I remember hearing about Kennebunkport, Maine when I was a little kid because that’s where President Bush had a fancy residence and I’d seen it on TV. Now visiting as an adult I understand that the draw of this beautiful town is much more than just a generational family home. If you’re planning a weekend in Kennebunkport, we’ve got a great plan for how to enjoy the town and surrounding area, as well as easy ways to add it to a bigger trip to Maine.
Have you gotten to visit or stay for a weekend in Kennebunkport, ME? If you haven’t then scribble out some time on your calendar to plan for it. There are lots of things to do here and it really is the quintessential Maine experience. Please let us know if you have any questions about visiting Kennebunkport by leaving us a comment or sending us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help others plan awesome adventures, to Maine or anywhere else!
Highlights of a Weekend in Kennebunkport
What I really enjoy about Kennebunkport, and what makes it such a great weekend destination, is how there’s a great blend of activities for every age and relaxing type things to do. You can visit with kids or grandparents and it’s fun either way. When you’re planning your trip, you’ll have options for things to do both on the water and in town, or even you can easily head to any of the many nature preserves for hiking and birding. You’ll not be bored at all. But then if you want to have nothing to do, the vibe of Kennebunkport is really chill and even when there is a bus full of tourists, it’s still quiet with little escapes all around town.
Kennebunkport on a weekend is just a little busier than a weekday, as locals from inland or up in Portland will come down for a visit, but even then it’s not bad. Since the hotels and inns around town are well distributed there’s not really a big concentration of people or central flow of traffic. The primary tourist area is around the bridge connecting Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, but you can easily step to a side street to see what everyone else is walking past. I kind of love it.
Whether you’ve been to Maine many times or this is a first visit, you’ll find that Kennebunkport checks off nearly each box you might have for a Maine trip: lobstering and lobster rolls, New England style architecture in the neighborhoods, historic setting, fall colors (if it’s the season) and charm. You’ll find all of it here, with very little of the more maritime-industrial vibe you get as you progress up the coast and things become less touristy and more everyday life. This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing, it’s just an observation I have from my visits. Kennebunkport is very photogenic all around town all the time, vs some other fishing towns that have kelp processing plants or shipyards.
Weather When you Visit Kennebunkport
Southern Maine is very similar to New York or Boston when it comes to weather. In the summer it can be hot and muggy or it can be just perfect and a pleasant 80 degrees with an ocean breeze. Before the summer weather sets in though, which is typically mid-June, you can expect Kennebunkport to be a bit rainy or misty for spring. Winter is cold, but it can be awesome when it’s clear and crisp. I think Kennebunkport really shines with fall.
Autumn in Southern Maine is beautiful and because the area all around the downtown portion of Kennebunkport has well-aged deciduous trees, when the colors start to change it’s just gorgeous. I tends to be chilly in the mornings (45 degrees or so) and then if there’s a warm spell it might even still get into the low 80s in October, but turns to true New England fall by the end of the month. November is wet and windy, and by December the Northeast winter vibes are fully setting in. Basically, pack in consideration of the season and check the forecast 2-3 days before you depart for Kennebunkport to make sure you’ve packed the right stuff.
Where to Stay for a Weekend in Kennebunkport
Kennebunkport has quite the variety of accommodations, so whether you’re here just for a weekend or if you’re planning to stay for longer and have this be your homebase while you explore Southern Maine, will determine what you pick for where to stay. I like staying directly in Kennebunkport because then everything is walking distance, from dining to tours, shopping to historic sites. If you’re planning just to visit for the day instead of a long weekend, you might look at hotels in Saco or Old Orchard Beach to save a little money, but I feel like if it’s in the budget, staying in the heart of Kennebunkport is best. We’ve had two awesome and very different stays here. The first being a lovely boutique hotel, the Breakwater Inn.
Staying at the Breakwater Inn was perfect for having that picturesque Kennebunkport experience. Arriving to our room there were fishing boats docked just outside on the Kennebunk River and then a wonderful lawn for enjoying happy hour and the sunset. The Breakwater Inn’s restaurant, the Port Fish and Chop House, was lovely as well and added a delicious side to our days here.
The other really fun stay we enjoyed here in Kennebunkport was actually at the Sandy Pines Campground. I know, camping isn’t always our thing but there’s always an open mind for glamping, and that’s just what we enjoyed at Sandy Pines. We had a Wes Anderson themed tiny home cabin, which was awesome and could sleep ten people, but there are lots of other types of glamping too. I liked staying at Sandy Pines for being in the outdoors and enjoying all the great natural areas near Kennebunkport. Yes, there’s a pool and yard games and fun camping stuff to do too, but I love when we go exploring, so Sandy Pines Campground was a great spot to unwind at the end of the day.
Things to Do for a Trip to Kennebunkport
Even though our ideas for fun things to do in Kennebunkport and the surrounding area is pretty inclusive, if you find other interesting activities or you’re feeling like you want to take a different approach to your visit, adjust the plan to fit your interests. Our kids are easy and roll with whatever we’ve got planned, but we always include a few fun things to do that align with what we know they like. Kennebunkport for the weekend can be as flexible as you want it to be if you’re visiting in summer and early fall.
Strolling Kennebunkport
When you’re planning a weekend trip to Kennebunkport, make sure that you’re leaving yourself enough time for just strolling through town and checking out the many shops and restaurants. It’s very easy if you’re staying near the downtown core to just walk outside your hotel and enjoy the picturesque buildings. You’ve got storefronts and cafes in historic buildings, there are some spots right on the water and some cool places in little alleyways. When you’re strolling through Kennebunkport, be sure that you cross the bridge to the Kennebunk side of the river. Here you’ll find more shops and cafes, and a whole neighborhood that’s all about art. The Art Hill has galleries and studios, and lots of art outdoors. I really like both sides of the town, so explore it all and see which you prefer.
Note: if you’re staying at the eastern end of Kennebunkport, be sure you walk the ocean path out to St Ann’s By-the-Sea. This historic church is really cool even if you’re not religious. It’s built of stone and is interesting to visit.
Biking around Kennebunkport
Whether you’re bringing your own bikes, renting them in town, or if you’re staying somewhere that supplies them, biking around Kennebunkport needs to be on your weekend plan. Starting from Ocean Avenue you can continue all along the river and out towards the beach and points. St Ann’s is a great stop if you’re biking, and then up around the corner to beautiful views of the Atlantic.
Keep on riding bikes from here and it’ll wrap you around the next point until you come to the famed Porpoise Point, the historic and presidential estate on the peninsula. You cannot visit it, but you can see the beautiful property and then keep riding. This road does loop around and bring you back into town, so don’t worry about getting too lost. You can also plan a shorter Kennebunkport bike ride by just riding around the town area and over to the Kennebunk side to the beach and back. You’ll get the hang of it and it’s all beautiful.
Tip: if you’re riding bikes through the neighborhood near the east end of Ocean Ave, watch for the Cabot Cove Cottages. It’s not actually Cabot Cove from Murder, She Wrote but it harkens to the quaint Maine village where the show was set.
Rugosa Lobster Tour
If you’ve never been out on a lobster boat, Kennebunkport is a great place to do it. We’ve done it here and up in Port Clyde (MidCoast) with the Monhegan Boat Line and each time it’s pretty cool. I like hearing about the process of lobstering, seeing the lobstermen pull in their pots, and of course getting to hold lobsters. Going out on the Rugosa Lobster Tour is more than just going out on a fishing boat, but this is an experience where you get to learn about the whole lobstering process, from setting pots to identifying keepers to how they keep the lobster industry sustainable.
I mean, it doesn’t take much to get me out on the water, but put learning, something really regional and unique, AND a sunny day all together and it’s just our perfect activity. And a bonus, sometimes going out on a lobster boat is akin to whale watching, depending on whether or not there are whales and porpoises around when you’re out. We actually got to see an ocean sunfish (mola mola) when we went out on the Rugosa, so that’s pretty amazing.
Visit the Seashore Trolley Museum
Let me just geek out for a moment. I love vintage transportation and I love museums. The Seashore Trolley Museum isn’t a museum like you might think, but more like a living history center. Back in the heyday of the turn-of-the-century and when electricity was starting to make it’s way into everyday life, the trolley lines connecting the towns of Southern Maine were extensive and SMART! I wish they were still around, but what we do have is a collection of tracks making a route for some of the restored trolleys to carry visitors today.
Riding the beautiful trolley cars and then checking out the restoration barn and other retired cars is great, and a good activity with kids. There’s also an actual museum with exhibits, so put it all together and it’s a great all-ages activity for your weekend in Kennebunkport.
Kayaking on the Kennebunk River
We’re always looking to get on the water, and usually go kayaking when we’re up in MidCoast Maine, but the Kennebunk River is actually a great, easy kayaking spot that’s good for any level of paddler. With most of the river being fairly sheltered from the wind or incoming waves, it’s a fun and beautiful area for kayaking. There are kayak rentals both midway through town at the marina and near the bridge.
Many hotels and small resorts also have kayaks available for guests to use, so you may not even need to rent one. If you’ve brought your own paddling gear, you can put in at a variety of spots on both the Kennebunkport and Kennebunk sides of town. Don’t go out to see though unless you have the right gear, the right experience under your belt and the tides/weather are right for it. I think just paddling from one end of town to the other and on the pond is a great activity, and it doesn’t take too long. You can, I’m sure, fit this into your Kennebunkport weekend getaway.
