Recreational craft of every size and type share the busy harbor with working lobsterboats and schooners.

From mega-yachts to kayaks—if it floats, you’ll find it in Boothbay Harbor, one of the premier cruising destinations on the Maine coast, if not the entire Northeast. And with a deep harbor that’s easy to access and offers plenty of anchoring and maneuvering room, it’s no wonder Boothbay has been keeping thousands of waterborne visitors coming back for generations.

A cursory look at NOAA chart 13293 reveals seven nearby ports worth visiting, three long tidal rivers to explore, four major bays to navigate, a dozen offshore islands to investigate, and at least eight major anchorages in which you could weather a hurricane. Even better, all the side waters contain abundant wildlife, both above and below the surface—enough to occupy any shutterbug, wildlife-watcher, or angler for hours.

Perhaps the most popular side trip from Boothbay Harbor is the “Inside Passage” to the historic shipbuilding city of Bath. When it’s foggy offshore, this eight-mile route gives mariners a chance to spot bald eagles, get close to seals, and watch osprey snag lunch, all in much better visibility than elsewhere, due primarily to the warmer inland water temperatures.

Gorgeous lobster yachts call on Boothbay through the summer.

For fishermen, this is also the heart of Maine striper country. The waters of the extensive Kennebec and Sheepscot estuary systems produce fast action with schoolies on up to fish over three feet long. Best of all, the entire route is protected from ocean swells and annoying chop, making it feel as though you’ve glided from Boothbay onto an inland lake.

Back in Boothbay Harbor, though, there are plenty of attractions and activities to draw you home. In fact, for half a century the town has kicked off summer festivities with its signature event, Windjammer Days, which features some of the loveliest and largest sailing vessels on the Maine coast—and beyond. Watching these stately ships parade into the harbor, one by one, in the late-June sunshine is an event boaters of every description won’t soon forget.

At the other end of the season is the annual Claw Down Competition, a September extravaganza when Maine’s best-loved seafood becomes the focus of pretty much the entire town. This recent addition to the festival roster features more than a dozen Maine chefs from the state’s highest-rated restaurants competing to come up with new and scrumptious ways to enjoy Homarus americanus. Although the number of guests attending the tony Claw Down are limited, the ripple effect of the event is often felt throughout Boothbay, with specials on everything lobster just about everywhere.

But you don’t need a culinary competition to enjoy seafood in this seafood-centric town. Virtually every restaurant—and there are more than a score of them within easy walking distance of the Town Wharf—features some sort of chowder, broiled fish, or stew on its menu, in addition to the ubiquitous boiled lobster dinner. For a town of only 3,100 year-round residents, the eating options are truly impressive, although many restaurants shut down for the winter season.

The public landing in the harbor.

Back on the water, kayaking and paddleboarding are popular in the harbor and surrounding backwaters. With several rental outfits in the area, it’s easy enough to get on the water, with or without a helpful instructor or guide, and take off on your own adventure. And even if you don’t care for paddling, any sort of shoal-draft skiff, runabout, or dinghy can provide hours of pleasure as you explore hidden gunkholes, coves and passages, especially when the tide is in.

As heavily oriented to the water as the town is, the arts are far from neglected. The classic Opera House hosts top performers, from Grammy-winning musicians to Broadway-veteran actors, all in a fine old building with remarkable acoustics and architecture.

For those on a tighter budget, the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library hosts free band concerts on its front lawn downtown. Poetry readings, wine tastings, and lectures on everything from astrophysics to aquaculture are also sponsored by the library.

And did we mention shopping? Oh yes, there’s plenty of that. Everything from your standard mug-and-tee-shirt shops to a couple of big-league antiques stores are clustered within a few blocks of the Town Wharf. Boutiques, art galleries, and a Thursday-morning farmers’ market round out the most popular offerings.

Other area attractions include the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Maine State Aquarium, the Boothbay Railway Village Museum, and the Boothbay Region Historical Society.

For such a small place, Boothbay Harbor offers a lot to keep you busy—whether you’re on shore, on the water, or farther afield.