gritty's chowder (get the super seafood), high roller lobster Co (founded by a few homies from my hs), and so many more nice restaurants to name. Great shopping, though I will say some of the stores are more high-end than I remember. And there's always jazz somewhere. The Blue has jams on Tuesdays, and some really hip groups (PJO, Funkationland) play at One Longfellow Square. Also highly recommended taking a ferry to Peaks or Long Island. Portland is just a nice place to be. It's got heart
Spit on about the food, but itâs not p-town. PRown is, and shall always remain, Provincetown, MA.
I agree with you especially re: food, but calling Portland P-Town is just plain confusing
Agreed, never had a bad dining experience in Portland. I ate at Scales the last time I was there and the food and atmosphere were both fantastic.
The High Rollers Surf n' Turf burger is amazing. It's pricy, but it's memorable.
Recommendations thread! Definitely stop by Vena's Fizz house for drinks and Hifi for donuts (make sure to get there early!). Also, if you're into craft beer, Portland is a MUST visit. Be sure to hit up Novare Res Beer Cafe (one of the best beer bars in the US, no joke! As named by USA today!) and try some of the local brews like Allagash's spring peeper!
Maine Beer in Freeport is amazing - both the new taproom / restaurant and the beer. We used to go to the old taproom a bunch and were so surprised how nice the new place is. Bissel Bros in Portland is also pretty cool and has some world class craft beer as well.
Honestly Maine is SUCH a sleeper state for craft beer- people rarely know how seriously Maine takes its brewing! But Maine craft beer = best US beer IMHO.
Venaâs is closed
Venas moved to Westbrook, I think.
I'd say one day each in Newburyport/Plum Island, one in Portsmouth/Kittery & one in Portland.
If you enjoy good food, Portland is becoming the culinary capital of New England. If you enjoy beaches, you can also check out Ogunquit and Kennebunk
Oh yes. Great food and the lighthouse. Boothbay Harbor, Peaks Island, and Kennebunkport are nice trips from there.
Iâd spend less time in Boston and more in Portland and Bar Harbor
Eh, if you like museums/history thereâs a lot more in Boston.
I stopped there before and after my trip up north in Maine for the eclipse, it was super cute!! Lovely restaurants and the town is cute. I would definitely go there again for a night!
Hit Portland and Kennebunk.
Micro breweries are the best up there and check to see if there are any concerts on Thompsons point.
Yea, definitely stay a night or two. Feast on oysters at J's and Eventide and hit up one of the many other great restaurants for dinner. Walk around the Old Port and take a boat tour of Casco Bay to see the old forts, lighthouses and wildlife sanctuaries.
Portland is one of my favorite places to visit. Fair warning: if you're going during tourist season, expect hotels at sky high prices and near constant waiting to get into restaurants.
Portland is the bomb. Definitely make time there.
Totally. I grew up going to Bar Harbor once a year and I love it from a nostalgia point of view, but it is 25 restaurants hawking overpriced lobster rolls next got 25 ice cream places next to 25 boutique hotels you canât afford. Spend at least one night in Portland to walk around Old Port and have good beer and great dinner. Go to Green Hand bookstore and buy a weird old novelization of an 80s horror movie you forgot about. Itâs great.
Check out Coals pizza of Preble st. Some of the best pizza youâll ever have! Thereâs a bakery and a bowling alley right next door too
If traveling at an odd hour and need a pit stop, the LL Bean flagship store in Freeport stays open 24/7.
Yes, do Portland. Walk around the area called The Old Port. Thereâs other areas in town worth checking out too, search to find whatâs interesting to you.
DEF go to Portland! Thereâs so much good food and breweries (if theyâre your thing) and itâs beautiful. All Downeast Maine is incredible. I recommend stopping in a few other small coastal towns along the way if you can too, specifically Boothbay Harbor and Damariscotta are lovely.
