Our Go-To Seacoast Guide: How to Live Like a Local

• Fort Foster, Kittery Point. Fantastic town-owned park with acres of waterfront, trails, picnic areas, forest and more. There is a fee to enter.

• Seapoint Beach, Kittery Point, town and Kittery Land Trust owned Seapoint is the “locals secret”. You must park where it is marked for out of town guests and walk down the road to the beach. Do not park anywhere that is resident parking, you will get towed. Long sandy cove beach with walking trails around the point. Dogs welcome.

• Long Sands and Short Sands Beaches, York, Maine. Follow Route 1 North. Pay to park alongside the beach.

• Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. Classic beach strip with wide sandy public beach. Follow Route 1A south. The other NH beaches along Route 1A are also lovely - Wallis Sands, Jenness, North Beach. Pay to park.

Tributary Brewing Company & Blue Mermaid Island Grill, 10 Shapleigh Rd., Kittery – our neighborhood brewery and restaurant, you can walk via wooded trail in under 10 min! The scene, the beer, the vibe cannot be beat! Live music on the weekend afternoons and a super sweet deck scene – tell Tod & Galen the owners of Tributary the Farrell’s sent you! Mon, Weds-Sat. 12-7; Sun. 12-6. To walk: turn right off Cross Street onto Woodlawn, right before you hit the soccer field there is a wooded path on your left, “Dans Path” follow that straight the back door of Tributary and Blue Mermaid (and the post office should you need it!)

Woodland Farms Brewery – On Route 1 across from Kittery Trading Post. N/A options available.

Earth Eagle Brewing - 165 High St, Portsmouth, NH 03801 – super great vibe with a great beer garden.

Liars Bench Beer Co. – 459 Islington St #4, Portsmouth - Very cool space with a great diverse lineup

The Corner Pub - Kittery Foreside, locals bar with a great beer selection and awesome patio.

Wallingford Dram Cocktail Lounge – Kittery Foreside, a very cool ‘speakeasy’ vibe tiny cocktail lounge and outside patio seating. Look for the big crab above the door.

Check out the Taste of the Seacoast Dining Guide for a more comprehensive guide.

Our fave hidden gem/locals tip: Great Island Eatery at the Wentworth by the Sea Marina (116 Morgan’s Way, New Castle, NH 03854). Sit on the docks and enjoy fresh food, great cocktails and beer.

Our current favorite spot for seafood: The Tuna Striker, 5 River St., Seabrook, NH 03874. It will be busy and parking ‘aint easy but the food is SO worth it - get the blue cheese mussels!

The best restaurants in the area are just a 10-min. walk from the house into the Kittery Foreside area!

• Black Birch – A favorite restaurant in the Seacoast. Food is local and incredible. Beer list is phenomenal as are the cocktails. Get the deviled eggs, just trust us. Closed Sundays & Mondays. They start serving at 4 till late. There’s often a wait but worth it.

• Rudders Public House-Perfect spot for burgers, beer & the game. Friendly service, great deck & delicious food.

• Anju – Incredibly inventive noodle bar. Any slurpable bowl is awesome and the pork buns shouldn’t be missed.

• Loco Coco's - Great authentic Mexican spot with great tacos & margaritas - awesome for takeout too!

• Lil’s – Coffee shop. Cold Brew and a cruller, nothing better to kick start your day.

• Maine Squeeze – Smoothie shop in the teller window of an old bank, right in front of Lil’s

• Tulsi – The best Indian food in southern Maine - awesome Indian brunch!

• Blue Mermaid - Next to Tributary, walk to it. Nice tap list and island inspired eats, great brunch!

Our Favorites' Beyond Kittery Foreside...

• Ore Nell’s Barbecue, Badger’s Island on the way to Portsmouth in Kittery. Texas style barbecue on the shores of the river.

• Street, 801 Islington St., Portsmouth, NH. BEST brunch in the region!

• Henry’s Bagel & Deli 445 US Route 1, Kittery - Great new spot from the folks at Lil’s awesome breakfast sandwiches and coffee drinks.

• Bob’s Clam Hut, 315 US-1, Kittery - long-running, classic New England seafood stand.

• Louie’s, 909 Islington St., Portsmouth. Fantastic Italian.

• Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe - 150 Islington St., Portsmouth - long standing seafood centric.

• Petey’s Summertime Seafood, 1323 Ocean Blvd., Rye - Ocean adjacent fried seafood and lobster spot.

• Carriage House, Rye – Our friends RJ and James run this absolutely delicious Italian inspired fresh and inventive cozy spot across from Wallis Sands Beach in Rye. It’s open year-round and well worth the drive down 1A.

• Pepperell Cove - Out in Kittery Point there is Bistro 1828, Ski Club upstairs bar and restaurant all along the waterfront on Pepperell Cove - gorgeous views.

• The Bar Next Door, York - Delicious food, great cocktails, lively vibe.

