Machias

Machias is known for its picturesque harbors dotted with fishing boats, meandering rivers and historic sites pre-dating the Revolutionary War. The town, settled in 1763, was the site of the first Naval battle of the American Revolutionary War. Further information on the city's role in the battle is available at the Burnham Tavern, one of 21 homes in the United States designated as most significant to the American Revolution.

Machias is known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World." 95 percent of the world's wild blueberry crop is harvested here. Fittingly, Machias is home to the annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival when each August the streets of downtown come alive with delicious food, art, crafts, and entertainment for the whole family.

Fresh water lakes, rivers, and streams provide homes to a large variety of wildlife in and around Machias. Ocean vistas abound on hiking trails in the area, and boating and kayaking are popular water sports. If you're a birder or a nature lover, take a half-day excursion, available during the months of May through August, to Machias Seal Island, summer home to spectacular nesting colonies of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres and Arctic Terns, among others. For close-range puffin observation and photography, no other birding destination can compare, as Machias Seal Island is the largest puffin colony on the coast of Maine.