The Island Inn: Monhegans best stay
For years, people have been telling me the same thing:
“You NEED to go to Monhegan Island.”
And for years, my answer has been, “I know! I need to go!”
Well, this was finally the year I pulled the trigger and now I completely understand what everyone was talking about.
I had heard that if you’re going to Monhegan, The Island Inn is the place to stay, so I booked a room for me and my friend and then reserved a spot on the 7:00 a.m. Monhegan Boat Line ferry out of Port Clyde.
I’m an early bird anyway, and if I was finally making it to Monhegan, I wanted every possible minute I could get on the island. My cottage isn’t far from Port Clyde, so catching that early ferry was incredibly convenient.
The morning ferry ride was foggy. Very Maine, very moody, and honestly kind of perfect.
As we got closer, Monhegan slowly began to appear through the fog.
It was pure magic.
From the second I arrived, I felt like I had somehow stepped back in time.
After stepping off the ferry, one of the first places I noticed was The Barnacle, the little café and market by the wharf. Then I looked up the road and there it was. The Island Inn, sitting beautifully above the harbor.
My first thought was, How convenient is this?!
I walked up the hill figuring I would pop inside, see if I could leave my bags somewhere before check-in, and head out to explore.
The second I opened those doors, I knew this was going to be one of my all-time favorite stays.
Part of what makes The Island Inn so special is that staying here feels like becoming part of Monhegan’s history.
The main building dates all the way back to 1816, when it was known as the Pink House. As more and more visitors began making their way to Monhegan, the building was expanded in 1907 and again in 1910, creating The Island Inn much as we know it today. The Pierce Cottage was later added to the property in 1924.
The Inn has undergone renovations over the years, adding modern comforts like private bathrooms and comfortable beds while still preserving the period style that makes it so special. You’ll still find painted floors, antique oak furniture, crisp white linens and that wonderfully simple feeling that seems to define Monhegan.
There are no televisions or telephones in the guest rooms.
And once you’re here, you understand exactly why you don’t need them.
Walking through the Inn, I found one cozy room after another. Everywhere I looked was a space inviting me to sit down, work on a puzzle, read a book or simply stare out the window at an insane view.
It felt like the entire place was quietly telling me to slow down.
The staff couldn’t have been sweeter when I arrived. There was a room near the front desk where guests could store luggage before check-in or after check-out, which ended up being incredibly helpful. They even had a guest refrigerator where I tucked away my bottle of white wine for later.
Priorities.
I also discovered what may officially be my new favorite coffee. Monhegan Coffee Roasters’ Periwinkle Blend. I loved it so much that I made sure to grab some grounds to bring home with me.
Here’s the funny thing. I really hadn’t done much research before this trip.
I had no idea how spread out everything would be or how I would get around.
Turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
So much of Monhegan is within easy walking distance of The Island Inn. Galleries, shops, restaurants, trails, cottages and the harbor are all right there.
And everywhere you walk is beautiful.
I can still smell the lavender and beach roses.
And the beach! I don’t think I have ever been to a beach where I found so much sea glass. The water was incredibly clear, and I could have spent hours just wandering along the shoreline filling my pockets.
There are also miles of trails winding around the island and bringing you to completely different spots including the famous Monhegan shipwreck.
I am not joking when I tell you I teared up probably eight times during this trip simply because of how beautiful this place was.
That has never happened to me before.
Eventually, I headed back to The Island Inn and found myself on its porch, sitting in one of the rocking chairs overlooking the harbor.
My friend was arriving on a later ferry, so I figured I would sit there and wait for her boat to come in.
I could have stayed there all day.
Monarch butterflies were landing on the flowers around the Inn, ferries were coming and going below, and there was something about sitting in that rocking chair that made the rest of the world feel very far away.
When my friend arrived, we checked into our room. It was clean, comfortable and exactly what I wanted from an island inn. I especially loved opening the window and feeling that cool sea breeze come through.
We were both starving, so we headed to the Fish House, where I had delicious fish tacos, and then squeezed in a little more exploring before our dinner reservation back at The Island Inn. My friend had already been to Monhegan before and considered it one of her favorite places and she gets around. She was so happy that I finally understood what made this little island so special.
I knew dinner at the Inn would be nice.
I was not expecting it to be as good as it was.
We started with a fresh salad and incredible garden-fresh fried green tomatoes. Then came some of the best mussels I’ve ever had, with this amazing curry flavor that I was not expecting but absolutely loved.
We also had halibut and a beautiful, perfectly cooked steak.
There was absolutely no room for dessert, which was probably for the best because we had somewhere else we needed to be.
Back on that porch.
Wine in hand.
Waiting for a famous Monhegan sunset.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
We even walked up to the lighthouse to watch part of the sunset from there. It took us less than ten minutes to walk from The Island Inn, which again made me realize just how perfectly located the Inn is.
The next morning, I couldn’t wait to get my scuttlebutt back out onto that porch with a cup of my new favorite coffee.
There are mornings you rush through, and then there are mornings you wish you could bottle up and keep forever.
This was the latter.
Naturally, I also had to walk back down to the beach and fill my pockets with sea glass one more time.
Then it was time for breakfast.
And let me tell you, The Island Inn knows how to do breakfast.
I started with yogurt from the breakfast bar topped with delicious granola and berries.
Then came the star of the show.
Lobster scrambled eggs.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about lobster in my scrambled eggs first thing in the morning, but OH. MY. GOD. They were so good.
And obviously I ordered a pancake “for the table.”
You know, for research purposes.
Also delicious.
With very full bellies, we went upstairs, got ready for the day and checked out. Since our ferry wasn’t leaving until 4:30 p.m., The Island Inn let us leave our bags there.
Which meant one thing:
More time to explore.
I grabbed an iced coffee from MOHO and found a bench swing overlooking the harbor. I had one of the yummiest crepes ever at Palette Creperie and, of course, made my way to Monhegan Brewing Company for a delicious beer and a great atmosphere.
But eventually, the time came.
Our Monhegan adventure was over.
We somberly grabbed our bags and walked back down toward the ferry.
I genuinely did not want to leave.
There are trips where you have fun, take some pictures, eat some good food and head home.
And then there are places that get to you.
Monhegan got to me.
Throughout this entire trip, I had this overwhelming feeling of peace. I slowed down. I noticed things. I sat in rocking chairs. I watched butterflies. I collected sea glass. I drank wine at sunset and coffee in the morning. I walked everywhere. I ate incredible food. I stared at views until they literally brought tears to my eyes.
And The Island Inn was such a huge part of that experience.
It didn’t just feel like somewhere we were sleeping for the night. It felt woven into the entire Monhegan experience. The history, the simplicity, the harbor views, the porch, the food and that feeling of stepping into another time.
After years of saying I needed to visit Monhegan Island, I finally did.
Now I understand.
And I already cannot wait to go back.
-Kate
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