About this city
Also known as: The Salt Marsh Capital
Situated along the saltwater Atlantic coast just seven miles south of Portland, Scarborough is an affluent coastal town renowned as the home of the largest saltwater marsh ecosystem in the state of Maine. Incorporated in 1658 and named after the famous coastal resort town in England, the community developed during the 19th century as a prosperous farming center and historic haven for coastal seafood harvesting. Scarborough holds an elite place in American art history as the lifelong residence of legendary landscape painter Winslow Homer, who captured the raw power of the Atlantic from his coastal cliff studio at Prouts Neck. Today, the town is one of Maine's fastest-growing communities, beautifully pairing its high-end coastal residential real estate with long white sandy public beaches and extensive preserved marshlands.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Paddle a kayak or canoe through the winding tidal creeks and see rare wading birds at Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center. Sunbathe or walk the long sandy stretches of Higgins Beach or Scarborough Beach State Park. Hike the scenic rocky pathways along the Prouts Neck Cliff Walk for ocean vistas.
