Best Beaches To Explore Along Southern Maine’s Coastline This Summer
Maine’s southern coast has a funny way of changing its mood on you. One minute, you’re in the middle of classic summer chaos with beach snacks, arcade sounds, and towels packed close together.
A little farther down the road, everything gets quieter, with dunes, tide pools, and fog rolling in over the Atlantic. That contrast is what makes this part of Maine so much fun to explore.
Some beaches are made for surfing and people-watching, while others feel better suited to slow walks, calm swims, or just sitting there doing absolutely nothing for a while. This guide breaks down the spots worth knowing, so choosing your beach day feels less like a guessing game and more like the start of a really good summer memory.
1. Higgins Beach, Scarborough
Few beaches in Maine manage to feel both lively and refreshingly low-key at the same time, but Higgins Beach in Scarborough pulls it off with ease.
Situated just south of Portland, this sandy stretch draws a loyal crowd of surfers, families, and anyone who appreciates a beach that hasn’t been overrun by souvenir shops. The waves here are consistent enough to make surfers happy, especially in the early morning hours when the swell is clean and the crowds are thin.
Parking is limited, so arriving early is genuinely the smartest move you can make. A handful of small rental cottages line the road behind the beach, giving the whole area a relaxed, neighborhood-style atmosphere that feels more like a local secret than a tourist destination.
The sand is soft and wide at low tide, perfect for long walks or building the kind of sandcastle that earns admiring looks from passing strangers.
Higgins Beach doesn’t have a big flashy concession stand, which honestly adds to its charm. Pack a cooler, bring your own chairs, and enjoy one of southern Maine’s most authentically beautiful stretches of shoreline.
2. Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit
Stretching for about three miles along the southern Maine coast, Ogunquit Beach is the kind of place that makes you want to cancel your return flight and just stay.
The name itself comes from the Abenaki word meaning “beautiful place by the sea,” and honestly, the Abenaki people were not wrong.
The beach sits on a long barrier strip between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ogunquit River, which creates a warm, shallow tidal area that is absolutely ideal for young kids who aren’t quite ready for ocean waves.
The town of Ogunquit has a charming, walkable downtown area with great restaurants, art galleries, and ice cream shops just a short stroll from the sand.
Footbridge Beach and Moody Beach are accessible from here as well, making Ogunquit a solid home base for a full week of beach-hopping. The Marginal Way, a scenic one-mile cliff walk, offers some of the most jaw-dropping ocean views you’ll find anywhere in New England.
Summer weekends fill up fast, so booking accommodations well in advance is strongly recommended. Ogunquit Beach is one of those places that earns its reputation every single season.
3. Old Orchard Beach, Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach is the life of the party on the southern Maine coast, and it has been for over a century. The town’s famous seven-mile stretch of sand is paired with Palace Playland, New England’s only beachfront amusement park, and the nearby Old Orchard Pier.
Rides, arcade games, fried dough, and the sound of waves crashing below the roller coaster create an atmosphere that is genuinely hard to find anywhere else in the country.
The beach itself is wide, flat, and perfect for large groups. It’s one of the most visited beaches in all of New England, drawing families, college students, and French-Canadian tourists who have been making the trip south for generations.
The main strip of shops and restaurants along Old Orchard Street stays busy well into the evening during peak summer months.
If you’re looking for a quieter corner, head toward the northern end of the beach where the crowds thin out noticeably. Old Orchard Beach is unabashedly fun, proudly retro, and the kind of summer experience that sticks with you long after the sand is out of your shoes.
4. Footbridge Beach, Ogunquit
Getting to Footbridge Beach is half the fun. Visitors cross a wooden pedestrian footbridge over the Ogunquit River to reach this quieter section of the Ogunquit Beach system, and that short walk over the bridge already sets a different mood than the main beach entrance.
The northern end of the Ogunquit barrier beach, Footbridge Beach tends to attract a slightly more laid-back crowd looking for a little more breathing room between their beach towels.
The river mouth nearby creates an interesting mix of ocean and tidal water, and it’s a popular spot for kayakers who like to paddle the calm estuary before heading out to the open coast. The sand here is just as soft and wide as the main Ogunquit Beach, but the vibe is noticeably more relaxed.
A small snack bar operates nearby during peak season, so you won’t go hungry if the saltwater gives you an appetite.
Parking for Footbridge Beach is located on Ocean Street, and the walk to the bridge is pleasant and shaded in spots. For anyone who loves the Ogunquit area but wants to sidestep the biggest crowds, Footbridge Beach is the kind of insider tip that pays off every time.
5. Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth
Just south of Portland in the town of Cape Elizabeth, Crescent Beach State Park offers one of the most well-rounded beach experiences in all of southern Maine.
The beach itself is a beautiful crescent-shaped strip of sand that curves gently along a protected cove, giving it calmer water than many of the more exposed beaches in the region. That makes it especially appealing for families with younger children who want ocean access without dealing with heavy surf.
The state park facilities are clean and well-maintained, with picnic areas, restrooms, and a snack bar that serves up the kind of fried seafood that belongs at a Maine beach. There is a state park entrance fee, which helps keep the park in excellent condition throughout the season.
The surrounding landscape includes rocky outcroppings and pine trees that frame the beach in a way that feels distinctly and beautifully New England.
