Yarmouth, Maine & Casco Bay Region
Yarmouth Maine
Yarmouth, Maine is a picturesque New England town with a population of about 8,500 people located in Cumberland County in southern coastal Maine. Yarmouth is about 15 miles north of Portland and just south of Freeport, home of L.L.Bean, and is located around the junctions of Rte.1, Rte.115 and Rte.88. First settled in 1636 by William Royall, Yarmouth was the 8th town incorporated in Maine and nestles the banks of the Royal River as it flows into Casco Bay. Maritime activities always have been an important part of this beautiful town where the high, forested banks almost completely block winds from any direction making it one of the best protected harbors on the coast. Although surrounded by busy boatyards and civilization, the basin at the head of the river attracts much wildlife, including whitetailed deer and moose, herons fishing the marshy mud banks, ducks flying upstream and brown trout and striped bass cruising the river.
During the summer, Yarmouth offers many tourist attractions such as the Yarmouth Clam Festival held every July with three days of music, festivities and feasting. The former fish factory between Yankee Marina and the Rte. 1 bridge has found new life as Lower Falls Landing, a complex of marine-related facilities including a well-stocked chandlery. The Royal River Grillhouse with great food and a wonderful deck overlooks the waterfront. Groceries and other supplies can be found in the town of Yarmouth just under the highway bridge via Route 115.
The Casco Bay Region
Casco Bay is where the sand beaches of Maine’s southern coast end and the rocky promontories of the midcoast begin. The Bay encompasses the coastal area from Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth to Small Point in Phippsburg and includes many great bays and sounds, including Hussey, Luckse and Broad Sound in the middle; Maquoit, Merepoint and Middle Bay to the north; and Merriconeag and Harpswell Sound and Quahog Bay and the New Meadows River to the east.
There are hundreds of islands to explore. Once known as the Calendar Islands – one for every day of the year – the choice and variety of daystops is infinite. With islands, picnic spots and places of special interest such as Fort Gorges, Peaks Island, Chebeague and Eagle Islands, the cliffs of Whitehead Passage, barren and rugged rocky outcroppings, and hidden beaches fine and fair, Casco Bay is a beautiful, unspoiled and superb cruising ground.
Nearby, Portland is Maine’s largest metropolitan area and is home to many great museums and cultural exhibitions as well as a large variety of restaurants, shops and boutiques located in it’s charming, waterfront Old Port District. It is also the state’s major transportation hub with the Portland International Jetport, Amtrak Downeaster Rail Service, Nova Scotia Ferry Service, Casco Bay Lines and major bus companies all located in the city.