Southern Maine Lighthouses: A Guide to the Beacons of the York-to-Portland Coast

From the sandy beaches of York to the rocky headlands of Cape Elizabeth, the southern Maine coast is guarded by a string of beautiful, historic lighthouses. Easy to reach and endlessly photogenic, they make a perfect self-guided tour along Route 1 and the shore. Here is a guide to the lighthouses of southern Maine — where to find them and what makes each one special.

The Nubble (Cape Neddick Light)

Perhaps the most beloved of all is the Nubble, officially the Cape Neddick Light, perched on its own little rock island just off York. First lit in 1879, it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world — a red-roofed keeper’s house, white tower, and tiny red oil house set against the surf. You cannot walk out to the island, but the view from Sohier Park on the mainland could not be better, and the little gift shop and parking make it an easy stop.

Boon Island Light

Far out to sea off York stands Boon Island Light, the tallest lighthouse in Maine — and in all of New England — at 133 feet. First established in 1799 on a low, wave-swept ledge, it is also one of the most storied: the island was the scene of numerous shipwrecks, including a harrowing 1710 survival ordeal that later inspired Kenneth Roberts’s novel Boon Island. Remote and rarely visited, it is best seen from a boat tour or, on a clear day, as a distant spire on the horizon.

The Kennebunk and Biddeford Coast

Heading up the coast, two more lights guard the harbors of the Kennebunks and Biddeford. Goat Island Light, off Cape Porpoise in Kennebunkport, was built in 1833 to guide fishing boats into the sheltered harbor and is now lovingly cared for by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. A little farther on, Wood Island Light — a 47-foot granite tower at the mouth of the Saco River off Biddeford Pool — welcomes visitors on seasonal tours run by its dedicated friends group.

Portland Head Light

The crown jewel of the southern coast is Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, completed in 1791 under George Washington and the oldest lighthouse in Maine. Standing on the rocks within lovely Fort Williams Park, it is the most photographed lighthouse in America, and the former keeper’s quarters now house a museum. It is the natural centerpiece of any lighthouse tour near Portland; for the full story of Maine’s beacons, see our guide to Maine’s lighthouses.

Cape Elizabeth and South Portland

Around Portland Harbor cluster several more gems. Cape Elizabeth Light, long known as “Two Lights” for its historic pair of towers (only the eastern one is active today), sits near the 41-acre Two Lights State Park. In South Portland, the ornate cast-iron Portland Breakwater Light — affectionately called “Bug Light” and ringed by Greek-style columns — stands at the end of a short walkway in Bug Light Park. Nearby, Spring Point Ledge Light, a stout “sparkplug” caisson light, can be reached on foot along a long granite breakwater beside Southern Maine Community College.

Planning Your Southern Maine Lighthouse Tour

Most of these lighthouses are easy to view year-round from parks and shore, and a few — like Wood Island and the Portland Head museum — offer seasonal tours or open days. A leisurely drive from York up to Cape Elizabeth links most of them in a day. Bring a camera, dress for the sea breeze, and mind the tides and slippery rocks. (Note that famous Pemaquid Point Light, often pictured with Maine lighthouses, is actually farther up in the midcoast, not southern Maine.) While you are on this coast, don’t miss the rugged shore at nearby Prouts Neck in Scarborough. And inland, along the Kennebec, our own town of Winslow guards the river at colonial-era Fort Halifax.

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