1. Cleaves Cove Beach
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: Off Ocean Ave.
Description: A small strand off Ocean Avenue, Cleaves Cove has no parking, no lifeguards, no restrooms, just a very private little arc of sand.
2. Colony Beach
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: Off Ocean Ave.
Description: Right across the street from the grand Colony Hotel, this vest-pocket beach sits at the mouth of the Kennebunk River. All of 150 feet, it is best reached by foot or bike, because there is very limited parking. No lifeguards, either.
3. Goose Rocks Beach
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: Kings Hwy.
Description: The Goose Rocks are a little archipelago of tiny isles in Goosefair Bay, and you can see them from this picturesque beach. Backed up to the larger village of Goose Rocks, the sands stretch for 3,600 yards here and have a reputation for being soft and friendly to the feet. As southern Maine beaches go, Goose Rocks is relatively unspoiled, quiet, and scenic, with both dunes and tide pools. Endangered birds nest here, and at one end is another marsh with good bird-watching. The sandy slope is gradual, so it’s good for kids and hesitant swimmers. Parking is by permit only—$15 per day, $25 per week, and $50 for the season—and the permits only allow you to park; they don’t guarantee you a spot.
4. Bellatrix
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 590-1125
Address: Ocean Ave.
Description: “Captain Jim” and his 37-foot yacht Bellatrix are based on the Kennebunk River behind the Nonantum Resort, and they do two or three sails daily depending upon weather and the tides. The three-hour tours are $50, and they’re limited to six people, so calling ahead is a good idea, especially in high summer. These pleasant runs are a good way to get a gander at the Bush compound on Walker Point without having to worry about crowds.
5. Eleanor
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 967-8809
Address: P.O. Box 572
Description: One of the prettier day sailers you’re going to find, the schooner Eleanor is a modern vessel, launched in 1999 and built by its captain, Rich Woodman. The 55-footer has the gaff rigging and the traditional lines of a classic Herreschoff windjammer and yet boasts all the comforts and security of a contemporary cruiser. Eleanor leaves Arundel Wharf one to three times daily for two-hour trips (it can be chartered, too). Passage is $40 per person, and reservations can be made by calling ahead or by stopping by the Schooner Shack on the wharf.
6. Butler And Marshall Preserves
City: Kennebunkport, ME
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (207) 985-8734
Address: Off the Old Port Rd.
Description: These two green Kennebunk Land Trust reserves frame the lower Kennebunk River. Forested gems, they’re reachable by boat or by land. You can paddle a canoe downriver from town or take the Old Port Road 1.7 miles from Kennebunkport to the woods road on the right, which is marked with a kennebunk land trust sign. Park there and walk in. A nice loop trail will link you to Picnic Rock, a popular spot for just what its name implies (and swimming) in the Butler Preserve, which is covered in red and white pine back from the river. The much larger 181-acre Marshall Preserve is accessed from the River Road in Arundel.