In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Give Cape Elizabeth one full day from Portland: Portland Head Light and Fort Williams in the morning, Two Lights and the Lobster Shack at lunch, Crescent Beach after.
Cape Elizabeth is a coastal town of about 9,000 people five miles southeast of Portland, Maine, reached by Route 77 across the Casco Bay Bridge through South Portland. Almost everything a visitor wants sits along that one road: Fort Williams Park with Portland Head Light, Two Lights State Park, Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove. It works as a half-day or full-day trip from Portland, or as a quieter two-night base if you want the ocean at the door.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Cape Elizabeth, Maine
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for beaches and the lighthouse museum; May and Oct for quiet trails
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (cold, ice, many seasonal places shut)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–200 excl. bed · High $200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Cape Elizabeth Police (non-emergency) 207-799-5511 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Lobster roll | $22–32 |
| Fried clams or haddock basket | $18–28 |
| Beer, draught | $7–10 |
| Taxi or rideshare, Portland to Cape Elizabeth | $20–35 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PWM · Portland International Jetport
- About 20–25 min by car via I-295 and Route 77; no direct public transport to Cape Elizabeth, so taxi, rideshare or rental car.
- BOS · Boston Logan International
- About 2 h by car; Concord Coach Lines buses run Boston to Portland, then you still need a car or taxi.
Typical fares
- Rideshare Portland → Fort Williams
- $20–35, about 20 min (check)
- Fort Williams parking
- metered by the hour, minimum applies (check)
- State park day-use, per vehicle
- about $8 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
There is no useful local bus: plan on a car, taxi or rideshare. Route 77 is the spine — Portland to Fort Williams is about 6 miles, Fort Williams to Two Lights another 2 miles. Parking at Fort Williams is paid by the hour with a minimum; state park lots fill by mid-morning on summer weekends. Walking between the parks is possible on the road but there is little pavement, so most people drive between stops.
See and do
Known for
- Portland Head Light
- Fort Williams Park
- Two Lights State Park
- Crescent Beach State Park
- The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, Maine | Drive Route 77 north over the Casco Bay Bridge, about 15 min | About 20–30 min |
| South Portland | Route 77 north, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Scarborough, Maine | Route 77 south, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Freeport, Maine | I-295 north, about 30 min | About 35–45 min |
| Brunswick, Maine | I-295 north, about 40 min | About 45–55 min |
| Gorham and Westbrook, Maine | I-295 and Route 25, about 30–40 min | About 40–50 min |
Sleep
- Bowery Beach Road / Inn by the Sea area
- The only real hotel cluster: oceanfront inn, walk to Crescent Beach. Book months ahead for summer weekends.
- Two Lights Road
- A few motels and rentals near the state parks; a car is essential.
- Shore Road
- Guesthouses and rentals between the town centre and Fort Williams; closest to the lighthouse.
- Stay in Portland or South Portland instead
- Cheaper and more choice; 15–25 min drive each way. See the Greater Portland and South Portland guides.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the lighthouse? | Portland Head Light is in Fort Williams Park, 1000 Shore Rd. |
| One lobster roll, please | At the Lobster Shack, 225 Two Lights Rd. |
| Is this beach public? | Ask at the park gate; some cove ends are private. |
| Can I park here? | Metered lot at Fort Williams; state park lots need a fee. |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Fort Williams parking is paid and metered — check the current rate and minimum on arrival.
- State park entry fees apply at Crescent Beach and Two Lights; check the Maine state parks site for 2026 rates.
- The ocean here is cold even in August — swimming is a short plunge, not a long one.
- Some coves and beach ends are private property: stay on marked paths and signed public access.
- Summer weekend traffic on Route 77 backs up; go before 9am or after 4pm.
Very safe: the real risks are cold water, rip currents at the state beaches, and dark, unlit road shoulders if you walk Route 77 after sunset. Lock the car and keep valuables out of sight at trailhead lots.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cape Elizabeth yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Portland Head Light
- Fort Williams Park
- Two Lights State Park
- Crescent Beach State Park
- The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Maine Office of Tourism: visitmaine.com/
- Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands — Crescent Beach and Two Lights: www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/
- Town of Cape Elizabeth: www.capeelizabeth.com/
- Portland International Jetport: www.portlandjetport.org/
- Wikivoyage: Cape Elizabeth, revision 5239269 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239269
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cape ElizabethCape Elizabeth, Maine
Give the driver the street number and Route 77.
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Cape Elizabeth Police (non-emergency)207-799-5511
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Maine; consulates are in Boston. US visitors: your own consulate is the nearest one in Boston or New York.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cape-elizabeth). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.