Sunset Sea Kayak Tour on Casco Bay
Description
The hours just before sunset offer the best time for paddling on the waters of Casco Bay. The sky tends to explode with color and the seas often become glassy and calm. This trip involves a leisurely paddle just far enough along the waterfront or into the islands to enjoy a panoramic view of the sun setting over the city as we paddle back to the East End Beach. This two-hour tour is designed for paddlers of all experience levels -- including first-time kayakers. The exact route you take will depend on the weather conditions and the group's interests and experience, but the Sunset Tour often starts out venturing into the waterfront of Portland harbor, and then into the open waters towards the islands of Casco Bay. We will cancel this tour if there is steady rain, strong winds or other conditions that we believe will prevent guests from having a great paddling experience. However, we will run our tours when there are light showers, overcast skies or cooler than average temperatures.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The waters of Casco Bay contain abundant wildlife, including seals, seabirds and all sorts of fish and intertidal creatures
We often paddle towards the ledges near beautiful Mackworth Island State Park. It's a great area for spotting seals and other wildlife!
Paddle along the edge of historic Portland harbor and get a close look at the wharves linked with lobster boats, schooners and other ships.
Enjoy views of this 19-th century fort in the middle of Portland harbor.
View this and other lighthouses from a distance as you paddle across the open waters of Portland harbor.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult. Each child under age 16 must paddle in a tandem kayak with an adult.
- Please arrive 10 minutes early to check-in. Allow time for parking.
- Minimum age is 10 years old
- Most participants will be given tandem (two-person) kayaks unless they request a solo kayak
- Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions. It is usually cooler on the water than on land.
Reviews(110)
Great excursion, beautiful scenery, professional guide, fun paddle, lots of wildlife, awesome adventure
What a perfect evening of kayaking, seeing seals, osprey, and a gorgeous sunset! We took the last tour of the evening and so glad we did. A great activity with an awesome guide, highly recommend!
Our family of 4 all went kayaking for the first time (so no experience at all). My kids are 12 and 14. Our guide was Chloe and it was an incredible experience. First of all, they have everything you need to make your experience great. We flew in so didn’t have room to pack a lot of extras. They provided all 4 of us with swim shoes and jackets. They also provided dry bags. It was such an incredible experience to be out on the bay and experience sunset. We saw so many large boats and we even saw sea lions. Our guide took some incredible pictures of us on the water and shared them within 15 minutes of our trip ending. Literally 10 out of 10 experience.
Great experience, lots of fun! Special treat seeing a porpoise and several seals close by!
Kayaking was a great experience!! I enjoyed seeing all of the scenery!! I would recommend this tour to others!!
So beautiful and fun! Humbly a part of Jenny’s first (sunset) kayak tour! She was amazing, so kind and supportive. Our little group was so fulfilling in humor and kindness. I highly recommend you do this tour! The weather was perfect and the golden hour light was phenomenal! Definitely good for beginners or those with a little more experience, arms might be a little sore but it will be worth it Not super chilly the night we went but I’d recommend a light jacket or windbreaker to block some of the water, though the paddle place does have some options for different footwear/jackets/dry bags!
Loved every second of the sea kyack trip. Joe was a delight and personable. The sunset, calm water, light breeze, history lesson and small group size was a great way to enjoy the 2 hr excursion in Portland on the Casco Bay.
This activity was hands down the best experience I had during my spontaneous trip to Maine! Joe was incredibly patient with me, especially since it was my very first time kayaking. He made me feel comfortable and confident the entire time, and he was also very knowledgeable, sharing so many interesting facts about Maine’s bodies of water and surrounding history along the way. Calvin was such a cool guy too! He was very interactive and made the whole experience even more enjoyable and memorable. Both of them created such a welcoming and fun atmosphere that it honestly felt like an adventure with friends rather than just a tour. Everything about this experience was amazing... fun, active, educational, and unforgettable. They both did an excellent job, and I would absolutely love to do it all over again. 1000/10 recommended!
We're so glad you had a terrific experience with Joe and Calvin! Thanks so much for sharing. Hope to see you for another paddle someday!
Highly Recommend Portland Paddle. Beautiful sunset views with SEALS! Staff is fun and knowledgeable. Very safe! Location is beautiful on East End Beach.
We loved this tour! Joe was super friendly and the kayaks are well taken care of. Also the staff was really kind and they were very accommodating and kept our bags safe behind the desk. Great paddle, would love to come back and do the city line paddle. We did the seal paddle and saw a few.
