Nirvana for freshwater enthusiasts, this is where vacationers mingle with locals all summer long. By day’s end almost every adult seems to have a sunburn on their neck and a beer in their hands. It’s a kids’ playground, too, of course, with numerous water sports available, from pontoon boat rentals and fully rigged fishing trips to simply jumping off a gigantic rock again and again…and again.

The islands reachable via Casco Bay Lines ferry service out of Portland don’t just boast pine-dotted shores, protected harbors, tight-knit fishing communities, and sea life galore. They also offer a slew of activities: from hiking and biking trails to tennis and golf to fine dining and camping. And one thing they all have in spades is a notably slower pace of life and the bliss that comes with it.

The many overlapping layers of culture across this oceanfront resort town have made it a magnet for vacationing families, art connoisseurs, the LGBTQ+ community, and nature lovers. That glorious human mix means that, no matter who you are, you’ll rarely long for something stimulating to jump into around Ogunquit.

The web of pine-lined ponds that make up the Belgrade Lakes region has captured the imagination of travelers and artists for centuries. As E.B. White wrote in his essay “Once More to the Lake,” “None of us ever thought there was any place in the world like that lake in Maine.” To make the most of a day trip to the region is to surrender to the slow pace of a fisherman waiting for a great catch, to idle in tiny pastoral towns, and to pause long enough to hear the babble of the rushing brooks and streams that weave together its seven lakes.

A trip to the villages of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, and Southport gives weekend visitors a taste of the best that the coast has to offer.

The Kennebunks are picture-perfect coastal towns between Portland and Maine’s southern border that deliver ocean views and plenty of dining options.