• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

The Cottages at Cabot Cove are arranged in a semi-circle that feels like a campground.   (Photo: Courtesy of Cottages at Cabot Cove)

Have breakfast delivered to your doorstep at Hidden Pond (from $399, including activities), a 60-acre wooded retreat where 35 spacious bungalows and cottages are nestled among birch trees and equipped with indoor-outdoor showers and Frette linens. Spend an afternoon hiking, taking a watercolor class, or picking blueberries from the garden before heading to dinner at the popular farm-to-table restaurant Earth and making your own s’mores at the nightly bonfire.

Cozy up in the Cottages at Cabot Cove (from $199, including breakfast), where sixteen small, wooden houses sit in a semicircle beside a tidal cove fed by the Kennebunk River. The style varies by cottage—from contemporary, neutral palettes to bright floral patterns— but full kitchens and private patios are standard features. Grab a rowboat or kayak at the dock if you want to fish, or bike to downtown Kennebunkport on one of the provided beach cruisers.

Awake to the sounds of the ocean at the Beach House Inn (from $109, including breakfast), a 34-room property set between Mothers Beach and Gooch’s Beach, both known for their prime surf. The rooms aren’t as large or plush as those at better-known sister property the White Barn Inn, but this is the most reasonably priced option with easy access to the sea. Ask for one of the garden rooms, the most recently renovated in the inn, which are close to the bocce court and fire pit on the front lawn.

Published on Aug 17, 2012 as a web exclusive.