Maine moves at its own pace, and that's really the point of going. Fishing boats work the coves at first light, lighthouses stand watch over granite headlands, and the lobster on your plate was very possibly still in the Atlantic that morning. It's less a state for ticking off sights and more one for settling into a rhythm that a lot of us have forgotten.
Portland is Maine's food capital and the easiest place to start: a compact waterfront city with a working harbour, a restaurant scene that punches well above its size, and the cobbled Old Port district for an evening stroll. It's a good base for a night or two before heading further up the coast.
Acadia National Park, around Bar Harbor, is Maine's wild heart — pink granite peaks meeting the Atlantic, over 150 miles of hiking trails, and Cadillac Mountain, from where much of the eastern United States watches the year's first sunrise. It rewards slow travel: a couple of days here goes a lot further than a flying visit.
Further south, Kennebunkport typifies the classic New England seaside town — clapboard houses, working harbours and sandy beaches, with a slower, more resort-like feel than the wilder coast further north. In general, southern Maine is where you'll find the beach towns and the cosmopolitan pockets; the interior and the far north are heavily forested and built for hiking, canoeing and getting properly off-grid.
Five reasons to visit Maine
The coastline is genuinely varied — sandy beaches and resort towns in the south around Kennebunkport and Old Orchard Beach, working harbours and rocky headlands further north, and Acadia National Park's granite peaks meeting the Atlantic
The lobster doesn't get any fresher — Maine lands the majority of the US catch, and a roadside lobster shack is as much a part of the state as its coastline
The fall foliage is some of New England's best, with forests turning brilliant shades of red, orange and gold from late September into October
There's a strong choice of holiday types — combine Maine with Boston or the wider New England states on a fly-drive or escorted tour, or focus purely on the coast
Outdoor pursuits run year-round: hiking in Acadia, kayaking the Penobscot or Kennebec rivers, whale watching off the coast in summer, and skiing and snowmobiling once winter sets in
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