Dock Square, a boat or beach, then Cape Porpoise

4:00 PM

Stay at Kennebunkport Inn.

A historic inn directly on Dock Square, useful for travelers who want restaurants, shops, and the Kennebunk River within an easy walk.

6:30 PM

Start with Alisson's Restaurant.

A Dock Square institution for four decades with casual pub food, fresh seafood, local drafts, and a prime people-watching location in the heart of town.

8:30 AM

Start with coffee, breakfast, and a realistic departure.

Use a quick village breakfast before the boat, or carry coffee toward the beach without sacrificing the parking and tide window.

10:00 AM

Choose offshore wildlife or a complete beach day.

Whale boats leave the Kennebunk River for several hours in colder Gulf of Maine air. A beach day is slower and lets you compare swimming at Gooch's or Mother's with the quieter edges of Colony or Parsons.

4:30 PM

Return to the river before dinner.

After the boat or beach, shower and walk Dock Square rather than adding another coastal drive. Cape Porpoise works better as its own Sunday stop.

7:00 PM

Reserve dinner at White Barn Inn Restaurant.

The only AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Maine, a multi-course prix-fixe splurge in a beautifully converted 19th-century barn.

9:00 AM

Choose breakfast, coffee, or a short walk.

Ocean Avenue provides the coast drive; Cape Porpoise adds fishing docks and a different harbor setting before the trip inland.

11:00 AM

Finish at Cape Porpoise when the departure direction allows.

Cape Porpoise sits east of Dock Square, so use it before a northbound coastal continuation or return through town before heading to I-95.