Southwest Harbor Travel Guide

Beautiful Southwest Harbor is a small but mighty town in Maine located on the Mount Desert Island. Mount Desert Island is the largest island in Maine and it might be home to only a few thousand residents but it brings millions of visitors each year. Maine is well known for the beautiful beaches, amazing nature scenes and the many things to do. Maine is also one of the first places settlers arrived in America so there is a long history behind the state. The village of Southwest Harbor offers lots of great things to do, sights to explore, and places to visit. Do not hesitate to plan a vacation to this beautiful place.

Things to Do in Southwest Harbor

Southwest Harbor has a lot to offer to visitors. Maine is a beautiful coastal state and the northern beaches simply cannot be compared with anything else. Mount Desert Island offers a beautiful national park, lots of landmarks, and amazing beaches. Get ready for an amazing vacation!

Start your journey by exploring Arcadia National Park which overlooks Bar Harbor. Arcadia National Park is an absolutely beautiful national park which offers a lot of different activities. It is the perfect spot for hiking, biking, exploring nature, swimming, fishing and everything you would want to do in a national park. The shores are so amazing and so different in each season. Are you a hiking lover? If yes, check out the Flying Mountain Hiking Trails, Ship Harbor Trails and the Beech Cliff Loops where you can hike around the beautiful island and check the views from the top. Moreover, to explore the native plants and animals in the area make sure to visit Charlotte Rhoades Garden and Butterfly Park. The gardens have amazing flowers which smell amazing when blooming in spring and summer. Not to mention you can walk along many butterflies, watch the birds and simply relax. Head down to the beach and have some relaxing time. You can enjoy the warm sunshine while laying back on the white sandy beaches, or go swimming, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing. There are fishing charters as well so you can enjoy some time on the ocean. A lot more amazing adventures and parks await visitors at Southwest Harbor so head there and start exploring.

Best Places to Stay in Southwest Harbor

The best area to stay at Southwest Harbor is Manset district where shops and restaurants are in walking distance or only a short drive away. This gives easy access to the best places, so you do not have to go very far for any amenity. The beautiful beach is also a couple minute drive from this district. Family vacation rentals in Southwest Harbor are very popular and there are always dozens of listings. Choose between the view of the ocean or a harbor view vacation home, large houses, cozy beach cottages and luxury condos. Enjoy a great stay and pick between all the great vacation rentals in Southwest Harbor. Most of these vacation homes are pet-friendly and feature multiple amenities like full kitchens and large dining areas.

Best Time to Visit Southwest Harbor

The summers are sunny, warm and comfortable in Southwest Harbor and the winters are windy, wet and very cold. The best time to visit gorgeous Southwest Harbor is July when you not only have the chance to see the beautiful fireworks all over the ocean on the 4th of July but also have very nice and warm days for beach activities. From June until September the average temperature is 69 degrees which means summers are pretty short here. As October arrives, the temperature drops below 50 degrees and in January it can be as low as 16 degrees. From November until April be ready for rainfall, but the rest of the year is drier.