Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay Harbor is a postcard-perfect coastal village at the tip of the Boothbay Peninsula in Mid-Coast Maine, roughly 60 miles northeast of Portland. The sheltered inner harbor is ringed by colorful working wharves, lobster pounds, art galleries, seafood shacks, and whale-watching and puffin tour outfitters. A 1,000-foot wooden footbridge spans the inner harbor, connecting the east and west sides of the village and providing one of the most photographed perspectives on the waterfront. Commercial Street and Wharf Street form the commercial core, packed with ice cream parlors, gift shops, art studios, and restaurants. Balmy Days Cruises and Cap'n Fish's Cruises operate daily whale-watching and puffin excursions to Seal Island and Eastern Egg Rock, where Atlantic puffins nest from late spring through early August. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, one of the largest botanical gardens in the United States, is located 1.5 miles north of the village and warrants a half-day visit in its own right, particularly during the summer Garden Railways exhibit and the winter GARDENS AGLOW light display. The harbor is at its most animated in summer, but Windjammer Days in late June and the Boothbay Harbor Fishermen's Festival in April each draw seasonal crowds. Most businesses operate May through October; the village is extremely quiet November through April. Boothbay Harbor is a 1.5-hour drive from Portland via Routes 1 and 27.