Overview
Down East is a region in Maine. It encompasses Hancock and Washington Counties.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 15°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Nov. (climate data from nearby Acadia National Park)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BHB Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, Bar Harbor — 38 mi away. Directions
- BGR Bangor International Airport, Bangor — 42 mi away. Directions
- PWM Portland International Jetport, Portland — 145 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Lubec — West Quoddy Lighthouse and Visitor Center, Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Le Cadeau Originals Gallery.
- Day 2: Eastport — Tides Institute and Museum of Art, Old Sow, Peavey Memorial Library.
- Day 3: Calais — Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, Whitlock's Mill Light, Dr. Job Holmes Cottage & Museum.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Down East
Regions
Other destinations
- Acadia National Park - the first National Park east of the Mississippi. Busy during tourist season but always one of the most beautiful parts of the Maine coast. Approximately 30 minutes south of Ellsworth via Route 3, on Mount Desert Island near Bar Harbor.
Do
Enjoy a boat tour or fishing trip.
Cities and towns
Some of the major tourist towns are:
- Bar Harbor
- Blue Hill
- Bucksport
- Castine
- Calais
- Cooper
- Eastport
- Ellsworth
- Frenchboro
- Hancock
- Jonesport
- Lubec
- Machias
- Mount Desert
- Orland
- Penobscot
- Southwest Harbor
- Tremont
- Winter Harbor
Nearby
Orono
City / town · 8 listings · 34 mi away
Ellsworth
City / town · 48 listings · 34 mi away
Winter Harbor
City / town · 12 listings · 37 mi away
Hulls Cove
City / town · 6 listings · 38 mi away
Trenton
City / town · 26 listings · 39 mi away
Bar Harbor
City / town · 104 listings · 39 mi away
Lincoln
City / town · 9 listings · 39 mi away
Bangor
City / town · 41 listings · 39 mi away
My experience
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