Your Guide To The Best Maine Island Hotels and Inns
Maine is home to thousands of islands within lakes and along the coast, most of which are remote and uninhabited. Some islands, including the islands of Casco Bay, Monhegan Island, Mount Desert Island, or Deer Isle to name a few, have established hotels, campgrounds and inns to take advantage of the exquisite natural presentation of the land.
Island lodging in Maine is like no other. Imagine emerging from your island inn and exploring the nooks and crannies of the alienated land, watching the waves crash into the rocks, or take a scenic boat tour to discover the beauty of the coast in all its glory.
More About Maine Island Hotels and Inns
Maine is marked by the retreat of glaciers from the last ice age, leaving behind thousands of islands separated by land within lakes and ponds, and along the Atlantic coast. Maine hosts many islands some wild and remote, some bustling with summer tourists, others, laid back and peaceful.
What all of these islands have in common, whether nestled within a lake or alienated from Maine’s coast, is a romantic and idyllic landscape. When staying on an island in Maine for vacation or a getaway, in truth, where you find lodgings doesn’t entirely matter. Vacationing on an island inspires intrigue and entirely novel experience from the mainland… its exciting, yet tranquil and bucolic nature of island lodging is certain to give you a memorable vacation.
Casco Bay Islands
Islands of Casco Bay offer a unique setting, distinct from most islands along the coast and within lakes and mountains in Maine. With proximity to Portland and ample ferry lines, the Casco Bay islands offer a removed setting from the city without having an expansive distance. These islands are quite residential and populated with island hotels and inns.
These islands including Peaks Island, Diamond Island, and Long Island to name a few have a thriving summer scene with restaurants or events including Reggae Sunday on Peaks Island. Eagle Island in Casco Bay is a must visit. This former summer home of Arctic explorer Admiral Robert Peary is now a State Park and museum. Pack a picnic and take the ferry to explore the scenic island, and tour the cottage which is full of Admiral Perry’s Arctic expedition, including the only Polar Bear in Maine. The views of Casco Bay from this high island are fantastic as well.
Monhegan Island
Monhegan Island, about 10 miles off the coast from Boothbay Harbor, is a popular destination. It is a breathtakingly beautiful place that has remained relatively unchanged from its natural state when Native Americans once inhabited the island. Monhegan is a blast from the past, like you stepped off the ferry boat back to years ago. Here, visitors can explore the trail system, visit the museum and Monhegan Light. Manana Island can be seen to the west.
The quaint village has a neat cultural atmosphere, with art galleries and craft shops, and one general store. Be sure to ask your innkeeper for dining suggestions as no restaurants are listed as a business on Google! Fear not, lobster and fresh caught fish are served and bountiful at seaside shacks or the few Monhegan hotel restaurants on island. Also wear hiking boots or good walking shoes as the trails around Monhegan are steep and rugged in spots, but he views are extraordinary from some of the high sea cliffs.
Mount Desert Island
Likely to be the most visited island in Maine, is Mount Desert Island most noted as a home to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Often regarded as the most stunning natural geographic locations on the East Coast, it’s little wonder why many inns, resorts, motels and hotels have been established on Mount Desert Island to support the throng of year-round visitors.
Vacationers can find resorts directly on the harbor, campgrounds nestled on the outskirts of the national park and peaceful bed and breakfasts removed from the hub bub of town. Mount Desert Island has a fascinating history, dating back to the Explorers Cadillac, hence the name of the tallest mountain, and Samuel De Champlain.
Make your own exploration of the island that is largely occupied by Acadia National park – from Sand Beach, to Seal Harbor – where Rockefellers, Fords, and Martha Stewart have their mansions, to Cadillac Mountain, Bass Harbor Light, Southwest Harbor, and of course the bustling seaside port, Bar Harbor.