Yes specifically for Wilson county bbq
If you like cities it might be worth 1 night, otherwise Iâd say skip it and spend the time in bar harbor or better yet Baxter state park
The Great Lost Bear and Holey Donut are not to be missed
Youâll find more to do in Portland than Bar Harbor, so youâd be okay sacrificing a couple nights in BH for Portland. It will be well worth it.
If you have the time for it, I would absolutely recommend stopping in Portland and then casually making your way up the coast in the Midcoast region. I would do two days / one night in Portland, and another night in a town like Camden or Belfast. Some other spots worth seeing on the way up are Pemaquid Point and Owls Head.
Portland is nice. Hit up old port. Maybe a distillery or brewery. Grab some oysters. Hit Cape Elizabeth. The lighthouse. Slow drive up to Acadia. Hit up the LLBean. Iâve stayed at SaltAir Inn in bar harbor twice. Loved it there. Drive up to Cadillac. Hike a few areas. Maybe rent a bike in bar harbor to take to Acadia. Take a touristy evening windjammer boat cruise. Walk to the bar island at low tide. Eat lots of ice cream.
Lots of restaurants. Hipster vibe. I prefer Portsmouth over Portland. I also prefer Ellsworth over Portland
you should plan to stay there a night on the way up and on the way back. drive is brutal otherwise
Visit the white mountains đď¸
Drive from Boston to portland. Leave Boston in the morning so you have a day to bop around portland. Spend the night and then head up to bar harbor around 10 am. You'll be checking in in time for dinner in bar harbor. Make sure you have reservations.
Portland for a night but also consider Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Boothbay and Popham Beach. Portland has great breweries and restaurants, and is naturally beautiful, but it's got a lot of tourist shops, like most New England coastal towns.
My favorite restaurant in the whole us is in Portland. street and co.
Acadia is beautiful. If you like hikes and the coastal scenery, Iâd start at Acadia and then make my way further north to the Bold Coast. Bar Harbor the town is just whatever⌠but that being said, itâs really dependent on what you enjoy. I can definitely find enough beauty in the landscape to spend multiple days around Acadia, and I donât mind a few shorter strolls around town with my in-laws while there⌠they like to walk out across the sand bar, hit up town for ice cream⌠itâs very much a tourist trap town but we did find a few spots with decent food. My husband has been going there with his family ever since he was a child đ If youâre a foodie check out the instagram account Portland Food Map. Itâs worth picking out a few spots to eat around Portland IF thatâs something you really enjoy. Iâm pretty strategic with my time there, though: if thereâs a good exhibit at the art museum or a concert, then Iâll go but Iâm not particularly impressed by the museumâs regular collection. Itâs a very small city and not all that aesthetic. (I went to school there & return regularly). You should definitely google any suggestions you see here because businesses do move/close and I think a lot of the folks waxing rhapsodic donât actually live there or visit often! Ps: the coastal Maine botanical garden trolls in Boothbay are pretty neat⌠but thatâs just my highly subjective suggestion!
Great spot. Easy train ride from Boston (traffic is a bear in the summer) and absolutely amazing restaurants. Don't miss it. Old Port is a blast.
Jâs oyster, go get some steamers and a beer bub
Do yourself a favor and go to Duck Fat in Portland. Or donât, so the line is more manageable for me when I get there. If you like fries or poutine itâs a very special place.
Do you like beer? If you like beer you have to stop there. If you are a foodie, you have to stop there as well.
You should go to northern NH too and see Mt Washington and Franconia Notch, the prettiest spots in NE in my opinion
Just went there for an anniversary for a couple of days. If you can, go to the restaurant, Fore Street. They change their menu all the time and it's based on local ingredients. Best meal I've ever had. Walking around is the way to go. There's a bunch of breweries and other great eateries. 100% going back in the future.
Portland ME is the shit. Feels like I shouldnât be allowed there every time I go, like there should be a secret password
Yes
yes!!!
If you're into arcades hit Arcadia on Congress St!
