South Portland vacation rentals

If Portland is Maine’s Manhattan, South Portland might be its Brooklyn — at least that’s the joke among some locals. As the state’s biggest city, Portland gets the lion’s share of the media attention, but its little sister across the Fore River is worth exploring all on its own. Creative entrepreneurs have decamped across the bay to open shops and restaurants, revitalizing walkable neighborhoods like Knightville and Meetinghouse Hill. South Portland is also home to a seemingly endless array of dog-friendly parks, beaches, and trails as well as craft breweries, postcard-perfect lighthouse landscapes, and interesting museums that celebrate Maine’s military and maritime history. To get there from Portland’s West End neighborhood, just cross the Casco Bay Bridge — in a car, on a bike, or on foot. From the other shore, you’ll get a nice view of Portland Harbor, and you can continue your car-free explorations on the Greenbelt Walkway or Spring Point Shoreway.

Like everywhere else in Maine, South Portland is most popular in the summer, when Mainers can finally swap their long johns for T-shirts. Expect relatively clear skies and comfortable temperatures in the upper 60s to mid-70s Fahrenheit between June and Labor Day, and more than 15 hours of daylight during the longest days of summer. If you book one of the area’s vacation rentals for fall, you’ll need to pack jackets, coats, and scarves instead of shorts and swimsuits, but you’ll be rewarded with fewer crowds and trees ablaze in gorgeous tones of crimson and gold. By January, the mercury hovers around freezing, dipping to 16 degrees overnight, and there are only around nine hours of daylight. Rain falls throughout the year in South Portland, with snow more likely in January.

Fort Williams Park

This 90-acre park sits on the site of a decommissioned United States Army post that housed and trained troops during both world wars. Today, more than a million people come here each year to fly kites, ride bikes, and visit the iconic Portland Head Light and Museum, the oldest lighthouse in the state. The scenic shoreline is a popular backdrop for picnics and weddings.

Willard Beach

Locals love this relaxed, uncrowded sand-and-pebble beach, good for ocean swimming when the weather is nice. There’s a snack bar, showers, and tidepools that provide hours of entertainment for curious kids. Or just soak up the summer rays and watch the boats gently bobbing in the bay.

Spring Point Shoreway

Haven’t had your fill of lighthouses? There are two more awaiting you along this 1.6-mile pedestrian path and bikeway: the still-operational Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, built in 1897, and the spark-plug-shaped Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, which dates back to 1875. Highlights along the way include a pair of sandy beaches and historic Fort Preble, built in 1808, where 23 captured Confederate raiders were imprisoned during the Civil War.