• Gundalow Company

  Very special must-do activity while in the Seacoast Region - Sail aboard the Piscataqua, a traditional reproduction of the flat-bottom Gundalow barges that were once prevalent along local waterways. Educational, informative and fun perfect and relaxing way to explore the sights and sounds of the Piscataqua River. Kids sail free on day sails. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

• Portsmouth Harbor Cruises, Portsmouth, NH - Narrated tours of Portsmouth Harbor on a small and comfy boat.

• Prescott Park Arts Festival

  Far and away the best way to spend an evening in Portsmouth in the summer. They present a family friendly musical every summer and on Wednesdays and other evenings throughout the week they feature popular musical concerts. Suggested donation: $8 - bring a picnic & enjoy the sunset from the water while enjoying live theater and concerts!

• Fuller Gardens

  Fuller Gardens is a public botanical garden that was once part of the summer estate of Alvan T. Fuller on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. It’s a delightful oasis situated a stone’s throw from the ocean. The gardens feature horticulture at the highest level, with thousands of rose bushes and hundreds of varieties that bloom all season long. Formal English perennial borders, a Japanese Garden and a tropical conservatory are all framed by sculpted hedges. Very special place to visit!

• Strawberry Banke Museum Strawbery Banke brings more than 350 years of history alive, from Indigenous history to the present day, in a historic waterfront neighborhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The Museum interprets a changing neighborhood and tells the stories of everyday life throughout the ages.

• USS Albacore Park,Portsmouth, NH. Self-guided tours of a research submarine and gift shop.

• Ordiorne State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye, NH 03870. Walking and biking trails, beaches and picnic areas.

• Great Bay Discovery Center and Trails, 89 Depot Rd., Greenland, NH 03840. Wonderful trails and boardwalks through the coastal estuary. Great birdwatching!

• Vaughn Woods State Park, 28 Old Fields Rd., South Berwick, ME 03908. A 160-acre state forest with miles of hiking trails along the Salmon Falls River.

• Creek Farm, 400 Little Harbor Rd., Portsmouth, NH 03904. A fabulous 36-acre conservation area along Portsmouth’s Little Harbor shoreline.

• Maine Meat - Kittery Foreside, our friends Shannon & Rookie own this whole animal 100-mile butcher shop, get the best meat, chicken, sausage for the grill & cold cuts for the beach, their kielbasa is TOP NOTCH.

On Route 1/State Road in Kittery you’ll find all you need for groceries, staples & treats.

• Carl’s Meat Market – Great spot for marinated meats, cold cuts, to-go sandwiches and a fantastic beer selection.

• Golden Harvest Produce Market – Everything else you might need – veggies, milk, wine, bread, cheese, coffee, delicious local treats.

• Beach Pea Baking Co. – Fantastic all local, all organic bakery. Get the Fougasse – rosemary, olive oil, salted bread in a beautiful shape. This with some cheese from Golden Harvest = heaven!

• Terra Cotta Pasta Co. – Homemade pasta, sauces, great sandwiches, take and bake meals and more Italian treats.

Other Places to note:

Seaview Lobster - 43 Government St., Kittery - right on the dock, on the water local lobstermen and great service and prices!

Taylor Lobster, 32 Route 236, Kittery, ME - full service seafood market.

Walgreens Pharmacy – 15 Shapleigh Rd., Kittery. Right around the corner. For everything else you might need.

Hannaford Supermarket – 800 Islington St., Portsmouth. or Route 1 in York. Big area supermarket.

Urgent Care:

• York Hospital Walk-In Care, 343 US Route 1, York, ME 03903.

• ConvenientMD, 599 Lafayette Rd., Suite 13, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

• Ogunquit, Maine -20 min. north. Lovely, bustling little village with a great food scene and a cliff walk along the water. Best spot to eat: MC Perkins Cove.

• Kennebunkport, Maine - 40 min. north. Popular and for good reason - tons of shops, restaurants and pubs in a quaint little downtown. Venture out to Gooserocks Beach for a rare thing in Maine - a big sandy beach. Favorite Spot to eat/drink: Batson River's porch overlooking the main drag.

• Portland, Maine - 1 hour north. Portland's got it all - food scene, beer scene, harbor front, live music, art and the freshest seafood around in a busy New England city. Best restaurant for fine dining: Fore Street; Best restaurant for seafood: Lukes Lobster or J's Oyster; Best way to spend a Saturday: Live music at Portland Lobster Company. Walk out on the Eastern Prom to see all of Casco Bay. Take a sail on a schooner. Do a brewery (or many) tour - Portland boasts over 25. Visit the Portland Museum of Art. Catch a concert at the State Theater or outside at Thompson's Point.

• Hampton Beach, NH - 20 min. south. Classic beach town with a "strip" of bars, restaurants, pizza shops, fried dough, arcade and more. The beach is huge and wide with plenty of parking. Must do: a concert at the Casino Ballroom or at Bernie's beach bar atop the roof overlooking the beach.

• Lakes Region of NH - 45 min. Northwest. Fantastic little towns along Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, Winnisquam, Sunapee and more. More info here.

• Boston, Massachusetts - 1 hour - C&J Buslines leave from Portsmouth many times a day. Jill’s mom was the mastermind behind the Freedom Trail - follow that and see all of Boston’s history.