Like most beach towns, Ogunquit, Maine has been somewhat subsumed by an exaggerated nautical aesthetic: striped sailor shirts, lobster-emblazoned everything, shell-encrusted picture frames, “but first, coffee” posters. At least this is the overwhelming impression within the touristy shops of its compact and crowded downtown. The seaside sprawl extends along Main Street; driving along its motel- and condo-clogged length, you might not anticipate that a pristine paradise is right around the corner.
And yet, a quarter mile or so from the main drag, you enter an insulated idyll, where it feels as if you have stepped back in time. The brisk sound of traffic is overtaken by the gentle roar of the sea; a broad sweep of tidal estuary, bordered on the far side by sand dunes, encompasses almost the entire horizon—as stunning a landscape as any painted by the artist Charles Woodbury at the start of the 20th century, when he established Ogunquit’s first art colony, quite rightly recognizing that this combination of air, light, and seaside landscape formed something truly special. (The glorious art Ogunquit Museum of American Art, with its perfectly curated collection of treasures inspired and related to the area, is an excellent introduction to the artistic heritage of the region; it also offers stunning sculpture gardens to wander around.)
The history of The Dunes on the Waterfront, a resort that opened earlier this summer after an extensive renovation, is baked into the land and architecture of the property. Originally purchased as farmland in the 1930s, the 12-acre property was converted into guest cottages and run by the same family as a small resort for three generations. In 2023, the Maine-based entrepreneur and hotelier Tim Harrington purchased the property and spent the off-season giving it a thorough overhaul. (The Salt Cottages in Bar Harbor and The Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor are also under his purview.)
An interior of one of the cottages at The Dunes.Photo: Katie Nielson
