Monhegan Island, Maine is hands-down one of our favorite places in the Northeast. It’s remote, beautiful, offers lots of hiking, and so much coastal charm. Think fishing village meets artist community. It’s located 10-miles off the coast of Maine.
If you ask my daughters, K1 and K2, they’d tell you their favorite thing about staying on the island is the freedom they have to explore. We allow them freedoms they don’t have at home, like walking in the village and shopping for candy and trinkets. They also love the slow pace of the island as much as we do.
Though the island is only 1.75 miles long by .75 mile wide, there are roughly 12 miles of hiking trails. You can wind through a wooded wonderland of creative fairy houses in Cathedral Woods, or take a coastal route and look out over the wide open ocean.
The island also has many artist galleries, a brewery, coffee roaster, cafes, restaurants, and quaint shops. If you like seafood, you MUST try The Fish House at Fish Beach. The fish tacos are the best we’ve ever had. The fish hash was also really good!
You can visit Monhegan as a day tripper and take a ferry to and from in one day. Or you can stay longer – and I think you’ll want to! You can book a hotel room at one of the three hotels or rent a cottage. Monhegan Welcome has a great list of options on their website. We have rented through both Shining Sails and Brackett Rentals and enjoyed both.
Ferry’s run from New Harbor, Port Clyde and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. We take the Hardy Boat ferry from New Harbor, Maine and have had a great experience. Once on the island, we’ve also done a 45-minute cruise around Monhegan on Balmy Days. They post their daily tour schedule at the wharf. The captain narrates with interesting historical facts and information about the island. If you’re lucky you’ll spot a whale, seals and puffins!
We try to visit the island every other year for a week. We’ve found a few cottages that are dog friendly, so we can bring our fur babies with us too. It’s a great place to slow down, be with family and enjoy the beauty of the island.
