The town of Bar Harbor, Maine, is nestled in the shadow of Acadia National Park. The name of the street that leads into town is Eden, which pretty much says it all. Cadillac Mountain looks over acres/hectares of spruce forests stretching all the way to Bar Harbor. To the south, waves crash against steep, rocky cliffs. Dozens of smaller, wooded isles dot the deep blue water.
Bar Harbor sits on Mount Desert Island (pronounced duh-ZERT, as in what follows dinner), almost half of which is part of Acadia National Park, thanks to industrialist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and other wealthy summer residents who bought and donated land to protect it from development. The national park is the island's main attraction, but few visitors leave without sampling the hustle and bustle of nearby Bar Harbor. The town's sprawling mansions and delightful cottages (not to mention the justly famous lobster) are also worth a visit.
Location
One way to see Bar Harbor and the rest of Maine's coast is on a cruise, and more and more people are doing just that, sailing between the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada during the summer and fall.
Ocean liners anchor in Frenchman Bay outside the sandbar that gives Bar Harbor its name. Passengers are sent ashore on tenders that dock at Harbor Place at the foot of Main Street, where they're just steps from the tourist-information office, shops, restaurants and tour operators. Some taxis wait at the dock for cruise passengers.
Tourist information is available at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce downtown office, 1 West St., on the pier daily May-October. Phone 207-288-5103 or toll-free 888-540-9990.
Bar Harbor is the gateway to Acadia National Park, so most visitors shop and dine in the town, but spend their days on the roads, trails and paths of the park.
Shore Excursions
Most cruise lines offer guided tours of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park as land packages during the ship's stay. Tours are not the least expensive way to see the region, but you won't waste limited time making your own arrangements—and you won't have to worry about missing the ship. Check with your ship's shore-excursion staff or your travel agent for additional information.
Tour options center on exploration, ranging from guided hiking, birding or kayak excursions to narrator-led bus and trolley tours. You can also choose from several outfits eager to take guests out to sea for whale- and puffin-watching, for lighthouse viewing or to visit several nearby small islands.
