Journal
Boothbay Harbor, from people who live there.
The harbor, the seasons, the boats, the festivals and where to eat. Written by the family that runs the inns, not a content agency.
Where to StayBoothbay Harbor Hotels: An Honest Guide From Innkeepers
Most people search for a hotel and end up choosing between three very different kinds of stay. Here is how they differ, from people who run two inns in town.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor in Winter: What Is Open and What to Do
The boats are hauled, the crowds are gone and the harbor goes still. Here is what a winter visit is actually like, and how to plan one.
Stays & PlanningGetting to Boothbay Harbor from Portland, Boston and Bangor
Turn-by-turn directions to Commercial Street, which airport to use, how long the drive really takes, and where to park once you are here.
Day TripsMonhegan Island Day Trip From Boothbay Harbor
The boat leaves from the harbor in the morning and brings you back before dinner. Here is how we tell our guests to spend the hours in between.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor Fall Foliage Festival: A Weekend Guide
The festival at Boothbay Railway Village is the reason to come in October. The harbor is the reason to stay through Sunday.
Where to StayGreenleaf Inn Boothbay Harbor FAQ: Rooms, Parking, Policies
The questions we answer on the phone most weeks, in one place. If yours is not here, call the innkeeper.
Boothbay HarborLighthouses Near Boothbay Harbor and How to See Each One
Some you can walk up to, some you can only see from the water, and one is a drive and a picnic. Here is how to see all five.
Stays & PlanningBoothbay Harbor View Rooms: How to Choose the Right One
Everyone comes for the view from the boat and the footbridge. The one outside your window at seven in the morning is the one you will remember.
Day TripsMaine Coastal Road Trip: Why Boothbay Harbor Is the Stop
Most people picture the drive as Portland to Bar Harbor in a straight line. The better trip is built around the place where you finally get out of the car.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor Fall Foliage: When to Come and Why
The midcoast turns later than inland Maine and holds its color longer. Here is how we tell guests to time a fall trip.
Where to StayPlaces to Stay in Boothbay Harbor by Trip and Season
The peninsula is bigger than it looks on the map. Where you sleep decides whether your days start on foot or in the car.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor Restaurants: Where Our Guests Eat
Not a ranking and nobody paid to be here. These are the places we name most often when guests ask where to eat, sorted by what you are in the mood for.
Stays & PlanningHow Many Nights in Boothbay Harbor: One, Two or Three
One night shows you the harbor. Two nights give you a full day. Three let the peninsula open up. Here is how to choose.
Seasons & EventsMaine Lobster Season in Boothbay Harbor: When to Come
Lobster comes off these docks nearly all year. The question is which weeks give you the sweetest shell, the fullest harbor and the shortest lines.
Boothbay HarborCoastal Maine Botanical Gardens: Visiting and Where to Stay
More than three hundred acres of gardens and shoreline a few miles from Commercial Street. Here is how to see it well, from the people who send guests there every week.
Stays & PlanningBoothbay Harbor vs Bar Harbor: Which Maine Town Fits You
We run inns in one of these towns, so read this knowing that. But the honest answer is that they are two different vacations.
Seasons & EventsLate Summer in Boothbay Harbor: A Weekend Guide
The crowds thin, the weather holds, and the harbor is still fully open. Late August to early September is the weekend we would book.
Boothbay HarborPemaquid Oyster Festival: Dates, Venue and Where to Stay
Damariscotta River oysters, a shucking contest, two stages of music and a good cause, on the harbor a short walk from Commercial Street.
Stays & PlanningRomantic Getaway in Boothbay Harbor: Why Couples Choose It
The couples who stay with us are not looking for more to do. They are looking for fewer people between them and the water.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor in July: Coastal Maine's Cool Escape
While inland cities hide from the heat, the Atlantic keeps the harbor comfortable. Here is what a July week on the Maine coast actually feels like.
Boothbay HarborReturning to Boothbay Harbor: What to Do Next Time
The first visit is for seeing everything. The second is for seeing it properly. Here is how our repeat guests plan a better return trip.
