If you’re planning a New England road trip, don’t sleep on Belfast, Maine.
When I visited the town in 2024 for the Fourth of July, I expected nothing more than a wholesome, long weekend with my friends to take a break from the hustle and bustle of my life in New York City.
I got all that — and more.
It was my first time in Maine, and this particular small town, which I’d never heard of before my friends moved there, surprised me with its history, local culture, and dramatic coastal views.
After my trip, I’ve decided that Belfast is a hidden gem for tourists, and I’ll go back again for my big-city escapes.
Belfast is about 100 miles up the coast from Portland.
To reach the small town on Penobscot Bay, we flew from New York to Portland, and our friends picked us up from the airport for a two-hour drive up the coast.
The town is rooted in maritime history.
Belfast was incorporated as a town in the 1700s, but it started to prosper in the 19th century as a hub for maritime workers, the city’s website says. For about 100 years, Belfast residents built wooden sailboats, operated steamships, and transported goods, from ice and apples to hay and fertilizer.
Then, in the 1980s, creatives flocked to the town, transforming it into an artists’ oasis with galleries and warehouse studios.
Belfast maintains its 19th-century seaside feel.
The waterfront town has about 7,000 residents.
The architecture in Belfast combines traditional New England-style homes with old-world styles from the Italian and Greek Revival eras, the Boston Globe reported. This gave the town a European twist on the classic New England aesthetic.
My friends said Belfast gets tourists in the summer, but it didn’t feel crowded. We never waited too long for a table at a restaurant, and I didn’t see many large groups.
The town is filled with historic inns.
I saw more historic inns than traditional hotels, which could be because tourists visit for unique accommodations.
The inns looked like gigantic mansions, and seeing them up close made me wish I’d booked just one night in a place like the Jeweled Turret Inn. The bed and breakfast, decorated with antiques, is a 19th-century Victorian landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
There’s also the Alden House Inn, a Greek Revival building dating back to 1840. I spotted its porch filled with guests on a weekend afternoon and longed to hang out there.
I stayed with friends. Their neighborhood was surprisingly walkable for a small town.
Belfast is pedestrian-friendly, scoring 71 out of 100 on Walk Score.
From my friends’ apartment, we reached hiking trails, the waterfront, and the downtown area — all on foot.
My friends also live steps away from a farmers market and the Belfast Armistice Bridge, which pedestrians use to cross the Passagassawakeag River.
We went hiking without having to hop in a car.
My friends live less than 5 minutes from the Rail Trail that runs along the Passagassawakeag River.
I spent one day working remotely from Belfast, and we took a quick hike during my lunch break.
I was impressed by the hillside views and the landmasses in the distance, covered in rich green trees. It was an ideal place to refresh in the middle of a shift.
We also walked to the town’s many small businesses and shopped for locally sourced food.
My friend told me one of the coolest things about Belfast is that there are so many local shops. There’s no Walmart, Target, or Costco in town. The only brand-name stores I saw were Walgreens, CVS, and Dollar General.
The Press Herald reported that Maine towns are known for their small businesses. Belfast, in particular, has a plethora of locally owned retailers, from a general store and a DVD rental store to shops selling vintage dollhouses and handmade clothing and furniture.
We went to a farmers market selling local produce and foods during my trip, and my friends cooked up a feast.
We had a watermelon and feta salad, roasted duck, lobster mac and cheese, and potato salad with duck fat and herb-infused dressing: dill, parsley, and garlic scapes.
The ingredients tasted so fresh, as did the local pastries and bagels we got for breakfast.
We drove to some places, like Acadia National Park.
Acadia National Park is just a 90-minute drive from Belfast. We took a day trip there on a Saturday, and I was surprised to find it wasn’t as crowded as most national parks I’ve visited on weekends.
The coastal park, surrounded by islands, looked majestic in the hazy weather. We hiked through forests to the rocky coastline, where we went tide-pooling and found a massive cave. It was even more picturesque than the trails in Belfast, and it helped me see how the state of Maine inspired my favorite American writer, Stephen King.
Belfast and the surrounding areas seemed extremely dog-friendly.
My friends in Maine have a super sweet, active dog named Zeus. He accompanied us on nearly every adventure during our trip, from restaurants to the Rail Trail to Acadia, one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the US, according to the NPS.
Having Zeus with us made the trip so much goofier and more fun. It wouldn’t have been the same without him.
I could have stayed so much longer, and I’ll definitely be back.
Aside from being a unique town with so much to offer, Belfast would be an ideal destination for tourists looking to travel sustainably. Eco-travel experts have said that supporting local businesses and getting around without a car are responsible practices for the health of our planet.
During my next trip to Belfast, I’ll spend more time browsing local shops, book a stay at a historic inn, and take more day trips to places like Portland. Plus, I’d love to see Acadia on a day with clear skies.
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