The Couples’ Guide: What To Do in Bar Harbor
With couples’ activities that range from adventures in Acadia National Park to a couples’ massage in the same club the Rockefellers once played, Bar Harbor is a city for romance and relaxation.
Soothe Body & Mind
Renovated and reopened in 2009, the Bar Harbor Club used to be the private playground for Gilded Age millionaires who made West Street the wealthiest summer address in 1920s and ’30s New England. Situated on the edge of Frenchman Bay on the property of The Harborside Hotel & Marina and just across the street from the West Street Hotel, the Tudor-style building welcomes overworked and overstressed couples in desperate need of downtime with tennis courts, an oceanfront pool, and a 50-person hot tub. Not to mention its five-treatment room spa is the ideal place to soothe your woes and worries away with a couple’s massage in the privacy of the Duet Suite. For a special anniversary, order champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.
Be the First to See the Sunrise Together (But, If You’re Driving, Remember to Make Reservations, First!)
There’s nothing more romantic that spending a sunrise together. But if you’re looking to spread out a blanket and partake in the popular sunrise experience atop Acadia’s 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, make sure you make a vehicle reservation first – a new requirement by the park to access Cadillac’s Summit Road (learn all the ins-and-outs of this new reservation system here). Afterward, take to the Loop Road to hit up Thunder Hole and other top spots. Or rent wheels from Acadia Bike to navigate the network of carriage roads first navigated by bluebloods with last names like Pulitzer and Rockefeller. Paved pathways and easy access to town ensure a National Park experience that allows you to drop back into civilization any time you like.
Lounge under the Bar Harbor Sky
An adults-only, rooftop infinity pool might sound like something you’d find in New York City, but thanks to the Bar Harbor’s luxury West Street Hotel, a relaxing day with your sweetheart under sunny blue skies is just a quick elevator ride away. From the comfort of your sun bed or lounge float, gaze out at the panoramic view of Frenchman’s Bay while enjoying light food and drinks served poolside.
Love & Lobster
In Maine, everything somehow relates to lobster. Why not get in the Vacationland spirit and make Lulu the Lobster Boat the spot for a romantic renewal of your vows? Sailing from the center of Bar Harbor from The Harborside Hotel & Marina, this classic Down East–style lobster boat offers special romantic boat charters and is the perfect way to gather close friends and family to witness your recommitment to each other.
A Simple Walk
Bar Harbor’s namesake Bar Island is accessible by foot during low tide via the Bar Island Trail. Time it right and you can stroll hand in hand to the small pine-forested island home for which the town is named. But be sure to return before high tide or you’ll be enjoying the scenery longer than you originally planned.
An Irish-Inspired Dinner
You’ll find a piece of the Emerald Isle on the corner of Bar Harbor’s West Street and Main in the form of Paddy’s Irish Pub. The bar is a lively gathering spot hosting evening musicians regularly, but if looking for something a bit more quiet, request to sit in the dining room, located behind the glass-enclosed floor-to-ceiling rotisserie that slowly spit-roasts whole chickens, pork racks, and rib eyes. Here, you can share motherland classics, like Irish stew with shellfish and black cod, among deep rich red decor and tables, chairs, and other furniture that were crafted in and shipped from Ireland.
Where to Stay West Street Hotel | Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina
