4 Best Sights in The Southern Coast, Maine

On a small island just off the tip of Cape Neddick, Nubble Light is one of the most photographed lighthouses on the globe. Direct access is prohibited, but the small Sohier Park right across from the light has parking, historical placards, benches, and a seasonal information center that shares the 1879 light's history.

Familiar to many from photographs and the Edward Hopper painting Portland Head-Light (1927), this lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in 1790. The towering, white-stone structure stands over the keeper's quarters, a white home with a blazing red roof, today the Museum at Portland Head Light. The lighthouse is in 90-acre Fort Williams Park, a sprawling green space with walking paths, picnic facilities, a beach and—you guessed it—a cool old fort.

This was the site of twin lighthouses erected in 1828—and locals still call it Two Lights—but one of the lighthouses was dismantled in 1924 and converted into a private residence. The other half still operates, and you can get a great photo of it from the end of Two Lights Road (note that it's not quite visible from the nearby Two Lights State Park). The lighthouse itself is closed to the public, but you can explore the tidal pools at its base, looking for small, edible snails known as periwinkles, or just "wrinkles," as they're sometimes referred to in Maine. Picnic tables are also available.

The 42-foot stone lighthouse and attached two-story keeper’s house are on the 32-acre, uninhabited Wood Island off the coast of Biddeford. The island is closed to the public except for two-hour guided tours hosted by Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse. Tours are offered several times a week in July and August and on Maine Lighthouse Day in September, and reservations can be made starting in June. Boats leave from Vine’s Boat Landing in Biddeford Pool. Note that people wearing flip-flops will not be allowed to board.