Is Bar Harbor a good solo beach retreat? (Portland, Kennebunk: motels, houses)

[Gabriella Geramia]

I'm thinking of driving from Boston to spend a few days by myself to Bar Harbor and I'm not sure what to expect. I thought it was a lazy beach town but when I looked up Airbnb's I found a lot of them were secluded in the woods. Since I'll be traveling by myself I'd like to stay closer to civilization. Maybe the places to stay around the beach are just really expensive?

[OutdoorLover]

The Maine coast is predominantly sandy south of Portland and predominantly rocky north of Portland. So what I'd call beach towns are the towns on Maine's sandy southern coast - like York, Wells, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport...

Bar Harbor is on beautiful Mt Desert Island, which also holds the spectacular Acadia National Park. There is a small beach on the island, but no real "beach houses" on the beach - which is a picturesque but small arc of cove with the sandy beach. Bar Harbor is a beautiful but heavily visited town on a harbor with rocky shoreline. Southwest Harbor is I believe the second largest town on the island. You won't save much money by staying there, but it's a little quieter, while still having tourist infrastructure.

P.S. My two cents is that if you're from Boston, you might as well go to the Cape instead of the southern Maine coast if you want sandy beach. But if you want to see something different and you've never been up there, traveling to either the Camden/Rockport area in the mid-coast, or up to Bar Harbor/Southwest Harbor further north, are well worth it. Really beautiful places, just not sandy beach places.

[slyfox2]

Originally Posted by GummyShark

I'm thinking of driving from Boston to spend a few days by myself to Bar Harbor and I'm not sure what to expect. I thought it was a lazy beach town but when I looked up Airbnb's I found a lot of them were secluded in the woods. Since I'll be traveling by myself I'd like to stay closer to civilization. Maybe the places to stay around the beach are just really expensive?

I’m not sure exactly what you are asking. What exactly is a solo beach retreat?

If you are expecting a beach resort like the Bahamas, you will not find it here(yes I live in Bar Harbor all year around).

Sand Beach is a real beach but it is in the middle of Acadia National Park, and is real sand due to an island off the beach which channels ocean sand on to it.

There are no beach houses other than expensive motels. 99% of the land that is coastal is either privately owned or is National Park. There are no commercial beach places in a national park.

MDI is 3/4 national park.

If you want a secluded beach house, you will need to go to the south pacific ocean.
Other than Sand Beach,and the beaches south of Portland, all of the coast of Maine is pretty much rocky. BH is a tourist town but its not a beach town, like Rehobeth Beach, Delaware.

Go to Google and look at the streets of the town. Go to google pictures and look up Bar Harbor.

[svband76]

Bar Harbor is beautiful. Just go. Absolutely no downside

[pikabike]

Go OFF SEASON for more quiet.

I went over Thanksgiving Day weekend way back in the 80s. Tourists were gone, town still operating. I even got turkey dinner at a restaurant in Bar Harbor. I camped in the NP (brrrrrr) then but would stay in a B&B if I returned at the same time of year; nights were coooooold.

Beautiful break from the crowded Boston area.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by GummyShark

I'm thinking of driving from Boston to spend a few days by myself to Bar Harbor and I'm not sure what to expect. I thought it was a lazy beach town but when I looked up Airbnb's I found a lot of them were secluded in the woods. Since I'll be traveling by myself I'd like to stay closer to civilization. Maybe the places to stay around the beach are just really expensive?

We are in mid-tourist season. The tourist crowds flock to the coastal towns.

Keep in mind there are also hundreds of rivers and freshwater lakes in Maine. Many of which will never see huge crowds of tourists.

There must be Airbnbs that offer secluded freshwater beaches for much less money and you could ask them what local town amenities they have.

[mainegrl2011]

Airbnb seems to be the current fad, but that is not your only option. There are some less expensive motels and some more expensive motels in Bar Harbor. Acadia National Park and MDI is definitely worth visiting; however, you might prefer Old Orchard Beach if you want a relatively long sandy commercialized beach atmosphere. You can look at lots of places online before your trip... no need to guess what the accommodations or the shoreline looks like before you go. lots of photos on this website https://acadiamagic.com/

https://oldorchardbeachmaine.com/