At the southernmost tip of Maine, the southern coast region is an easy day trip from Boston and offers visitors year-round amenities and attractions.

Perkins Cove

Hidden among the outlet shopping malls of Kittery and the summer beach colonies of Ogunquit, York and Wells is an intricate network of Maine history and culture.

Old York, for instance, is the oldest settlement in Maine (founded 1623) and visitors to York Village can visit more than 50 buildings remaining from Maine’s colonial days. Ogunquit has long been an artist’s colony, and balances upscale beach honky-tonk with fine art. George and Barbara Bush may have put Kennebunkport on the national map in the ’80s, but it was a fashionable resort long before its famous summer residents hit the Oval Office. Today, many of the lovely homes of sea captains have been converted to luxurious bed & breakfast inns.

As the towns are diverse, so are the beaches: for volleyball and fun, it’s Old Orchard. For long empty stretches, try Scarborough Beach in Saco. Surfers flock to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, while bird watchers and dog walkers prefer Saco’s Ferry Beach.

This region has more than just shopping and beaches. Unique natural habitats are protected and accessible to the public at the Wells National Estuarine Reserve and the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge. Trails at Mount Agamenticus, in York, offer excellent mountain biking and horseback riding. In Berwick, the Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park has 250 acres of land along the Salmon Falls River.