2025 Maine Travel Guide | Hotels, Dining & Attractions

Whether you’re a Maine native or visiting for the first time, the Editors’ Picks in our 2025 Maine Travel Guide highlight the best places to eat, stay, and explore across the Pine Tree State. Curated by the Yankee team with insights from local experts, these handpicked spots showcase the beauty, charm, and character that make Maine unforgettable. From seaside cottages and world-class lobster rolls to scenic hikes and vibrant art galleries, this guide is your go-to for experiencing the very best of Maine this year.

Best Places to Visit in Maine | 2025 Editors’ Picks

2025 Best Maine Hotels

Best All-Inclusive Resort: Quisisana, Center Lovell

Year after year, families return to this pines-sheltered, cottage-style resort edging western Maine’s Kezar Lake for a getaway like no other. Guests of all ages bond over porch parties, hearty meals, and a slew of water and land activities, but they come for the daily performances. Staff members—most recruited from top performing arts schools and venues—morph into stars, exchanging uniforms for costumes to perform Broadway musicals, chamber concerts, piano recitals, and opera.

Best All-Season Acadia Hotel: The Pathmaker Hotel, Bar Harbor

There’s no beating the location of this new 46-room boutique-ish property, a short stroll from Bar Harbor’s Village Green, Main Street shops, and low-tide trail to Bar Island. The Ethan Allen–furnished rooms couldn’t feel fresher, and underground parking is a boon during the congested summer season. (Rates are a steal the rest of the year, when most Bar Harbor lodging goes dark.)

Best Beach Hotel: The Nevada, York

Watch the sun rise out of the Atlantic through plate-glass windows at the curvaceous, L-shaped, aqua-trimmed Nevada. Henry de la Pena built this hotel facing Long Sands Beach to resemble the flybridge of the USS Nevada, on which he served during World War II. Today this reimagined hotel retains its 1950s vibe but welcomes guests with beachy Art Deco style, contemporary amenities, and Lulu’s tiki bar, plus a commitment to sustainability.

Best Boutique Hotel: Rockport Harbor Hotel, Rockport

With views over a well-protected harbor on one side and toward the Camden Hills on the other, this dog-friendly new hotel blends in with its long-standing brick neighbors. Twenty-one spacious studios and suites pamper guests with indulgent bedding, spa-inspired bathrooms, kitchenettes, fireplaces, and private balconies. Meanwhile, the cozy Oak Room restaurant earns nods for its wood-fired pizzas.

Best Seaside Cottages: The Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit

Sea-salted memories are guaranteed when you stay in this idyllic waterfront colony with picket fences and seashell paths. Reopened in 2024, these adorable, newly kitted-out white cottages are spread amid shady green lawns, colorful gardens, a heated pool, and a firepit. Paddle, row, or ride the shuttle boat to the namesake dunes. Or crack open complimentary sparkling rosé and snacks, then settle into an ocean-facing porch chair.

Best Summer Retreat: Otyokwa, Bremen

Up to 25 guests can share Otyokwa’s five lovingly-if-minimally restored sleeping cabins, built as a boys camp in the 1930s and lining a half mile of silent shoreline on Pemaquid Pond. Every rustic detail—from the rec hall’s old-school record player to the striped wool throws on the bunks—oozes tasteful Vacationland nostalgia. Bigger groups can spill into a farmhouse and two gorgeous houseboats.

Best Wellness Stay: The Longfellow, Portland

The Longfellow embraces health for people and the planet. That starts with limiting single-use plastics whenever possible. Rooms are certified as ideal for restful slumber: Heavenly bedding, a clock with meditations and sound baths, and blackout curtains help achieve this. Enhance your stay with a massage or time in a meditation lounging chair or the hot-cold infrared sauna. Then indulge in delicious, wellness-forward food and drinks in the inviting lounge and café.

2025 Best Maine Dining

Best Beer Garden: Odd Alewives, Waldoboro

Scattered with patio tables, firepits, and lovely flower gardens, the half-acre spread behind Sarah and John McNeil’s gorgeously renovated 1820s barn is a superb spot for a pastoral happy hour. The McNeils stopped brewing their own beer this off-season to focus on a wider menu of Maine suds and their to-die-for wood-fired pizzas. Toppings are grown on-site or sourced nearby—try the pickle pie, with sour-mustard pickles from nearby Morse’s Sauerkraut, or the early-summer seasonal pizza with smoked alewives in a rich cream sauce.

Best Bistro: Water Street Kitchen & Bar, Wiscasset

Fresh seafood and pasta are the specialties at this Mediterranean-leaning restaurant overlooking the Sheepscot River. Chef-owner Ed Colburn’s signature paella de Mariscos is worth the 45-minute wait. In the meantime, sip the white-bean soup and share the Brussels sprouts and truffle fries. On a stormy day, the cozy lounge, with its fireplace and tin-sided bar, competes with tables on the year-round glassed-in porch.

Best Brunch: Ocotillo, Portland

Melanie and Pliny Reynolds first turned Portlanders on to the sublime simplicity of Texas-style breakfast tacos at their Tex-Mex barbecue joint, Terlingua. At their new breakfast-lunch-and-dinner stop, Ocotillo, tacos share a menu with decadent Benedicts, huevos done proper, and some stiff brunch cocktails. The Southwest-mod dining room is loud and lively; the ramada-covered patio an oasis.

