Tucked away on the shores of Saco Bay, Old Orchard Beach is a nostalgic waterfront getaway with something for the whole family. Plan your vacation here to kick back on the sandy beaches, embark on whale-watching cruises, enjoy rides at the amusement parks or practice your swing on the scenic golf courses. With Old Orchard Beach ranging from antique cottages on the beach to condos with balconies overlooking the ocean, you’re sure to find the perfect home away from home.
1. Downtown Old Orchard Beach
Find vacation homes for every price range at this focal point of tourist activity where the charming coastal town meets the pristine beachfront. Spend some time at Old Orchard Beach Pier to sample the restaurants and bars, or cast a line of the edge of the pier. Concerts and fireworks displays are also common here. You can also take your family to ride the Ferris wheel and roller coaster at Beachfront Palace Playland Park, New England’s only beachfront amusement park.
2. Surfside
Situated along the shoreline just north of downtown Old Orchard Beach, this neighborhood offers a quieter atmosphere and emptier beaches while still putting the town’s pier and restaurants at your fingertips. Hotels, condos, and multi-story beachfront homes make up this tranquil area. Wherever you stay, you’re always only steps away from the tranquil shoreline where you can comb for sand dollars after enjoying breakfast at your vacation rental.
3. Ocean Park
This neighborhood of Old Orchard Beach lies along the shore just south of downtown, featuring seaside restaurants and access to beautiful stretches of beach for building sand castles and playing in the surf. Here you find campgrounds and colonial-style homes located just steps away from the beach.
4. Milliken Mills
After a day of relaxing on the beach, return to your humble vacation home tucked away in the woods of Milliken Mills, an Inland neighborhood of Old Orchard Beach. Nearby, you can check out the pristine Dunegrass Golf Club where you can play a game of golf amidst rolling hills and tall pines. You can also take the family for a day of fun at Aquaboggan Water Park to beat the summer heat.
5. Biddeford and Saco
These twin towns just south of Old Orchard Beach along the Saco River offer easy access to the beaches with all the amenities of a city. Enjoy a swim in the river at Rotary Park, or take a short drive to Ferry Beach State Park for remote beaches and shorefront wilderness. When you’re not reconnecting with nature, enjoy a performance and Biddeford City Theater, or sample craft beer at one of the breweries. As York County’s main commercial hub, Biddeford is also home to farmer’s markets, art walks and festivals throughout the year.
6. Grand Beach
Grand Beach is the next waterfront community just north of Surfside, offering endless opportunities for a beach getaway where you can listen to the waves from a recliner in the yard of your vacation rental. While staying here puts you just minutes from the restaurants, souvenir shops and pier entertainment in Old Orchard Beach, this community boasts more laid-back vibes with beachfront properties dotted the sparse shore-side streets. Staying here also puts you just south of Town’s Landing, where you can stop into an ocean-view restaurant for fresh clams and lobster. For a relaxing vacation day, take a cruiser or fishing boat out on Nonesuch River and Saco Bay.
7. Prouts Neck
Located just across the Nonesuch River from Grand Beach on a quiet peninsula, Prouts Neck is a summer community populated by centuries-old summer cottages and the luxurious Black Point Inn. Here you can stroll along the boardwalks of Prout’s Neck Bird Sanctuary and watch the waves crash on the rocky shoreline along the Cliff Walk. Take a walk to Scarborough Beach State Park to enjoy the calm beach complete with lifeguards and a snack shack.
8. Higgins Beach
Just northeast of Prouts Neck along the shoreline, and less than 10 miles from Old Orchard Beach, Higgins Beach is a secluded community where rocky cliffs meet sandy beaches. Find a laid-back cottage near the mouth of Spurwink River where you can enjoy some fly fishing, or find a beach house just steps away from the ocean. Higgins Beach is a more secluded getaway with fewer crowds than Old Orchard Beach, and the
countless shoreline access points along scenic Bayview Avenue are a gateway to body boarding, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and other water sports.
9. Scarborough
This inland town a few miles north of Prouts Neck puts you just minutes from Portland attractions such as the Maine Mall. It also provides easy access to Higgins Beach and Scarborough Beach State Park where you can kick back on the shoreline or hit the water with a stand-up paddle board. Right in town, you can stop by Willowdale Golf Course to test your swing, or you can take the family to Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center where you can embark on a canoe ride through the marsh inlets.