How to Make The Most of Your Cruise to Vinalhaven
There’s so much more to Maine than just the mainland. The cold waters off its rugged shoreline are home to a bevy of experiences that are only available by boat, including the popular day-trip destination of Vinalhaven Island.
One market, a used bookstore, two restaurants, a coffee shop. Despite being the largest island in Midcoast Maine’s Penobscot Bay at 24 square miles in size, Vinalhaven isn’t home to much commercial business besides the staples necessary to support the 1,000-person year-round population. But that’s also precisely its appeal. Instead of bustling businesses, what you’ll find are fishing boats in the wait (fishing being the island’s main industry), craggy shorelines, secluded coves, thick stands of pine, birch, and spruce forests, and over 20 nature preserves. Here’s our guide to everything the island has to offer, from well-known destinations to hidden gems.
HOW TO GET TO VINALHAVEN MAINE
The coastline around Rockland and its surrounding areas is overflowing with ways to get on the water, from lobstering trips to whale-watching expeditions to kayak rentals. Still, the best way to experience the bay like a local is to go by ferry. Just 15 minutes from Samoset Resort, the Maine State Ferry Service provides round-trip service to Vinalhaven Island throughout the day, with room for your bike, your car, or just you and your travel companions. The 15-mile trip through Penobscot Bay takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes, and along the way, you may see whales, puffins, or lobstermen at work, and you’ll get up-close views of the Rockland Breakwater and its lighthouse, as well as the stunning Owl’s Head Lighthouse.
For an overhead view, Penobscot Island Air departs from nearby Owl’s Head and offers limited charters to and from the island as well as “flightseeing.” Either way, be sure to call ahead to make reservations! Transportation in and around the island fills up quickly, especially during busy summer months.
HOW TO GET AROUND VINALHAVEN
Vinalhaven Island is accessible by car or by foot, but many visitors and locals alike choose to get around on two wheels. You can bring your own bikes or rent them from the Tidewater Motel when you arrive, then explore around corners and down less-traveled roads to see what makes this island such a special place. (If a water view is what you’re craving, the Tidewater also offers paddleboard, kayak and canoe rentals.)
THINGS TO DO IN VINALHAVEN MAINE
Hit the Trail
Throughout the island’s 700 acres, you’ll find more than 20 hiking preserves that are well-loved and cared for by the Vinalhaven Land Trust, a group of passionate, local volunteers who are dedicated to preserving the land for generations to come. Lane’s Island Preserve is a great spot for picnicking, and the Story Trail on Granite Island comes complete with pages from an oversized storybook that you can read along the way.
View the Area’s Winged Friends and Wildlife
During the summer months, the island has an event calendar that’s packed with guided activities like bird-watching (look for sea birds like ospreys and bald eagles), visits to the old quarrying town on Hurricane Island, boat tours of nearby Burnt Island, and hikes to discover the island’s geology, aquaculture or local flora and fauna. Events also include low-tide walks and cleanup days for both the beaches and trails.
Bird-watching is also offered by boat, including trips to nearby Seal Island to spot ospreys, puffins and whales. Or, book a private charter on a Hampton boat based on an early-1900s lobster fishing vessel for a leisurely tour around the island.
Peruse a Local Market Farm
Visit Robert’s Harbor Farm on the south end of the island to see first-hand the local efforts to supply the community with sustainable flowers and vegetables. The farm’s grounds, including greenhouses, gardens and trips to visit the sheep and pigs are open to the public (although the buildings are not.)
Soak up the History
If you’re a history buff, the Vinalhaven Historical Society Museum, located on High Street downtown, showcases the island’s past, including the Native Americans who called the island home as long as 5,000 years ago, and the settlers who moved to the island after the American Revolution to take advantage of the area’s fishing, quarrying and logging opportunities.
Look out for Iconic Landmarks
For a truly unique photo opportunity that only New England can provide, be sure to check out one of the many lighthouses that surround the island and can be seen by either land or boat, including Brown’s Head Light to the north, Heron Neck Lighthouse to the south, and the Goose Rocks Lighthouse, which locals have lovingly nicknamed the “spark plug.”
Take a Dip
On the hottest of the hot summer days, the island also offers visitors the chance to cool off by taking a swim in one of two abandoned granite quarries-turned-swimming holes. Booth’s Quarry and Lawson’s Quarry, both near the south end of the island, offer cool water, jumping cliffs and the perfect way to spend the summer like a local.
ROUND OUT YOUR DAY
After you return to the mainland, end your day with a picturesque outdoor dinner at Samoset Resort’s award-winning La Bella Vita Ristorante, complete with sweeping views of Penobscot Bay. Enjoy a glass of wine in front of the crackling fireplace at the cozy Ubran Wine Bar inside Enoteca Lounge. Or, head out to the Ultimate Backyard for a cold beverage and a friendly game of pickleball. It’s the perfect end to a perfect day.
