Visitor's Guide 2023-2024

QUAFF A CRAFT Maine is at the forefront of the craft beverage boom and you can try a flight, local wine, or a spirit or creative mocktail at Greater Portland’s many bars and beverage brewers. Tasting rooms often have their own small plates or enticing food trucks to pair with favorite sips and suds. The region’s micro-size allows for ease of travel and ability to explore a surprising variety of local craft drinks in one outing; the East Bayside, Washington Avenue, and Riverside neighborhoods contain a dense concentration of breweries and distilleries, even a local kombuchery. Beer-themed bus and walking tours make indulging in the expansive selection of microbrews and local spirits thoroughly safe as well as educational and fun. (More on page 31)

SHOP FOR TREASURE With specialty shops for dog lovers, comic collectors, and those who love to cook (and eat!), you’ll be tempted to bring home several new purchases. Poke through shops and galleries lining the cobblestone streets of Portland’s Old Port section. Find everything under one roof at Maine’s largest mall in South Portland. Just 15 minutes north of Portland, the picturesque lanes of Freeport’s charming New England village are home to national outlets and local boutiques. Don’t be deterred if you get the late night shopping bug or lack some essential gear for the next day’s outdoor adventure—the flagship store of world famous outfitter L.L.Bean in Freeport is open 24 hours every day, year round. (More on pages 38–43)

SEE THE LIGHTS No less than six lighthouses line Portland Harbor to protect incoming ships from the area’s famously rocky coast. The iconic beacons of Greater Portland are each unique representations of nautical history. Whether fashioned after Greek temples, attached to private homes, or having the distinction of being the first light commissioned by the U.S. government, these classic structures evoke a romantic sense of the sea. Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth is one of the most picturesque cliff-side towers found anywhere, and its quintessential New England design makes it one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. (More on page 23)

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: KNACK FACTORY; PORTHOLE RESTAURANT + PUB; ERIC STORM

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