Ride a bike - Just about everywhere you want to go can be reached via bike:

• Bike the Peaks Island “Loop” - The four mile, paved loop around the island is perfect for cyclists of any skill. Whether you have your kids on a bike seat or they are riding on their own, the minimal traffic, easy hills and friendly fellow bikers and walkers make for an enjoyable island tour. If the kids get too hot or tired, there are benches for resting, beaches to explore and places to stop for a picnic or snack.
• On the route you’ll pass the remains of the Battery Steele, the largest gun battery built on Peaks Island, and one of the largest battery ever built anywhere in the United States. (It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.)
• A shorter destination: Bike to Evergreen Landing to buy Peaks Island honey. It works on the honor system - leave $3 in the coffee can and take your jar home with you.
• If you don’t bring your bikes over with you on the ferry, you can rent them at Brad’s Bike Shop. Located a short walk from the ferry, to the left.

Explore the beaches - There are many to choose from, including (names may not be official, but are descriptive!):

• Sandy Beach, at the southwest tip of the island (take a right up Island Avenue as you come off the ferry), is a small, and, as its name implies, sandy beach accessed by a long wooden ramp. Kids can play at the shore, hardy souls can swim to Catnip Island (kayaks work, too), and if you’re lucky, you can grab some shade under one of the trees that are hugging the rocks.
• Stone Beach, or Cairn Beach - Children (and adults) can spend hours here, where the rocks are perfect for building towers and other feats of balance and engineering. If you’re on the island for more than a day, you’ll want to check to see if your sculptures are still standing before you leave.
• Centennial Beach - a treasure trove for anyone with a collection of sea glass, or someone looking to start one. Near Trefethen Landing. This is also a great beach for watching the sun set between Little Diamond and Great Diamond Islands.

Visit a museum - The Island is home to three small museums, a great activity if you’re looking to spend some time out of the sun:

• Fifth Maine Museum - Built in 1888 for the Fifth Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry 1861-1864 and where the veterans and their families summered for nearly 60 years. Today, the Hall is maintained as a Civil War and local history museum and a cultural center.
• Umbrella Cover Museum - Founded in 1996 by Director and Curator, Nancy 3. Hoffman, who holds The Guinness World Record for the most umbrella covers - 730.
• Eighth Maine Regiment Memorial - Learn about the 8th Maine Regiment, the Memorial Hall, the Civil War, Peaks Island, and the island's role in two world wars during a tour of this “live-in museum and lodge.”

Have a snack, stock up for a picnic, get a souvenir:

• Down Front - The island’s ice cream shop also sells candy, t-shirts, sweatshirts and souvenirs.
• Hannigans - The island’s grocery/convenience store has just about everything you need for a day or a month on the island. And, according to its motto, “if we don’t have it, you don’t need it.”
• Forest City Seafood - the lobster shack located next to the ferry terminal where you’ll find some of the freshest lobsters ever.
• Take a Peak - One of the island’s only stores, it has some cute items, although it’s more a place mom might enjoy while the kids are looking at t-shirts and candy next door at Down Front.

For longer stays, consider:

• Maine Island Kayaks - For a different perspective, try a kayak tour or renting some kayaks to explore the island from the water.
• Horse Island Camp - Children ages 3 and up can spend their days horseback riding, kayaking, swimming, fort exploration, games, and crafts.
• Peaks Island Fiber Arts Camps - Children spend a week involved in fiber arts, outdoor play and handcrafts. Weekly sessions available for ages 6-14.
• TEIA (Trefethen-Evergreen Improvement Association) - With a two-week membership at the TEIA, kids can take advantage of camps, tennis and sailing lessons.

Quick tips:

• Ferry: Visit the Casco Bay Lines website for schedule and ticket prices
• Parking in Portland: If you are going to leave your car behind, leave plenty of time to get a parking space - the parking garage by the ferry terminal is quite often full on a sunny summer weekend. There are other garages, but you may end up several blocks away.
• Driving on Peaks Island: If you do bring a car onto the island, know that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way. Also, don’t expect to drive over 20 mph.
• Lodging: For a short-term stay, check out The Inn on Peaks Island and the Peaks Island House - both only a several minute walk from the ferry terminal. For a longer stay, consider renting a house. Both Ashmore Realty and Port Island Realty can help with summer rentals.