Maine's 10 Prettiest Harbors

1 “Whether approaching the harbor from Penobscot Bay, looking down on it from atop Mount Battie, or sitting beside it selling tickets for the Betselma (as I did for two summers) one sees in Camden Harbor the perfect composition of beautifully carved shore, deep green water, a mix of working boats, pleasure boats, schooners, dinghies, and daysailors — all punctuated by tiny but stalwart Curtis Island.”
— Felicia Knight, Scarborough, Maine

2 “With glacially sculpted sea cliffs hundreds of feet tall only a short paddle or sail away, Bar Harbor is the essence of scenic.”
— Brescian Lander, Bar Harbor, Maine

3 “Walking the Marginal Way, with a view of Perkins Cove at the last bend, is a thrill no matter how many times you walk down the path.”
Dorothy West, Butler, Pennsylvania

4 “Boothbay Harbor is one of the prettiest working harbors I have had the pleasure of visiting.”
— Henry Dewey, East Amherst, New York

5 “In the summer of 1950, I worked at the Asticou Inn at the head of Northeast Harbor. I met my wife-to-be there. The intimacy of the outer islands and the open ocean just beyond the mouth of the harbor dotted with boats of every kind lifted my spirits and make them soar still today, fifty-nine years later, in my mind’s eye. A love affair indeed.”
— Robert Philips, Englewood, Florida

6 “My son, Alex, met a man in the Caribbean with a Southwest Harbor T-shirt on who said he had been all around the world, but Southwest Harbor was by far the most beautiful harbor he had visited. There is something about the mountains meeting the ocean that is truly incredible.”
Kathy Shields, West Tremont, Maine

7 “We have a picture of Cape Porpoise harbor at sunset hanging over our bed, and when we allow ourselves to dream about being somewhere other than northern New Jersey, we dream of being there. When we head back this year on our annual vacation to Maine we plan to spend every sunset of our trip at this cape.”
— John and Cindi Auberger,  Glenwood, New Jersey

8 “Rockport Harbor is a hidden jewel known only to Mainers and visiting sailors.”
— Jennifer Roller, St. Louis, Missouri

9 “I believe that Maine,
in all seasons, is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and my favorite place of all is Winter Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula.”

— Dorothy Tighe, Street, Maryland

10 “Fall is a magical time at Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Harbor. The after summer solitude and fall sunrises and sunsets are unmatched, and that little harbor and seawall create some of the best tides to witness — one will leave a clear stretch of sand and the very next will throw the contents of the sea at our feet.”
Dell and Wayne Gray, Lewiston, Maine

Honorable Mentions 
Harbors that didn’t make the top ten are no less beloved.

“A city dweller can’t deny the sheer beauty of Portland Harbor, with its working waterfront and restored Old Port, but my personal choice is Christmas Cove. With its Brigadoon mornings, quiet serenity, and viscerally stunning vistas, this is a spot that typifies all that is wonderful about Maine.”
— Gary Louizides, Ridgewood, New Jersey

“A native of the County, I got my first glimpse of Cutler Harbor in August of 1970, when a friend took me on a drive along the Bold Coast. We got out and looked over the harbor at Little River Light and Grand Manan Island, and to his great surprise, I took my watch off and threw it into the woods. ‘I won’t need it,’ I said, ‘because I am going to live here.’ And so I did, for the next four years.”
— Bo Yerxa, Waldoboro, Maine

“Stonington is a rustic, working harbor; it is tranquil and quiet. There is no place in the world I’d rather be.”
— Amy Colcher, Merion Station, Pennsylvania

 “Lunt Harbor in Frenchboro is definitely the prettiest harbor!” — Tina Lunt, Bass Harbor, Maine

“Quahog Bay is one of Casco Bay’s prettiest harbors. It provides a refuge to boaters during inclement weather at sea and is a kayaker’s paradise because of its relatively calm waters and incredibly beautiful and pristine coves and inlets.”
— Andy Deshaies, Harpswell, Maine

“Belfast Harbor is not fancy or postcard perfect, but it really reflects the real Maine.”
— Charles Harles, Washington, D.C.

“Cundy’s Harbor is a small lobstering cove with a public beach, wharfs, boat landings, restaurants, and views to the open ocean that cannot be beat.”
— Ellen Souviney, Harpswell, Maine

“The southern approach into Swans Island/Burntcoat Harbor is so cool — tight to navigate,
then all of the sudden it opens up into the primary harbor. It is like finding a well-kept secret.”
— John Weston, Dallas, Texas

“We have countless harbors that can be reached only by boat that we cherish: Perry Creek on Vinalhaven, Sebasco Estates, the Basin, Gilkey Harbor in Islesboro, and Holbrook Harbor near Castine. All of these provide quiet anchorage and plenty of nooks to explore by dinghy.”
— Armand Bouchard, Brunswick, Maine

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