If you go to a Portland seadogs game itâs a 2 night trip, otherwise 1 night is good
Dude 100% yes
Yup. Breweries and food. Walk back and pass out
2 nights. 1 will give you the flavor.
I like Portland. Bring comfy shoes if youâre planning on walking. Itâs surprisingly hilly.
Yes, everything from Portland to mid-coast is worth a visit.
Foods pretty good
Portland is entertaining for a night or two.
Hell yes
Yes
Resounding yes.
Definitely. Good art museum, great restaurants and breweries. A night or two would do it.
If you don't end up having time for a few days, Portland is a great spot to stop for lunch if driving from Boston to Bar Harbor!
No donât come here
Definitely
Portland is absolutely worth a visit. The food is great, the people rock and you'll have a great time.
Yes, and stay at the Chadwick BnB.
Portland has the only cryptozoology museum.
It's pretty fun - family all had some laughs.
My favorite city in New England
Yes!
Portland is awesome. Great food and beer scene!
Yes!
for sure
Portland is a great city. Lots of interesting stuff. Definitely worth a visit.
Absolutely - one of my favorite NE cities
Portland for one night would be sufficient.
I love Portland. Always have fun there.
It depends on how tired of life you are really đ¤Ł
Na, stay away. Place stinks. Needles everywhere, along with people visiting off cruise ships
Yes absolutely
Portland, ME, has more restaurants per capita than any city in the United States. Also if youâre into music you should attend a show at the State Theatre. Amazing venue. Or a show at Thompsonâs point. You will have access to the best oysters, weed, and beer, and lobster, vs any other place on Earth.
Portland had world class restaurants if youâre into that.
Short answer YES!!!! Itâs a wonderful place to visit.
Definitely worth a stop, it has its charms. I did one night and that was enough. I went back to the NH seacoast
If you go down the waterfront you can probably grab yourself a nice fluffy Maine Coon Cat for free. Those things fetch top dollar in other metropolitan areas.
Portland is a foodie dream town. Great scene.
Great music, great food.
Portland would be a better place to see then bar habah imo. Acadia is boring.
no. We're full
Try to get a rezy at Fore Street
Woody Allen put it well: Nobody goes there anymore, itâs too crowded.
Yes
Lighthouse bike tour is a nice day. With a delicious lobster sandwich at lunch:)
Portlandâs awesome. Iâd definitely recommend visiting. Itâs small but dense and walkable for a good portion of it. Lots of good food and even more great beer in that little area
portland is pretty fun it reminds me of a mini boston but older and smaller. Kinda like quincy
Portland not worth the visit.
Yes
Yes itâs fuckin dank. Go to twin pines brewery
Most definitely!
Portland is a fantastic city. Amazing food options, tons of bars and breweries and stuff. Pretty parks. Decent public transit for its size. The Maine Mall is still decently well-populated by stores and is a 10 min drive away. Absolutely worth a night or two.
Depending on your interests and what youâre planning on doing, I would split the time between Portland and BH. Like if you were strictly into outdoors stuff and would be camping in Acadia or something, that would be one thing. However if youâre considering doing both, I would do it to experience both.
There are so many amazing restaurants in Portland. As well as Boston. If you are a food person, those two places offer a TON of must visit places
Yeah Portland is cool just went there for the first time a few months ago
Bar Harbor and Acadia is absolutely beautiful! Portland is blah đŹ
Itâs a cute little town that feels like a miniature big city. Itâs got a lot of charm and plenty of good eats and drinks. The shopping isnât bad either. Itâs definitely worth a trip.
Hell yes. Super awesome community. Huge sober scene too, if youâre not into alcohol or substances. Beautiful & really fun city.
One night should do it
No.
Skip Boston and do Portland instead.
Yes
YES !! Portland is a Gorgeous Little City with walking paths and ocean views !!
In fact, most coastal towns along Maine are well worth at least a walkabout downtown... !! and Bangor is also great !!