Southern Maine Ocean Beaches

Southern Maine Ocean Beaches

Up and down Maine’s southern coast are quintessential beach communities and 30 miles of dazzling white sand. Lighthouses dot the shore; luxury resorts and inns share stunning views with beachfront cottages and lobster shacks. And recreation abounds, from swimming, surfing and sailing, to kayaking, hiking, biking and golf. Bird watchers, art lovers and seafood connoisseurs find many reasons to return, year after year.

Biddeford & Saco Area Beaches

Biddeford and Saco are sister cities. Investigate the Dyer Library/Saco Museum. Shop along Main Street and visit the brewpub on Saco Island. Canoe the Saco River or discover the beaches at Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks, Camp Ellis and Ferry Beach State Park.

These twin communities of Biddeford/Saco are among the most scenic in New England, with ten miles of riverfront and ten miles of shoreline. Here you will find a great outdoors to explore on land or water.

For water-lovers, the beautiful Saco River is an aquatic playground. Summertime visitors may enjoy kayaking or canoeing to where the river meets the sea at Hills Beach-Camp Ellis. Ocean kayaking and sailing are popular activities on Saco Bay.

Biddeford/Saco has many coastal gems such as Ferry Beach State Park, the historic Wood Island Lighthouse and the Rachel Carson U.S. Wildlife Preserve, which provide great opportunities for sight-seeing,hiking and birdwatching. Saco Bay Trails provide another opportunity to enjoy the outdoors hiking in the summer and snowshoeing orcross country skiing in the winter.

Kittery Area Beaches

Kittery is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Piscataqua River just north of the New Hampshire border. Settled in 1632 by the British, it is Maine’s oldest settlement. Many of the state’s oldest homes are located here, and diverse examples of fine architecture abound. The First Congregational Church in Kittery Point, circa 1730, is Maine’s oldest remaining house of worship. Shipbuilding began in Kittery in the 17th century, and the first ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy was launched from here in 1777.

This coastal town has long been a gathering place for summer tourists, and in the 1800s it was the getaway of choice for a number of famous artists and writers. Kittery’s sandy beaches and stunning ocean views still draw visitors by the thousands. Juxtaposed with the cobblestone streets, quaint pubs, and antique shops of old Kittery are the more than 120 stores of the Kittery Outlets, located on coastal Route 1

Fort Foster
Fort Foster in Kittery Point offers three small beaches, an extensive trail system, restroom facilities in season, picnic areas and old military fortifications. Pocahontas Road, Kittery, ME 03905

Kennebunk Area Beaches

The Kennebunks—Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel and Cape Porpoise—offer arts, entertainment and pristine beaches. Visit historic homes like the Nott House. Drive by the Bush presidential retreat at Walker’s Point. Shop, dine and gallery hop in Dock Square.

Like many of Maine’s coastal towns, Kennebunkport first prospered as a shipbuilding center. In the late 1800s, affluent summer visitors would arrive by train from Boston and stay at the more than 30 grand hotels and mansions that peppered the coastline. Today, the town is a year-round community and remains popular among the well heeled as a summer destination.

Kennebunkport is chock-full of fine dining establishments and high-end accommodations. However, you can still find moderately priced places to stay with a little planning, and some of the best spots to dine

Ogunquit Beach
A beautiful, wide sandy beach a half hour north of Portsmouth, Ogunquit Beach is a favorite of tourists and Canadian visitors. Route 1A, Ogunquit, ME.

Ogunquit, an early 20th-century art colony, is a year-round resort town. Stroll along Marginal Way, visit the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, enjoy the boutiques, galleries and cafes in Perkins Cove, and along Shore Road and Main Street, and relax on Ogunquit Beach, named “best beach in New England” by New England Cable News.

Old Orchid Beach

Old Orchard Beach has seven miles of sandy beach, Palace Playland oceanfront amusement park, a century-old Pier, weekly reworks and nightly entertainment. Add shopping, dining, golf, fishing, campgrounds and saltwater marsh canoeing.

Families love all of the family-friendly activities and amusement parks including the veritable beachfront Palace Playland Park. There is nightly entertainment including dancing at the end of the Pier, plus weekly fireworks and concerts, world-class golf, fabulous fishing, whale watch tours, bird-watching and so much more. Old Orchard’s Pier is the center of the recreational offerings. Extending nearly 500 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, the Pier features shops, eateries, games of skill, and nightlife.

Seapoint Beach
Seapoint Beach, near Gerrish Island off winding Route 103 in Kittery Point, faces north and is somewhat rocky. Kittery, ME

Short Sands, Long Sands, and York Harbor beaches
York's beaches, each about 20 minutes from Portsmouth, are Short Sands, Long Sands Beach and Harbor Beach. All featuring very gentle slopes and warm water. Route 1A, York Beach, ME

Wells Area Beaches

Wells offers seven miles of oceanfront including four sandy beaches. Wells Beach, Crescent Beach and Drake’s Island Beach are open to the public while Moody Beach is private. Public restrooms are available and lifeguards are on duty, 7 days a week, from June through September.

Wells has four sandy beaches and stunning natural conservation areas. Bird watch along the salt marshes of the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge. Hike in the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. Enjoy four seasons of outdoor recreation, shopping and fine dining.

York Area Beaches

Composed of what were once four smaller communities, the towns of Cape Neddick, York Harbor, York Village and York Beach formed under one government to create this beautiful and diverse town. It is famous for its long sandy beaches, and safe, family-friendly, beach-town atmosphere.

York is America’s oldest chartered city. Enjoy miles of beautiful beaches, food, shopping and outdoor fun. Leave time for the Museums of Old York and the Old Gaol—the nation’s oldest jailhouse—and picturesque Cape Neddick “Nubble” Light.

Visit Maine Beaches

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