Travel Website Lists 20 Best Things to Do in Portland, Maine…and Boothbay?

It's "Best of" season for travel writers across the globe. The industry has been cranking out content as tourism continues to get back to pre-pandemic heights.

Considering Maine is "Vacationland," it's no surprise to see the Pine Tree State featured in articles on numerous websites, online publications, and blogs.

The latest article is all about Maine's largest city, Portland. The coastal city is already a massive fan favorite. However, it seems that everyone these days has an opinion on the "best of" the city.

Enter 365traveler.com, a site that describes itself as a "digital resource for people who love to travel, explore, and have fun." Well, that describes the majority of us, so it's a solid reference.

The site recently published a new article about Maine, and Portland specifically (kind of) titled, "20 Outstanding Things to do in Portland, Maine." The site takes a deep dive into all things Portland (does it though?), and opines on what are the best options.

The list has many tourist and Mainer favorites, ones that get plenty of discussion. These include the Portland Museum of Art, Children's Museum, Portland Observatory, and Allagash Brewing, Peaks Island, to name a few.

However, there are some hidden gems that really help boost the list.

I love that the travel website included Mackworth Island. This beautiful spot is a wonderful family-friendly hike, with tons to discover.

It also writes about the Fore River Sanctuary, another great outdoor activity in Portland. The sanctuary even features a waterfall, something that many Portlanders probably don't even know exists.

Though, the most interesting selection that 365travel chose is the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, which is...wait for it...over an HOUR away from Portland. There's nothing like reading a list of things to do in Portland when one of them is NOWHERE close to the city. Who decided this was a good idea?

Making a list about Midcoast Maine? You better put the Coastal Botanical Gardens on there. It's a beautiful gem of Maine. But, it legit has nothing to do with Portland. Just an outrageous choice by the editors of the site.

Even with that wild selection, the list is very good. I still suggest giving it a read. The site has nice write-ups, and it is diverse...even if one of them has no place on there. The other 19? Golden.