Best Cocktail Bar: Papi, Portland

Inspired by the cantinas of Old San Juan, lively Papi feels as if it’s anchored the Old Port longer than its two years, in part because the baroque interior—with its distressed walls, bodega candles, and lush hanging greenery—feels so lived in. Cofounder LyAnna Sanabria has earned industry raves for her maximalist, Latin-inflected cocktails, such as the Tamarindo Lindo: Ojo de Tigre mezcal, tamarind, sumac, strawberry, and black pepper. ¡Ay qué rico!

Best Coffee Shop: Bintliff’s Corner Brew, Gardiner

Owner Roger Bintliff restored a portion of downtown Gardiner’s 19th-century Dingley Block, and the warm, welcoming vibe of his hardware store turned coffeehouse owes a lot to the pumpkin-pine plank flooring, weathered original brick, shelves full of antiques, and dried flowers hanging from exposed beams. Linger over loads of creative specialty drinks (try the habanero mocha latte) and a full brunch menu to boot.

Best French Restaurant: Chez Rosa, Kennebunkport

It’s French fare with Maine flair, prepared inside a bright, airy barn tucked off Dock Square. Expect both reimagined classics such as fish Wellington and traditional ones like steak frites and Maine lobster vol-au-vent. The menu invites crafting a meal from appetizers, fromage, and charcuterie; consider pairing cheese fondue with a bistro salad. A decidedly French wine list meets a mostly Maine beer list.

Best Maine Meal: The Dolphin Marina and Restaurant, Harpswell

It’s worth the leisurely drive down the Harpswell Peninsula and out to the tip of Basin Point to this oceanfront restaurant located on land owned by the Saxton family since the early 1900s. Go for the ultra-fresh seafood, especially the rave-worthy fish chowder or lobster stew, each served with a blueberry muffin. While feasting, savor panoramic views over island-sprinkled Casco Bay.

Best Oyster Bar: North Beacon Oyster, Rockland

Intimate, approachable, and the rare raw bar where the turf on the menu also shines, chef-owner Mike Mastronardi’s North Beacon takes advantage of the local catch and harvest. Try the lobster sliders and New England cioppino—but know that Mastronardi also makes a mean steak frites and the Midcoast’s best, gooiest cheeseburger.

2025 Best Maine Attractions

Best Acadia Tour: Island Time Ebike Rentals, Southwest Harbor

Six years since the National Park Service OKed pedal-assist rides wherever bikes are allowed, about half of all cyclists on Acadia National Park’s carriage roads are riding e-bikes. Island Time got in on the trend early. Its guides know MDI trivia cold, and the leisurely four-hour tours take in views of the Bubbles and other landmarks along the way. And the hills? No sweat.

Best Art Gallery: Karma, Thomaston

For a contemporary-art gallery based in New York and L.A., a seasonal outpost in a sleepy Midcoast village seems surprising. But Thomaston’s former St. James Catholic Church feels made for it. Credit the vaulted ceilings, the light pouring through the rose window, and a years-long renovation undertaken by painter Ann Craven after she bought the place in 2016. Last summer’s group show included heavy hitters like Katherine Bradford and Alex Katz.

Best Cultural Site: Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, Patten

In the Indigenous Penobscot language, tekαkαpimək (pronounced deh gah gah bee mook) means “as far as one can see.” It’s a fitting name for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument’s new visitor center atop Lookout Mountain, which is set amid the traditional homeland of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes. Exhibits and displays at this green-built architectural stunner share the region’s history and heritage and introduce its mountains and waterways from the Wabanaki perspective.

Best Mountain Golf Course: Sugarloaf Golf Course, Carrabassett Valley

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sugarloaf’s parkland-style 18-hole course takes advantage of its natural mountain topography and woodland setting. Narrow fairways, elevated greens, massive bunkers, dense forests, and the gurgling Carrabassett River challenge golfers. The eye-popping 11th hole, nicknamed “Precipice,” plays over the river, dropping 128 feet from tee to green. Unsurprisingly, the dreamy mountain views, especially in autumn, make it hard to keep your eye on the ball.

Best New Preserve: Anna M. Tondreau Preserve, Harpswell

What the Tondreau Preserve lacks in size, the 57-acre tract makes up for with terrain. Its 1.4-mile trail system crosses wetlands, climbs a gnarly ridge, skirts mossy boulders and crumbling stone fences, and reaches two isolated coves that are havens for wading birds and waterfowl. It’s a jewel among the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust’s 20 public-access preserves.

Best Rainy-Day Hideout: Another Round, Portland

The rare family-friendly hangout on Portland’s Congress Street has good espresso drinks, a tap list of local brews, and a library of more than 200 board games, from classics (Clue! Scrabble!) to retro oddities (Crocodile Dentist?) to esoteric indie offerings (Catan! Wingspan!). Find a new fave, and you can buy it to take home.

See More: 10 Best Things to Do in Maine This Summer 2025

2025 Maine travel guide honorees were selected by Yankee editors with contributions from Brian Kevin, features editor at National Geographic and former editor of Down East; and freelance writer and Maine guidebook author Hilary Nangle.

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