New England Town Named Among World’s Most Beautiful Beach Towns
The town features the beautiful Sand Beach, which Lonely Planet considers one of America’s best beaches.
Stock Photo
Travel + Leisure magazine has picked Bar Harbor, Maine as one of the world's most beautiful beach towns. This picturesque coastal town, sitting right at the doorstep of Acadia National Park, has grabbed U.S. News & World Report's best small town award three years in a row.
The park features the beautiful Sand Beach, which Lonely Planet considers one of America's best beaches. Visitors can drive along the winding 27-mile Park Loop Road, taking in breathtaking ocean views while exploring the park's hidden spots.
The area's first inhabitants were Native Americans thousands of years ago. The Wabanaki people still keep their deep connection to Mount Desert Island today. European influence began in 1604 when French explorer Samuel de Champlain first arrived.
Tourism kicked off in 1855 when Agamont House opened its doors to guests. By the time steamboats started running from Boston twelve years later, artists had already gotten people excited about the area's natural beauty through their paintings.
In the late 1800s, Bar Harbor became a hot spot for America's wealthy. While big names like the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers built fancy summer houses, President Taft played golf at Kebo Golf Club. The town's social scene centered around exclusive places like the Pot & Kettle Club.
The town's look today comes largely from Beatrix Farrand's work. She designed Acadia's carriage roads, and her Reef Point Estate gardens inspired ideas that spread across the country, reaching as far as the grounds of Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral.
Early birds can catch stunning views on the Shore Path, where the Bar Harbor Inn, Porcupine Islands, and the historic Egg Rock Light make perfect photo opportunities as the sun comes up.