Rental: rent kayaks from New England Eco Adventures here
Birdwatching at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
When you look at a wildlife refuge it often feels like there should be more trails and places for humans to enjoy them, but remember they’re for wildlife. The Rachael Carson National Wildlife Refuge is very easy to visit from Kennebunkport and is great to visit with everyone. There is just one nature trail and it’s very level and easy. It’s really beautiful and goes through the full area of the wildlife refuge that’s open to humans. The trail has lots of lookout spots for watching for birds and other wildlife in the marsh and on the tidal river. If you get to visit Kennebunkport on a fall weekend, the Rachael Carson Wildlife Refuge is also a great place for seeing fall colors, aka leaf peeping.
Note: if you’re not familiar with Rachael Carson, she is the author of the book Silent Spring which was one of the first major books to bring up major environmental concerns and advocate for great preservation for both wildlife and unique ecosystems. There is a small visitor center here that talks about her work and contributions to preservation efforts in New England.
Explore the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Very different from the Rachael Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve is quite big with a bunch of different trails going all over the place. There is a visitor center where you can learn about both the historic farm where the Wells NERR is located and about the different ecosystems you can hike through. There are gardens, fields, forests, orchards and even beach access. You could easily spend all day here, but since this is a part of a weekend in Kennebunkport, just choose a trail or two to enjoy. I recommend the Laird Trail combined with the Saw Wet Owl Trail. This will get you into the forests and also through some of the meadow spots and on the boardwalks. I really like this particular natural area for exploring and birding.
Note: there is a suggested donation station to help fund the maintenance of the grounds and trail systems. It’s just a few dollars and is absolutely worth donating to.
Kennebunkport Historical Society Museum
You know me, I’m always down for a little history in the mix and I find that local museums, like the Kennebunkport Historical Society, have some of the best stories of what makes a destination unique. The White Columns, which is actually a historic home with museum exhibits, is an easy addition to your Kennebunkport weekend plan. Learn a little about the history of the town, its residents, and even the Bush family legacy in the region. You can do a tour of the White Columns house or do a historical walking tour through Kennebunkport. There are a few ways to enjoy your visit with the Historical Society.
Explore the Saco Heath Preserve
This is a little farther away than anything else we’ve got on our Kennebunkport weekend plan, but it’s worth it! Drive to the Saco Heath Preserve for an easy hike that’s truly unique for this part of Maine. It’s a very level trail with no elevation gain and a fair amount of it is actually boardwalks. What makes the Saco Heath Preserve such a cool place is actually the highland bogs you’re hiking through. Although you start in the forest, the trail leads you through low bush cranberry fields and back through more of the beautiful Maine forest. The Saco Heath Preserve is extra beautiful in fall when both the giant trees and the swaths of cranberry bushes are all changing color.
Tip: while there are cranberries all along the Saco Heath Preserve trail, unless you know exactly which berries you can eat safely, don’t pick and eat as you go. That’s my disclaimer and you should NEVER eat wild berries that you’re unsure of.
Get the Best Lobster Roll in New England
Okay, so I don’t know that the Clam Shack’s lobster roll is actually the best one in New England, but Food and Wine magazine says it is. I think either McCloon’s Lobster Shack up in South Thomaston or Sprague’s in Wiscasset are pretty darn good, but the Clam shack is quality too. Since the lobster is coming in fresh continually, you really can’t go wrong, so if the line here is long I’m sure you’ll be happy trying another one here in town. Don’t let your weekend in Kennebunkport end without having a lobster roll though… or maybe a lobster bisque or melt. There are so many ways to enjoy it, just make sure you try some lobster in some form.
Beach Day at Kennebunk Beach
Did you know that Kennebunk Beach is actually an awesome beach? People think of Old Orchard Beach for having a beach vacation or weekend trip, but Kennebunk Beach is really wonderful with lots of parking, facilities and white sand. When the waves are just right it’s also a great surfing spot (wetsuits for sure). You can ride bikes her from Kennebunkport or drive, but if it’s a weekend day or extra nice in the middle of summer, despite the ample parking, you may be better off riding bikes to get here. Also in summer months, there is a community pool at Kennebunk, complete with a beach bathhouse. I think you’ll love it here, and if you’re not down for swimming or laying on the sand, there are plenty of benches and a beach path to enjoy.
Bonus: Day trip to Ogunquit
If you’ve not been to Ogunquit before, maybe add a day here onto your Kennebunkport trip. It’s only a half hour away and is a really beautiful little town. You’ve got the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, the Ogunquit Playhouse, wonderful shops and restaurants, and even a fantastic beach. What Ogunquit is really known for though is the LGBTQ community here. This is Maine’s biggest gayborhood, we like to say. From rainbow crosswalks to LGBTQ bars and gay-owned businesses all through town, the vibe is welcoming, fun and the perfect addition to a visit to Kennebunkport.
So now that you see all the fun things to do in Kennebunkport don’t you want to plan a little weekend trip or include it when you plan your next visit to Maine? Really it’s a beautiful, fun town and one of my favorite places in the whole state. If you have any questions about visiting Kennebunkport or planning a Maine trip, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you put together a wonderful time for your whole family!
Don’t forget to check out our Maine website: MaineExplored.com!
