A Jaunt Through Boothbay Harbor, Maine

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Post updated March 2020

On an August trip to Maine, where we headed up to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, we made a couple of stops along the way. One of them was in Boothbay Harbor, for lunch. For years I’ve heard about Boothbay and seen pictures of this idyllic little town on the coast of Maine, and have always wanted to visit. So when we were deciding where to stop to eat on our road trip, I said let’s head there. Even just for lunch, I was dying to see this picture perfect town.

Downtown Boothbay Harbor

Again, we were just stopping in town for a few hours to eat; we didn’t spend more than a few hours there. But in the time we did, we were able to walk around and soak up the atmosphere and I even got to go off on my own and take photos solo.

Complete with harbor and sailboats, narrow windy streets, antique shops, galleries, restaurants with water views and old-fashioned ice cream shops, if Boothbay Harbor doesn’t scream New England I don’t know what does. My hope is that these images will give you a good idea of the type of place Boothbay is, as I can’t say we did anything else but eat and walk around! However, below I’ve listed some popular activities to do with kids that I found in my research, should you be visiting or passing through (followed by, a photo tour of Downtown Boothbay Harbor):

Activities in Boothbay Harbor

Boothbay is home to the Maine State Aquarium. Go see some sharks!

Go whale watching. Everyone seems to rave about Cap’n Fish’s Watch Watch.

Kayakers about

Or if whale watching isn’t your thing, but you still want to do a water activity, try kayaking.

Entrance to the Foot Bridge

Take a walk along the Foot Bridge that takes you across the harbor. It’s fun for the kids and you get some nice views.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are supposed to be stunning! With ocean front property and a special garden for children, it’s one of Maine’s most beautiful havens. To read more about the Botanical Gardens, please see this article.

If you’re into hiking, check out Boothbay Region Land Trust Preserve. With trails for all levels, you can definitely find some suitable to take the kids. Enjoy all the scenic water views.

View from the restaurant

View from the restaurant

A must is dining at a waterside restaurant. Though the eateries by the wharf are super touristy, they offer fabulous views. We went to the top of Mine Oyster and sat outside. The food is ok, but the view and beer was what it was all about.

You may also enjoy: Fun Things to do in Portland, Maine

Downeast Ice Cream to the left..Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch to the right.

No visit to a seaside town is complete without an ice cream stop. We loved Downeast Ice Cream.

And, finally, if you’re like us, just walk around and enjoy the scenery! Turn after turn brings you new quaintness full of charming b & b’s, antiques, snipets of water in the distance, and of course, images of lobsters everywhere!

Booking.com

Tugboat Inn

Blue Heron Seaside Inn

Antiquing

Gallery

Walking Downtown

Walking to Harbor Landing

Want to read more about Maine? Check out this guide!

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