Deer Isle is a rugged island community connected to the Maine mainland by a graceful suspension bridge, encompassing several villages including Deer Isle village, Sunset, and Stonington at its southern tip. Long a magnet for artists, craftspeople, and those seeking genuine Maine coast character, Deer Isle offers spectacular kayaking, world-class craft education at Haystack Mountain School, and some of the most dramatic scenery on the entire Maine coast.
Best Restaurants in Deer Isle, Maine
Dining on Deer Isle is intimate and locally sourced. Aragosta at Goose Cove near Stonington is widely considered one of the finest restaurants in Maine with a nationally recognized tasting menu built around local ingredients. Eaton’s Lobster Pool in Little Deer Isle is a classic Maine lobster pound experience on a scenic cove. The Pilgrim’s Inn dining room has long been a destination for refined New England cuisine in a beautifully historic setting.
Best Hotels in Deer Isle, Maine
Deer Isle accommodations are small-scale and personal. The Pilgrim’s Inn is a beautifully restored 1793 inn in the village with exceptional dining and a warm atmosphere. Goose Cove Lodge offers secluded waterfront cottages perfect for a week of kayaking and exploring. The Inn on the Harbor in Stonington has rooms with stunning views of the lobster fleet and Penobscot Bay islands.
Things to Do in Deer Isle, Maine
The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is one of America’s most celebrated craft schools offering summer workshops in weaving, blacksmithing, ceramics, and more — with occasional open campus days for visitors. Nervous Nellie’s jam kitchen and folk art environment in Deer Isle village is a one-of-a-kind Maine experience not to be missed. Sea kayaking the Merchant Row archipelago is world-class with dozens of uninhabited islands to explore. The Edgar Tennis Preserve and Crowley Island Preserve offer quiet coastal hiking on spectacular undeveloped shoreline.
Day Trips from Deer Isle
Stonington at the southern tip offers the ferry to Isle au Haut and its remote section of Acadia National Park. Blue Hill is 45 minutes away with outstanding pottery studios and a wonderful bookshop. Castine is about an hour for history enthusiasts exploring one of New England’s most storied colonial towns. Bar Harbor and Acadia are roughly two hours for a full day trip to the main park.
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