Stays & PlanningBoutique Inn in Boothbay Harbor: A Day at the Inns
Some places you visit. Others you fall into rhythm with. This is how a day runs at our two inns on Commercial Street.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor Summer Getaway: The Slow Version
Some summer vacations need a vacation afterward. This one does not. Here is why the harbor works and when to come.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor With Kids: 17 Family Things to Do
Small enough to move between boats, beaches, gardens and trails without living in the car. Here is what works for families, by age.
Stays & PlanningWhere to Stay in Boothbay Harbor for Sailing and Boating
Some places you visit. This one you move with. The tide, the wind and the boats set the pace, and the right room puts you close enough to follow it.
Seasons & EventsWindjammer Days and Summer Events in Boothbay Harbor
Summer here does not arrive all at once. It starts with sails in June and unwinds through art shows, markets and long evenings on the water.
Boothbay HarborQuiet Places in Boothbay Harbor Away From the Crowds
Away from the busy docks there is a slower version of the town. This is where we send guests who ask for it.
Stays & PlanningSlow Travel in Boothbay Harbor: A Coastal Maine Reset
Some places you visit. This one changes how you move through a day. Here is what happens when you stop filling the itinerary.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor in Spring: Why March to May Is Worth It
Summer gets the crowds. Spring gets the harbor waking up, and the people who visit then tend to keep it to themselves.
Boothbay HarborHidden Gems Near Boothbay Harbor: 17 Quiet Local Spots
Beyond the waterfront the peninsula holds wetlands, spruce trails, a beach on Southport and two lighthouses you reach by boat. These are the places we send guests who have a second day.
Stays & PlanningHistoric Maine Inn in Boothbay Harbor: What Sets One Apart
No two rooms alike, a porch that faces the water and a host who lives in town. This is why guests pick an inn over a hotel on the Maine coast.
Seasons & EventsBest Time to Visit Boothbay Harbor: Month by Month
Every month here has a case to make. This is the honest version from two inns on Commercial Street.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor First-Time Visitor Tips From an Innkeeper
Everyone finds the ocean views and the lobster. The guests who love it here are the ones who knew a few small things before they arrived.
Stays & PlanningBoothbay Harbor Weekend Itinerary: A Relaxed 2 to 3 Days
Two or three days is enough to feel this harbor properly, as long as you do not try to fill them.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor Festivals and Events by Month
The recurring festivals we actually send guests to, arranged by month, from the first spring market to the last Halloween ghost tour.
Boothbay HarborBest Things to Do in Boothbay Harbor, Maine: 21 Picks
Some towns win you over with a checklist. This one gets you in the quiet spaces between the stops. These are the 21 we would give a friend.
Stays & PlanningPlan a Maine Coastal Vacation Without the Stress
The coast is long, the towns are small and the weather has opinions. A few decisions made early keep the trip easy.
Seasons & EventsBoothbay Harbor Christmas: Gardens Aglow, Lights and Winter
We live here year round, so this is the honest version of the holiday season in Boothbay Harbor: what happens, when it happens, and how to plan a stay around it.
Boothbay HarborWhy Guests Return to Boothbay Harbor Year After Year
Some places are beautiful the first time. This harbor becomes something else when you come back.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor Coastal Reset: Why the Town Slows You Down
There are places you scroll through and places you step into. This is the second kind, and here is what it does to you.
Boothbay HarborWalkable Things to Do in Boothbay Harbor Near Your Inn
Park the car once. Everything worth doing in the center of town connects along the shoreline, and the best of it happens on foot.
Boothbay HarborOne Day in Boothbay Harbor: Sunrise to Sunset
The harbor changes hour by hour. Here is how a full day unfolds when you follow the light instead of a schedule.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor History: Railway Village, Lighthouses, Inns
We run two historic inns on Commercial Street, so we get asked about the town's past a lot. This is the walking version: where the history is, and why it is worth your afternoon.
Boothbay HarborBoothbay Harbor Boat Tours, Whale Watching and Outdoors
Boothbay Harbor is one of the best boating harbors in Maine, and the boats leave from a short walk of our front doors. Here is how to choose a day on the water, and what to do on land in between.
Plan a stay
Tell us about the trip. We will tell you which house.
Dates, headcount, occasion, what matters most. A person who knows every property answers, usually the same day.