Aerial view of Langsford Road. The house and its property are at the lower left.

The village

Cape Porpoise is the working-harbor village of Kennebunkport. It is not Dock Square and not a separate town: a fishing pier, a market, a fish market, a few places to eat, and lobster boats coming and going past the islands. The house sits on the cove at the quiet end of it.

Pier Road curving toward Bickford's Island under a canopy of trees, with the harbor and a guardrail on the right. — Pier Road, approaching Bickford's Island.

The bronze fog bell hanging from a wooden arm on the white-shingled wall of Goat Island Light, with granite rocks and the harbor behind it. — The fog bell at Goat Island Light.

The harbor, the pier, and the light

The town pier is at the water end of Pier Road, out on Bickford’s Island past the village center. It is a working commercial fishing pier, so go to watch: boats unloading, traps stacked on the wharf, the tide moving through the islands. It is not a guest dock, and pier parking is very limited.

From the public landing at the end of the road you look straight out to Goat Island Light, the 1833 lighthouse that marks the harbor entrance, kept by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. It is a view from shore, not a walk to the lighthouse.

Provisions and dinner

Four stops are in or right beside the village, and the pier is at the end of Pier Road. The rest of the owners’ list is a drive into Kennebunkport, Kennebunk, or Wells.

In the village

Bradbury Brothers Market: Main Street, village center; The full market: groceries, produce, a butcher counter, deli, prepared food, wine and beer, baked goods. The owners send people to the meat counter and to Cape Porpoise Delights. A five minute walk.
Three Sea’s Fish and Lobster: Main Street, just out from the center; A family fish market that sells lobster off the family’s own boats, plus fish, shellfish, and produce. The owners’ pick for lobster and seafood. Best to drive, but only a couple minutes.
Cape Porpoise Kitchen: The village crossroads, on the way to the harbor; Sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, baked goods, and meals to take back to the house. A five minute walk.
Cape Pier Chowder House: Beside the town pier, at the end of Pier Road; Casual seafood with a deck over the harbor and the working boats. The owners’ pick for dinner with the whole family. Open seasonally. A twenty minute walk.

A drive

Alisson’s: Dock Square, Kennebunkport; Restaurant and pub: local beer, seafood, pub food. Easy with kids.
The Clam Shack: Dock Square, by the Kennebunk River; Take-away seafood stand and market. The owners’ fried clams. Seasonal.
Big Daddy’s Ice Cream: Kennebunkport, near Dock Square; Homemade ice cream. Dessert. Seasonal.
Sebago Brewing Company: Kennebunk; Brewpub with craft beer, pub food, a kids’ menu.
Maine Diner: Wells, on Route 1; A classic diner: breakfast and comfort food.
Congdon’s Doughnuts: Wells, on Route 1; the longest drive on this list; Doughnuts, especially the blueberry-filled ones. Go early.

Salt marsh seen through a gap in oak trees on the Carson Trail, with blue sky and a line of trees on the far side. — Salt marsh from the Carson Trail in Wells.Photo: USFWS Headquarters, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (U.S. federal government).

A paved path along the seawall at South Point, Biddeford Pool, with a shingled house on the left and the ocean under a pink evening sky. — South Point at Biddeford Pool.

Three walks

Through the village to the pier. About a 20 minute walk down Langsford Road through the village and up Pier Road to the pier, the Cape Pier Chowder House, Ultramar restaurant, and the view of Goat Island Light. Sidewalks most of the way, and a short section along the road as you approach the causeway.

The Carson Trail, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. A 15-20 minute drive to Wells. A mostly level one-mile loop of gravel and boardwalk through coastal forest and salt marsh, with interpretive stops. The refuge says it works for wheelchairs and strollers. Open year-round; parking can be limited.

East Point Audubon Sanctuary. A 20-25 minute drive to the end of Biddeford Pool, across the water to the northeast. A short rocky-coast trail with views toward Wood Island Light: about 0.8 miles out to the point and back by Maine Audubon’s count, about 1.6 for the full trail. Dawn to dusk, year-round. Parking is a few roadside spaces, and no dogs or bikes, however there are more rocks and shore to explore off Ocean Avenue.

Two people walking along the wet sand at Goose Rocks Beach at sunset, with houses and a pink-purple sky behind them. — A walk along Goose Rocks Beach at sunset.

Small boats moored in calm water off Goose Rocks Beach at sunrise, with wet sand in the foreground and a pale pink sky. — Sunrise at Goose Rocks Beach.

Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk on an overcast day: wet sand, small waves, and a rocky point with buildings in the distance. — Gooch’s Beach, Kennebunk.Photo: Fred Hsu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.

Beaches are a drive

There is no sand beach at the house, and none of these is a walk. Pack the car; the beach chairs, towels, umbrella, and cooler are in the basement.

Goose Rocks Beach is the owners’ favorite: three miles of sand on the far side of Kennebunkport, shallow and shaped by the tide, best near the Proctor Avenue end at low water. In summer the Town requires a parking permit and allows parking only in posted spaces. About a 10 minute drive from the house.

Gooch’s Beach, in Kennebunk to the southwest, is the other sand beach the owners use. A different beach from Goose Rocks, and the Town of Kennebunk requires its own parking permit in season.

Biddeford Pool, to the northeast, is rock and shore rather than sand. Pair time on the shore with the East Point walk for the view of Wood Island Light.

A restored Biddeford & Saco Railroad open streetcar, car 31, on the tracks at the Seashore Trolley Museum, with a conductor at the front platform and Old Orchard on the destination sign. — Biddeford & Saco car 31 at the Seashore Trolley Museum.Photo: Seashoretrolley, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.

A rainy day, or a day for the kids

The Seashore Trolley Museum is a drive inland in Kennebunkport: restored streetcars in exhibit barns, a model railroad, a museum store, and a ticket buys you unlimited rides on the trolleys, rain or shine. It is the owners’ outing for children, and a better bet than the beach when the weather turns.

How booking works

Dates and rates are on the booking page. KPort Concierge handles check-in, house rules, and payment; the exact address comes with your confirmation. Check-in is at 3:00 PM and check-out at 10:00 AM.

Check dates & book

If the booking page will not load, call 207-424-2743 or email info@kportconcierge.com. The same house is also listed on Airbnb and VRBO.