Your Next Adventure
Your Next Adventure
Maine’s Shores & Lighthouses Getaway Bike Tour
Trip Overview
Enjoy the beautiful Maine coastline, historical towns, iconic rivers, islands, and lighthouses!
You start just outside the city of Portland, a history-rich seacoast town with a working waterfront and hundreds of one-of-a-kind shops. After cycling near town, you take a ferry across Casco Bay to ride the coast of Peaks Island ... while visiting museums that dive into the rich seafaring traditions of the island. Experience famous, small coastal towns, where you see 18th- and 19th-century homes and get an insider look at the culture of seacoast living.
Head inland to see the bays and pristine rivers where salmon run during the migration period. And as a special treat, you unpack once and spend all three nights at the prestigious Higgins Beach Inn, a block from the waterfront and the unspoiled white sands of lovely Higgins Beach.
Itinerary
From start to finish, check out the route.
Meet your leaders at the hotel just outside Portland. After brief introductions, shuttle to a lunch area and then to the trailhead and get fitted on your bike. Next, enjoy a scenic ride to explore the coast around Portland and beyond. Begin along the Eastern Promenade bike path, where you discover the history of Casco Bay and the Calendar Islands. From there, take a ferry to Peaks Island – once known as the “Coney Island of Maine” and an important WWII outpost. Stop to visit the 5th Maine Museum and Battery Steele to learn how this small island played a vital role in two wars and how it became part of the historic register … and the first property protected by the Peaks Island Land Preserve. Next, cycle around the island for stunning open ocean views. Have your first night's dinner at the Sea Glass Restaurant.
It's time to discover Casco Bay's shores and the lighthouses that make this state unique! Ride through history as you stop at five different lighthouses today. Get the full lighthouse story as you visit each ... capturing each photo-worthy moment, and – whenever possible – climbing up the lighthouse. You can imagine the exciting lives and essential responsibilities of lighthouse keepers. With each one you visit on this ride, you can learn about the unique tasks surrounding keeping the vital light burning for ships at sea. Tonight, have dinner on your own around Pine Point Beach.
Leave the coast today to explore inland. Start at the quintessential Maine community of Brunswick – a college town dating back to the early 1800s. Your ride continues out of town toward Merrymeeting Bay, a rare natural feature formed where six different rivers empty into the bay – including two rivers you see during your ride (Kennebec River and Androscoggin River). Lunch is at Annabella's Bakery and Cafe with freshly baked bread, pastries, and more. Finish your ride in the forested area at Whiskeag trailhead, where you can enjoy a short walk or relax under the shade. Your final celebration dinner is on the Maine waterfront.
Today you have two ride options depending on your departure plans. On the shorter ride, you return to the inn around 10:30 a.m., and on the longer ride around 12:30 p.m. Either way, you ride along some of the oldest European-settled towns in the United States, with beautiful 18th- and 19th-century homes.
Map
Dates & Pricing
Prices are per person based on double occupancy (2 people in one room). Single supplement for private room is listed at the top of this page. A deposit of $500 holds your reservation for most tours. For weekend tours, the deposit is $300.
What’s Included
3 nights’ lodging, 3 breakfasts, and 2 dinners (you are on your own for all lunches, and 1 dinner in Pine Point Beach), certain museum tickets, and ferry tickets. We also include detailed maps and itineraries, experienced guides, full van support — plus the use of a bike and helmet. Airfare is not included.
Dates & Pricing
Prices are per person based on double occupancy (2 people in one room). Single supplement for private room is listed at the top of this page. A deposit of $500 holds your reservation for most tours. For weekend tours, the deposit is $300.
What’s Included
3 nights’ lodging, 3 breakfasts, and 2 dinners (you are on your own for all lunches, and 1 dinner in Pine Point Beach), certain museum tickets, and ferry tickets. We also include detailed maps and itineraries, experienced guides, full van support — plus the use of a bike and helmet. Airfare is not included.
Inns
Where you stay along the way.
Gallery
Images from this tour. Click each to see it larger.
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