Small motels, inns, and B&Bs abound along this part of the Maine coast, and resorts are almost nonexistent. The message: Prepare to rusticate. Your main bases for the region are Machias and Lubec/Eastport.

Budget travelers can do well here. Lower-end offerings on Route 1 in Machias include the Machias River Inn, with 35 air-conditioned riverside rooms ( tel. 207/255-4861), and the Bluebird Motel (tel. 207/255-3333), with 40 air-conditioned units. There are also budget options in Jonesboro, Lubec, and Eastport.

You might also consider renting a cottage or farmhouse by the week or month; there are plenty to choose from on this stretch of coast in summer, and finding them is increasingly easy, as Downeast Maine gradually adopts Airbnb and other online rental platforms. Among the offerings, check out the unique Quoddy Head Station (tel. 877/535-4714), on West Quoddy Head Road in Lubec. It’s a former Coast Guard lifesaving station, built in 1918, with five bedrooms; there are also five other units, all with terrific coastal views. Rentals in July and August are $120 to $330 per night or $800 to $2,200 per week—rates are lowest during the shoulder seasons.

CAMPING

Those with RVs can camp out at Pleasant River RV Park at 11 W. Side Road in Addison (tel. 207/598-6083). It’s open May through October, though it only has a half-dozen sites from which to choose. Schoodic Peninsula, part of Acadia National Park, also has a number of good campsites. On Route 1 in Sullivan, Acadia Seashore Camping & Cabins (tel. 207/422-0130) has some lovely tent and RV sites with water access and knockout views of Mount Desert Island’s mountain skyline, along with free WiFi throughout the campground. It’s open early May through mid-October. Cobscook Bay State Park, between Lubec and Eastport, has 106 sites, most of which accommodate RVs, and a smattering are non-reservable. Great trails and water access from the campground

 

 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.