My Favorite Beaches in Maine

My favorite beaches in Maine reflect my pesonal discovery that there really are some wonderful New England beaches that aren't located on Cape Cod. Being a bit of a Cape Cod enthusiast I perhaps would never have discovered the favorite beaches in Maine had an older sibling not actively pursued a romance with a Maine local. To aid him in his efforts my family took several summer vacations to the "rock bound coast of Maine" and happily discovered that there were some beaches worth visiting more than once in our lifetime. Included in our trips were some of my favorite beaches in Maine.

The first beach I ever visited in Maine was Wells Beach We took cabins not too far away and spent the better part of a week going back and forth to a beach that seemed just a stone's throw away from our lodgings. The town of Wells itself is no large built up metropolis by any means. The whole population of the town is less than 10,000 people but there is a mile of beach for just about every thousand people. The public beach at Wells is made for people who enjoy a sandy beach saunter as part of their beach experience. To use the beach you will need to get a sticker from the Wells Town Hall. But it's worth it because the rest of the day you can enjoy hanging out with your family on an extended, sand beach well attended to by lifeguards.

Certainly better known than Wells Beach and definitely among my favorite beaches in Maine is Old Orchard. But the attraction of Old Orchard is that it is more than just a nice place for a summer time swim. Old Orchard, ME is a beach and then some. In fact you may enjoy a day at Old Orchard beach ME without every going in the water. The environs of Old Orchard Beach have been built up to offer multiple attractions for visitors to enjoy. Adjacent to the beach area are food concessions, amusement park features, games and more concessions. For all ages it's a great place to meet people and enjoy the beauty of a seaside venue. In fact Old Orchard is such a fan favorite that it routinely is named Maine's # 1 beach by many locals. But that's something you would have to decide for yourself. For me the main event at Old Orchard remains the beach itself. It's hard to beat 7 miles of sandy beach to comb or roam

As I got a little further along in my teens I began to see why my parents were attached to Ogunquit. Like Wells and Old Orchard, Ogunquit lies along Maine's Southern shore. The water still seems cold for those used to swimming on Cape Cod but the sand is smooth and appealing not like the rockier coastal beaches further north. Ogunquit has a quaintness to it that draws families. For example how many beaches can you access by trolley? Not many, but that's the norm at Ogunquit. My parents always enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy the summer theater offerings at the Ogunquit Playhouse by night and then relax on the sands of beautiful Ogunquit beach by day. I had to admit it was a catchy combo.

Don't worry there's a northern beach on my list of favorite beaches in Maine. In fact there are probably a few that I would willingly revisit. But if I could only go to one I guess I would take myself to Maine's share of the national treasure. Arcadia National Park's Sand Beach in Bar Harbor, Maine is not a long sprawling beach by any means, but its unique setting in this magnificent National Park makes you feel a million miles away from home. The only drawback of course is that when you come to Arcadia you are traveling north and so the water temperatures for most people during most of the summer are a tad chilly to say the least.

For New Englanders, salt water beaches provide great summer time recreation. And not all of those beaches are to be found in Southern New England. If you are looking for a change from Cape Cod you might find some of my favorite Maine beaches to be worth the ride north.