Nearby Two Lights State Park is worth a quick detour for the dramatic rocky coastline views. Crescent Beach State Park rewards visitors who appreciate natural beauty, good facilities, and a beach that manages to feel spacious even on a busy summer Saturday.
6. Long Sands Beach, York
Long Sands Beach in York lives up to its name in the best possible way. Stretching for about one and a half miles along Route 1A, this wide, sandy beach is one of the most accessible in southern Maine, with roadside parking running nearly the full length of the shore.
The convenience factor alone makes it a perennial favorite, but the beach earns its popularity on its own merits as well. Gentle waves, soft sand, and an open ocean view make it a go-to destination for swimmers, boogie boarders, and anyone who just wants to bask in the sun.
A line of classic beach cottages, motels, and small shops runs along the road behind the beach, giving Long Sands a retro coastal character that feels genuinely timeless.
The York Beach area has several good seafood restaurants within easy walking distance, and the famous Goldenrod candy shop nearby has been making salt water taffy since 1896. It’s a detail worth knowing before you arrive, because leaving without a bag of taffy feels like a missed opportunity.
Long Sands Beach is the kind of uncomplicated, reliable, good-time beach that makes summer feel exactly the way summer is supposed to feel.
7. York Harbor Beach, York
Tucked into the southern edge of York Harbor, York Harbor Beach is the kind of small, sheltered cove that rewards visitors who take the time to seek it out. It’s significantly smaller than nearby Long Sands Beach, but that’s precisely the point.
The calm, protected waters of the harbor make swimming here gentler and more predictable, and the surrounding scenery, with historic colonial-era homes perched on the rocky hillside above, gives the beach a character that feels straight out of a classic New England painting.
The beach is popular with local families and tends to attract a quieter, more relaxed crowd than the bigger beaches up the road.
Parking is limited, which naturally keeps the numbers manageable on most days. A short walk along Stage Neck Road leads to excellent views of the York River and the historic Stage Neck area.
York Harbor itself is a charming, walkable village with lovely waterfront restaurants and a marina that adds to the overall atmosphere.
If Long Sands Beach is the loud, fun older sibling, York Harbor Beach is the thoughtful, scenic younger one who quietly steals the show. Both are worth your time, and staying in York gives you easy access to both.
8. Laudholm Beach, Wells Reserve At Laudholm
Reaching Laudholm Beach requires a walk, and that walk is the whole point. The beach sits at the end of a trail system within the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, a 2,250-acre coastal wildlife reserve that protects salt marshes, forests, and barrier beach habitat along the southern Maine coast.
The trail to the beach winds through some of the most ecologically rich landscape in the region, and by the time the dunes open up to reveal the ocean, you feel like you’ve genuinely earned the view.
The beach itself is undeveloped and pristine, without concession stands, lifeguards, or the usual beach infrastructure. That’s a feature, not a flaw, for visitors who come specifically to experience a stretch of Maine coastline that looks much the same as it did centuries ago.
Shorebirds patrol the water’s edge, and the dunes behind the beach support rare coastal plant communities that the reserve works hard to protect.
The reserve’s visitor center near the trailhead offers helpful information about the local ecosystem and is worth a stop before heading out. Laudholm Beach is a genuinely special place for nature lovers, curious kids, and anyone who wants their beach day to come with a side of real coastal wilderness.
9. Ferry Beach State Park, Saco
Ferry Beach State Park in Saco is one of southern Maine’s most underrated outdoor destinations, and part of what makes it special is what surrounds the beach itself.
The park protects a rare stand of tupelo trees, also known as black gum trees, which reach the northern edge of their natural range right here in coastal Maine. Walking through the park’s forest trails before hitting the sand feels like a genuine nature discovery, not just a detour on the way to the water.
The beach is sandy and calm, with a more sheltered character than the fully exposed ocean beaches nearby. The park draws a quieter crowd, including nature walkers, birdwatchers, and families looking for a low-key beach day without the sensory overload of busier spots.
Facilities include picnic areas, restrooms, changing areas, trails, and a nature center, making it a comfortable full-day destination for families.
Ferry Beach is located off Bay View Road in Saco, and there is a modest entrance fee for non-residents during peak season.
The combination of rare ecology, calm beach, and peaceful atmosphere makes this park a genuinely rewarding stop that most visitors to southern Maine overlook entirely, which means more space on the sand for those who do show up.
10. Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport
Goose Rocks Beach sits on the quieter side of Kennebunkport, away from the boutique shops and busy harbor that most visitors associate with this famously upscale coastal town.
The beach stretches for about three miles along a calm, sheltered bay, and the water here tends to be warmer and gentler than the fully exposed Atlantic beaches in the area.
That combination of length, calm water, and relative quiet makes it a favorite for visitors who want a less commercial beach experience than Kennebunkport’s busier village and harbor areas.
The beach is primarily residential, lined with classic Maine beach cottages and summer homes that have been in families for generations. Parking is limited and permit-controlled in season, with daily and weekly permits available through town kiosks.
The lack of commercial development along the beach is a deliberate choice by the community, and it shows in how peaceful the whole stretch feels.
Goose Rocks Beach is the kind of place where the biggest decision of the day is whether to walk north or south along the shore first. For travelers who want the full Kennebunkport experience without the crowds, this beach delivers that quiet, sun-soaked Maine summer feeling in a way that is genuinely hard to top.