Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Kennebunkport is the kind of Maine town that rewards slow travel. A small harbor village on the Kennebunk River, it mixes a busy shopping square, lobster boats, shingled sea captains' houses and a rocky coastal road where the Atlantic slams into granite ledges.
Walker's Point
Gooch's Beach, Middle Beach and Mother's Beach
Cape Porpoise
Goat Island Light
+4 more places
This guide walks you through the best places to visit in and around Kennebunkport, how long each one deserves, what to eat, where to base yourself and when to come.
Kennebunkport has been a summer colony for well over a century. Once a shipbuilding and fishing town, it began drawing vacationers in the 1870s, when hotels and grand cottages rose along Cape Arundel, Cape Porpoise and Goose Rocks.
What makes it special is the variety packed into a small area. In one morning you can browse galleries in Dock Square, drive the surf-battered shore of Ocean Avenue, look across the water at the Bush family's Walker's Point estate and finish with a lobster roll beside fishing boats in Cape Porpoise.
Dock Square is the center of town, a cluster of shingled shops, galleries, ice cream counters and seafood spots where the bridge crosses the Kennebunk River from Kennebunk.
A few blocks from the square, Maine Street and the surrounding lanes hold some of the finest nineteenth-century homes on the coast, many built for ship captains and merchants. The Nott House, a Greek Revival mansion run by the Kennebunkport History Center, is the anchor of guided and self-guided walking tours in season.
Ocean Avenue runs from the village down the river to the sea and then curls along the rocky edge of Cape Arundel. It is one of the prettiest short drives, bike rides or walks in Maine, lined with summer cottages and pull-offs over the surf.
Walker's Point is a rocky promontory topped by the shingle-style main house of the Bush family estate. George Herbert Walker bought the land in 1902, and it later became the Summer White House during George H. W. Bush's presidency, hosting leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Walker's Point served as the Summer White House during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. Photo: Georgio2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
On Beach Avenue, just across the river in Kennebunk, the Franciscan friars open their wooded grounds to visitors from sunrise to sunset. Paths lead through gardens and shrines and down to the riverbank with views of boats at anchor.
Along Beach Avenue in Kennebunk, a chain of beaches faces the open Atlantic. Gooch's Beach is the long sandy crescent closest to the river mouth, Middle Beach is rockier and quieter, and Mother's Beach has a small playground and gentle conditions that suit young children.
Gooch's Beach is the longest of the sandy beaches strung along Beach Avenue in Kennebunk. Photo: Uschoen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Cape Porpoise, northeast of Dock Square on Route 9, was the original English settlement of the town and was named by Captain John Smith in 1614. Today it is a small village wrapped around a deep natural harbor protected by islands, with a working pier, a church, a tiny library and a handful of eateries.
Cape Porpoise remains a working fishing harbor sheltered by more than a dozen small islands. Photo: Tichnor Brothers, Publisher, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
From the Cape Porpoise pier you can see Goat Island Light on its treeless island at the harbor entrance. The station dates to 1835, and the present brick tower and keeper's house were built in 1859.
Goat Island Light has guarded the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor since 1835, with the current brick tower dating from 1859. Photo: Rapidfire, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
At the eastern end of town, Goose Rocks Beach runs for about three miles along Goosefare Bay, ending where the Little River meets the sea. It is wide, flat and shallow, which makes it a favorite with families and walkers, and at low tide you can wander far out on the firm sand.
Goose Rocks Beach stretches for miles along Goosefare Bay at the eastern end of Kennebunkport. Photo: InAweofGod'sCreation, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
On Log Cabin Road, a few miles inland, the Seashore Trolley Museum is the world's first and largest museum of mass transit vehicles, with more than three hundred streetcars, rapid transit cars, trolley buses and motor buses.
The Seashore Trolley Museum is the world's first and largest museum of mass transit vehicles. Photo: Rene Schwietzke from Jena, Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Cross the bridge and head inland to explore Kennebunk. The Brick Store Museum on Main Street occupies the town's oldest commercial block, dating from 1810 to 1860, and covers local shipbuilding, art and clothing.
The Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk is known for the ornate white woodwork wrapped around its facade and barn. Photo: Bigmacthealmanac, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short drive south in Wells, the headquarters of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge sits on Route 9. The refuge protects salt marsh, dunes and estuaries along fifty miles of coast, and a level trail of about a mile loops through pine woods with views over the marsh.
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge protects salt marsh, dunes and estuaries along fifty miles of southern Maine coast. Photo: Captain-tucker, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Lobster is the main event. You will find it boiled whole with drawn butter, piled into a toasted, split-top roll either cold with mayonnaise or warm with butter, and stirred into creamy stew.
For atmosphere, Dock Square and the riverfront have the densest cluster of seafood restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops.
Popular dishes to try in Kennebunkport
Dock Square and the historic district suit first-time visitors and anyone without a car.
Ocean Avenue and Cape Arundel are best for sea views and romantic stays, with classic resort hotels and inns overlooking the river mouth and open ocean.
Kennebunk Beach works well for families who want to step onto the sand each morning. Goose Rocks Beach and Cape Porpoise are quieter and suit longer stays, cottage rentals and travelers who prefer calm evenings over nightlife.
Where to stay in Kennebunkport
Blackrock Farm is a landscaping and greenhouse business serving Kennebunkport, Maine. It offers landscape design, renovations, plant nursery, and event hosting...
Summer, from late June through August, brings warm days, every shop and restaurant open and the liveliest atmosphere, but also the heaviest traffic around Dock Square and the hardest parking.
September and early October are often the sweet spot: mild days, crisp evenings, warmer sea temperatures than June, and beaches that no longer require a parking permit after mid-September.
Most visitors drive. From the Maine Turnpike (I-95), take Exit 25 at Kennebunk and follow Route 35 east to the coast, or Exit 19 at Wells to approach along Route 9.
Once you arrive, the village is easy to explore on foot, and quiet roads with low speed limits make cycling pleasant, though there are few dedicated bike paths and Maine requires helmets for young riders.
Start early in Dock Square with coffee and a browse of the galleries before the crowds arrive. Walk the historic district and Maine Street, then join a Kennebunkport History Center tour if one is running.
Head to Cape Porpoise in the morning to watch the harbor come alive and spot Goat Island Light from the pier. Continue to Goose Rocks Beach for a long walk on the flats.
Cross into Kennebunk for the Brick Store Museum and a look at the Wedding Cake House, then stroll the Franciscan Monastery grounds on Beach Avenue.
Looking for a lobster shack, a bike rental, a gallery or a cozy inn for your trip?
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