Maine Magazine recently spent 48 hours in Belfast and Lincolnville and found plenty of exciting things to see and do. Located on Penobscot Bay just north of Camden in the Midcoast region of Maine, these small waterfront towns pack a big punch. Keep reading for some of our favorite activities in and around each town as well as a selection of exceptional properties available nearby.
What We Love About Lincolnville
Lincolnville is home to Lincolnville Beach, a charming village area with a small but inviting strip of shops, art galleries, and restaurants. McLaughlin’s Lobster Shack offers quintessential favorites like Maine lobster rolls and fried clam baskets in a casual environment with waterfront seating. Grab lunch at Dot’s before hitting the best sand beach around or catch the ferry to Islesboro for a day trip. Hike the very popular Bald Rock trail, part of the Camden Hills State Park network of trails, worth the effort for the stunning views of the Bay and the islands from the peak. Reward yourself with a stop at the newly-renovated Lincolnville General Store, a full-service market with an excellent selection of prepared food with an emphasis on local and organic. Looking for something more relaxing? Enjoy a wine tasting in Cellardoor’s beautifully restored 200±-year-old barn overlooking the hills and the vineyard. Be sure to peruse the carefully curated gift store while you’re there.
Surrounded by beautiful fields in a bucolic, private setting, Grey Ghost Farm features a unique residence and an extraordinary barn with beautiful views of the fields, woods, and surrounding mountains. The house is energy efficient and combines an open and contemporary feeling with high-end finishes. Across the bay, Periwinkle Beach is a private, oceanfront Shingle-style cottage with spectacular western views across Penobscot Bay to the Camden Hills. The house is an elegant architect-designed residence with a light-filled open floor plan centered around an impressive Russian brick fireplace and includes an extensive, private sand and pebble beach and a deep-water mooring.
What We Love About Northport
On the way from Lincolnville to Belfast, the seaside town of Northport is worth a visit. There you will find the historic Bayside Village that originated as a summer colony in the mid-1800s and has kept visitors coming back every summer since. Centered around a small green with a beach and the Northport Yacht Club, Bayside is full of picture-perfect Victorian Gingerbread Cottages. Don’t forget to stop by The Hoot for refreshments after a round of golf at the Northport Golf Club, open to the public.
Surrounded by majestic oaks, Oak Hall is an iconic, historic house constructed in a symmetrical Georgian Style exhibiting impeccable craftsmanship and engineering that remains impressive by today’s standards. Perfectly preserved period details include marble floors, French paneled walls, multiple fireplaces with beautifully carved mantels, restored original fixtures, intricate plaster ceilings, and elaborate woodwork. Windward House is a Victorian cottage with excellent broad views of West Penobscot bay out to the Blue Hill Peninsula that has been fully renovated with updated amenities and interesting architectural details. It has a beautiful sand and pebble beach that is perfect for beachcombing, swimming, and kayaking.
What We Love About Belfast
No trip to Belfast is complete without a stop at Chase’s Daily serving local, delicious vegetarian food. If you don’t feel like waiting for a table, pick up some fresh baked goods or peruse the seasonal farmer’s market in the back of the restaurant. Darby’s Restaurant is a local institution popular with the before-and-after movie crowd from the Colonial Theater next door. Relative newcomer, Delvino’s Grill & Pasta House serves up Italian favorites and is just intimate enough for a date night yet remains family-friendly. There are many shopping options, but Coyote Moon has maintained a loyal following for many years, and Out On a Whimsy is a great stop pre-children’s birthday party; be sure to take advantage of their fantastic gift wrapping service. For waterfront dining on Belfast Bay, visit Nautilus Seafood & Grill, or on the other side of the bridge is the iconic Young’s Lobster Pound with dine-in options (BYOB), or get it to go; they also offer overnight shipping for your post-vacation lobster cravings.
Prominently sited on a scenic knoll and surrounded by gardens and water on two sides, the centrally-located Dark Harbor House is a stunning example of Colonial Revival architecture that has undergone a fully restorative renovation of the historic Fred Savage design down to the period furnishings and landscaping. East Bay is a beautifully designed and skillfully crafted home built in the tradition of the grand estates of coastal Maine. It is privately located on East Penobscot Bay with broad views encompassing all the islands of the eastern bay, North Haven, and the open ocean in the distance to the south.
Prominently sited on Gilkey Harbor with stunning views to the west, Sears Cottage is one of the grand historic Islesboro estates constructed at the turn of the 20th century. The property includes beautiful gardens and landscaping, a pond, a guest cottage with a four-car garage, a carriage house/stable, a billiard house, a reading room, and a substantial deep-water dock with floats.
For more information on these and other Midcoast properties, please contact Joe Sortwell or Terry Sortwell in our Camden office, 207-236-3543.
Header image: Sunset over the Camden Hills from Periwinkle Beach
