Eastport is the ultimate definition of “Downeast,” as the easternmost city in the country and the first to see the sunrise. A Down East magazine feature story “Could Cobscook Bay be the Next Mount Desert Island?” explored how the new Cobscook Shores network of fifteen waterfront parks and other developments around Eastport and Lubec set the stage for a robust future tourist and recreation industry. Businesses are already taking notice. A Bar Harbor staple, Diver Ed’s Dive-Theater, a marine education boat cruise, recently relocated to Eastport to capitalize on the thriving marine life in Cobscook Bay.

Eastport has many claims to fame: it is the deepest natural harbor on the eastern seaboard, a prime birding destination, and is considered to be the premier spot in the northeast for scuba diving. The area’s abundant natural beauty can be explored by boat, kayak, or foot, with miles of hiking trails in Shackford Head and Cobscook Bay State Parks. Tourist attractions and activities range from whale watching, deep-sea fishing expeditions, kayaking, birding, hiking, puffin and seal tours, and even chartered boat tours to visit (from a safe distance ) a natural phenomenon known as Old Sow in the Passamaquoddy Bay, thought to be the largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.

Plus, Eastport has experienced a recent explosion in real estate sales. Over the past 15 years, a total of 377 properties (including commercial, land, residential multi-unit, and single-family homes), have been sold in Eastport, and 77 of those were in the past 12 months, or a staggering 20%, according to Maine Listings.

While we can’t deny that Eastport is far even by most Mainer’s standards, the exploding popularity of road trips and “van life” in the wake of the pandemic means that traveling to the end of the state along Route 1 is more likely than ever.