Kennebunkport Travel Guide

If you are looking to visit Maine sometime in the near future, I would recommend spending some time in Kennebunkport. We spent a couple of days in this charming town this past September, and it was incredible! There is actually more to do than one would think, so I am here today to give you all of the details.

Whether you visit during the summer, fall, winter or spring, I think you will find that there is so much to see in this beautiful town. We loved everything about our visit to Maine and the people were so friendly! If Kennebunkport isn’t on your bucket list now, I hope it is by the time you are done reading this post.

How to Get There

We flew into Boston Logan International Airport, rented a car, and drove up to Kennebunkport from there. It only takes about an hour and a half, so it’s not a terrible drive. We actually stopped in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on the way up so we could see another state. If you are doing the drive from Boston to Kennebunkport, I would highly recommend a stop in Portsmouth! It is a cute little town with tons of local boutiques and shops.

Another option would be to fly into Portland, Maine. That is much closer than Boston, so the drive would be under an hour.

Where to Stay

We stayed at The Lodge on the Cove while we were in Kennebunkport and it was in a great location. This property was walking distance to downtown where you can find all of the shops and restaurants. They also have bikes you can borrow if you prefer to get around town a little more quickly. Overall, we didn’t have any issues staying here and it was a nice place to relax. We even made s’mores out by the fire one night!

The Lodge on the Cove is part of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, so there are several other properties around town owned by the same business. Honestly, all of their properties look absolutely incredible, so you really can’t go wrong with any of the options.

If you are looking to stay close to the downtown area, I would recommend The Kennebunkport Inn, The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel or the Yachtsman Hotel and Marina. If you don’t mind being a little further away, I would recommend Hidden Pond. We actually had dinner at Hidden Pond, and I kind of wish we could have stayed there too! I think the Hidden Pond would be a great option for a quieter, couples getaway weekend.

Where to Eat

Obviously, seafood is a must when visiting the East Coast, but there are plenty of great restaurants in this area that offer a wide variety of food. Below are a few places we ate at during our time in Maine. I also included a few that we didn’t get the chance to eat at, but heard a lot about!

• Earth at Hidden Pond
  • We had dinner here on a Saturday night and it was absolutely incredible! You definitely need a reservation if you want to eat here, though. We couldn’t get a reservation, but we ended up going anyways. We waited a few minutes for a bar spot opened up, so we got lucky! The food was incredible, and I loved their menu. They have everything from small plates to full-size entrées. They also have an incredible cocktail menu and wine list. You really can’t go wrong with this place!
• The Spirit of Massachusetts
  • This restaurant is actually in a boat! We thought it was going to be super touristy since it was located right in downtown Kennebunkport. Honestly, it wasn’t overly crowded and the food was great. We had oysters, claim chowder and a couple of great entrées. It was a lot of food, but everything was really good.
• The Clam Shack
  • We never got around to eating here, but it is the place that everyone talks about. This isn’t a place where you dine in and get waited on. It’s very casual and you basically just walk up and order your food. They serve mostly fried fish, but they did have a few other options if that isn’t your thing.
• The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel & Restaurant
  • We ate here for lunch, and it was definitely the place with the best views! Of course, we had to have oysters and champagne because of the location. The oysters were some of the best and everything tasted so fresh. I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you feel like sitting outside with a view.
• Rococo Ice Cream
  • I’m not a big ice cream or sweets person, but this place made me want to eat ice cream on a daily basis! They have extremely unique flavors, and everything we tried was delicious. I had the olive oil, rosemary, caramel and pepitas flavor, and it is now one of my favorite ice cream flavors of all time! This is a can’t miss item in Kennebunkport!

What to Do

• Stonewall Kitchen
  • If you enjoy cooking and food, I would recommend taking a drive down to Stonewall Kitchen. We actually went to a cooking class/demonstration here on a Friday night, and it was fabulous! We didn’t actually do any of the cooking, but we still learned a lot from watching the chefs. It was a really informative and relaxing Friday night. Seriously, if you are looking for something different and unique, I would add this to your list!
• Shopping
  • There are tons of cute shops and boutiques throughout the Kennebunkport area. We spent several hours walking around and checking out the local stores. It is a very walkable city, so you won’t have a problem getting around by foot. You could easily kill an entire afternoon shopping because there are so many shops! My favorite shop (not located downtown) was Farm + Table. I seriously could have purchased everything in this store. If you love all things farmhouse, this place is for you!
• Sailing
  • We were supposed to go on a 2-hour sailing excursion, but it got cancelled due to weather. I was so bummed! I think it would be beautiful to go out and explore the coast of Maine, so I guess we will have to come back and try again. There are plenty of companies that offer sailing experiences, but the one we booked was The Pineapple Ketch.
• Beaches
  • There are plenty of beaches around the Kennebunkport area, so if you are visiting during the summer months, I would recommend spending some time near the water! We visited Goose Rocks Beach, and I couldn’t believe how nice the sand was. The beach was very clean and had a ton of room, so this would be a great place to visit with kids. Tons of place for everyone to run around!
• Walker’s Point
  • Otherwise known as the Bush Compound, Walker’s Point is where the Bush family owns a beautiful summer home. We actually rode our bikes to Walker’s Point from our hotel because it wasn’t too far away! You can get a pretty good view of the house from the trail, but you won’t be able to go on a tour or get close.

Another fun thing to do in the area is walk around and look at the homes. I love the New England architecture, and all of the homes in this area are stunning. You will also notice that most homes have an American flag hanging out front. I guess Kennebunkport is a very patriotic town!

Have you been to Maine? If so, did you get a chance to visit Kennebunkport? I would love to come back and check out Portland next time. I have heard great things about that city as well.

Maine had been on my bucket list for so long, so I am happy we finally made this trip happen. I hope this was helpful if you are planning a trip to Kennebunkport in the near future. (Seriously, do not forget about the ice cream at Rococo!)