Portland Harbor: Sunset Boat Cruise & Local Drinks

4.65

(110 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You ever seen a seal just floating by like it owns the place?” That’s what our captain asked as we drifted past Fort Gorges, and honestly, I hadn’t. The whole thing felt a bit surreal — the old stone fort sitting out there on its own little island, seagulls yelling overhead, and me clutching a can of Maine IPA (I went for the one with the lobster on it). There was a breeze that made my hair stick to my lip balm. Our guide — I think her name was Jamie — pointed out Peaks Island off to the right and told us about people who commute by ferry every day. I tried to imagine that routine with this view.

We swung around toward Portland Head Light just as the sun started dipping low. The water went from blue to that weird coppery color you only get at sunset in Maine. Someone behind me tried to get a selfie with the lighthouse and almost dropped their drink — everybody laughed, even Jamie. She told us about shipwrecks and how this is actually Maine’s oldest lighthouse (1791!), which made me look at it differently for a second. You could smell seaweed and something sweet from someone’s cider can. I kept thinking how different everything looked from out here compared to walking along the shore.

The best part? When we turned back toward Portland Harbor and you could see the city lights flickering on, but it wasn’t totally dark yet. There was this moment where nobody said anything — just listening to the boat engine and some gulls arguing over nothing. It didn’t feel like a tour so much as hanging out with friends you just met, if that makes sense. The whole “sunset boat cruise Portland” thing sounded touristy when I booked it but now I kind of get why people keep coming back for these.