Join us as we cover the top 10 things to do in Portland proper including the best trails, events and museums.

Transcription

Maine is a massive state. It is almost the size of the rest of New England Combined. But for our list we’ll mostly stick to Portland proper. We’ll also cover the best restaurants and things to eat in a separate video and will focus more on things to do.

10. Walk Back Cove

Back Cove sits just to the North of Portland’s Peninsula. There’s a 3 mile walking/jogging trail that hugs the water. This is best hiked or biked at high tide, but will be pretty no matter the time of day.

9. Bike the Eastern Trail

The Northern Section of the Eastern Trail is an 18 mile multi-use trail from South Portland to Saco running through Scarborough Marsh, the largest saltwater Marsh in Maine.

We recommend biking the 2 mile stretch from Knightville in South Portland to Bug Light Park for great coastal views and some of the best views of the Portland Skyline.

8. Explore Old Port

As described, Old Port is the oldest part of Portland and features beautiful and rustic colonial brick buildings and cobblestone streets. There’s TONS of shops, restaurants and bars along Fore Street, Exchange Street, Wharf Street and Commercial Street with great waterfront views from the various piers jutting into Portland Harbor.

7. Thompson Point

Thompson Point is abuzz with activities as Portland’s main outdoor music venue. This is also where Bissell Brothers Brewing is, the Children Museum of Maine, an ice rink in the winter and when there’s not a large concert check out Summer Sunsets for free music, food trucks and a chill vibe.

6. Farmers Market

Deering Oaks Park kind of acts as Portland’s Central Park and is full of leafy trails, playgrounds, a summer splash pad and the largest farmer’s market in the state on Saturdays in the warmer months.

5. Museums

Portland doesn’t have massive museums, but does have a good selection of smaller museums like the Portland Museum of Art (currently undergoing an expansion), the Historical Society, The Portland Observatory, Victorian Mansion and the Firefighter Museum.

4. Sporting Events

Minor League Sports can be a lot more fun and more accessible than their major league counterparts. In the summer, you can catch a Portland Seadog Baseball Game or Hearts of Pine USL Soccer Game. In the colder months you can catch the Maine Celtics Basketball Team or Maine Mariners Hockey Team. Cheap tickets, good vibes and cheering fans!

3. Brewery Hopping

Maine has the second most breweries per capita in the US and Portland has one of the highest concentrations in the state.

You can head out to Industrial Way where there’s heavy hitters like Allagash, but also several others like Foundation, Battery Steele and Definitive Brewing.

Alternatively, East Bayside has quickly become a beer lovers mecca and is home to a dozen breweries, wineries, seltzeries and distilleries. This includes heavy hitters like Rising Tide and Lone Pine but also rising stars like Belleflower, Apres and Goodfire.

Check out our brewery crawl video for East Bayside for more details.

2. Walk the Eastern Promenade Trail

The Eastern Prom might just be the best urban park in America. Situated on a hill overlooking Casco Bay, it offers one of the most picturesque scenes in the entire city. The park features food trucks, kayak rentals and a small beach. The Eastern Promenade Trail hugs the Eastern shore of the peninsula, and is a 1 mile trail connecting to Old Port.

1. Get Out on the Water

The easiest and cheapest way to get out on the water is to take a public ferry to Peaks Island, an Island within the city limits and has an estimated year round population of 900 residents that balloons to up to 4,000 in the summer months. 

Once there you can hang out at one of the restaurants near the ferry or rent bikes and explore the island including the remnants of Bettery Steele, an old fortification falling into ruin but with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Peaks also features some of the best of Maine’s picturesque seaside cottages.

Otherwise, there’s tons of various boat tours. You could try your hand at lobstering aboard a lobster boat, or maybe wine and oysters are more your speed on a schooner. There’s also various sightseeing boat tours and whale watches as well.

Well that about does it. If you have any questions or if I missed anything, please comment below. And if you enjoy content like this, please like and subscribe.