Deer Isle, Maine is a quaint, peaceful island, in many ways frozen in time. Drive over the bridge, and you are in another world—the islands of Deer Isle and Little Deer Isle and many smaller ones beyond in Penobscot Bay.  You’ll discover Deer Isle Village, Stonington, Sunshine and Sunset . . . It’s real Maine, authentic and unpretentious and simple. 

Visitors are charmed by the picturesque harbor in Stonington, at the southern tip of Deer Isle. There you’ll see lobstermen tending their boats and traps. (Working fishing boats still outnumber visiting pleasure boats.)   And you’ll never forget the sight of the majestic schooners that tour our waters all summer long, dropping anchor to spend the night or just zigzagging in and out through the islands!  Walk farther, and you’ll be alone with the spruce-lined shore, the sparkling Atlantic, and the scores of islands dotting the horizon.

When you’re ready for “civilization,” you can stroll the quaint shops, galleries, inns, and restaurants that pepper the curves of the shoreline. Like Deer Isle itself, the businesses here are refreshingly real. You won’t find any chain stores, but you will find plenty of laid-back, friendly personalities with Downeast accents!

While a well kept secret from the average tourist, Deer Isle is reknowned in the artistic community for its oceanside haven, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. For more than half a century, the world’s best artisans, writers, and photographers have made annual pilgrimages to Haystack classes and workshops. (Look for their work in the island’s galleries.)

Our visitors are often so enchanted by the quiet, friendly beauty of Deer Isle that they stay “on island” for their entire stay. Others choose to explore the many other island and coastal communities nearby, from the islands of Isle au Haut, Vinalhaven, and North Haven and the neighboring Blue Hill peninsula to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

If you’ve ever taken a vacation and come home more tired than when you left, you need to experience a week or two in Deer Isle, Maine. The place to start is by reserving one of Island Vacation Rental’s beautiful homes!