Portland, Maine

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 out of 11 reviews
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Traveling While Black

11 Reviews

  1. author
    LPJ
    04 Dec 2025
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    Portland, Maine is such a beautiful and welcoming coastal city — full of incredible seafood, charming neighborhoods, rich history, and some of the most breathtaking ocean views you’ll ever experience. Whether you love outdoor adventures, hidden cultural gems, or just relaxing by the waterfront, Portland offers something special in every season.

    Before you book your trip, make sure you check out Black Travel Maine for curated experiences, insider recommendations, and culturally rich tours that will truly elevate your visit. They’ll help you see Maine in a whole new way!

  2. Jonathan
    Jonathan
    20 Oct 2025
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    Portland is an amazing city. I had a great experience as a black solo traveler.
    Commuting from South Portland gives cheaper lodging but you start to make it up in your commute and paying for parking during peak hours in Portland proper. If you find somewhere affordable in the city and are okay with exploring, walking will save your wallet. I recommend going in the off season if you like crispy weather, great fall color, and shorter lines. There are tons of things that are seasonal, so I wouldn’t wait beyond the first week of October as activities and places start to close for the season, unless you’re looking to just relax and eat well. It is a FOODIES playground. I didn’t have one bad meal, and I was always had amazing service and treatment. A lot of classy restaurants, but Fore Street was my favorite for rustic fine dining (pricey but approachable). Lil Chippy was my favorite stop for Fish-N-Chips (cheapest meal but my favorite overall) and Hot Suppa offered great brunch. If beer is your thing, Portland is a rich well! Great history in the city and even Black history! Took a Portland Black History Tour offered through Portland By The Foot. Dugan Murphy the owner is super knowledgeable and invested. I found out about his tour through an IG post from GBG, and he also gave GBG a plug at the end of his tour—full circle. I plan to go back to visit more of New England and Portland will be on the itinerary again!

  3. author
    Love
    15 Sep 2025
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    Traveling While Black

    I traveled as a solo, female traveler. This was a port stop for a Nee England/Canada cruise. This was perfect! I’m an LA native and usually vacation in Mexico and Caribbean. I truly enjoyed the enrichment experience of the destination. Everyone I encountered was friendly. I took public transportation to the Chronozoology Museum, my father acted in a Bigfoot movie decades ago lol. My bus driver was super friendly and helpful. He acted as a personal tour guide and during his scheduled stops of 3-5 minutes he took his time to come back and speak face to face too. The store owners were welcoming. The servers pleasant. The visited the Abyssinian Meeting House, part of the Portland Freedom Trail. I overheard a guided tour which was a plus! I didn’t want to schedule anything for this trip to get a vibe of what it’s like to freestyle the area. Great day trip!

  4. Kewl
    Kewl
    06 Aug 2025
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    Traveling While Black

    Portland is dope! My wife and I have traveled there twice just to get away from NY. Cant wait to return.

    Hotel- Canopy by Hilton Portland Waterfront
    Restaurant-The High Roller Lobster Co.

  5. author
    Wanda
    12 Jul 2025
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    We did a road trip through New England & started in Portland, Maine. We stayed at The Canopy downtown and had great access to downtown. The area was very walkable & safe. People were friendly & food was great! My husband played golf at Dunegrass & enjoyed it.

  6. author
    Imani-Moderator
    20 Feb 2025
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    Traveling While Black

    Portland was truly a great experience that I never expected. Not only were the people very kind, but the air was crisp, the food was fresh and there was so much food to choose from.

    I would recommend trying Gross Confection Bar, Yosaku, CENTRAL PROVISIONS!!!!, Yardie Ting, and The HIGHROLLER! The Lobster everywhere is great but I like the flavors and lobster options they offer more at Highroller.

    Overall, I really enjoyed the breadth of activities offered there from swimming, kayaking, cooking, and more.

  7. CZ
    CZ
    11 Oct 2024
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    Traveling While Black

    Back in August I was itching to go away for a bit and I came across an ig post on the green book page about Portland Maine. I decided to go on a solo trip based on how great that post was and I can say it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. I felt so safe and there was so much to see and do within walking distance. The boat tour was phenomenal and I’m still daydreaming about the lobster rolls. 10/10

  8. author
    Nwoodby
    20 Sep 2024
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    Portland Maine was such a hidden gem for us! I traveled to Portland for the first time this summer and was completely blown away by everything there was to do and how many great food options there were. We traveled with our 4 year old daughter and 2 month infant and found that it was an extremely family friendly destination from the lake and ocean beaches to the children’s museum and even a winery that was super family friendly with different board games that you could play while sampling the wine. While I grew up going to Martha’s Vineyard for a few weeks each summer and have had plenty of lobster rolls- the lobster rolls in Maine blew the Martha’s Vineyard lobster rolls out of the water! What was most surprising to me about Portland is that there were actually a few black owned businesses.

    Since Maine is predominately white, I wasn’t expecting to see many black people at all and definitely was not expecting it to have a few black owned businesses including a Jamaican restaurant called YARDIE TING. While there I would definitely recommend checking it out- it’s a very authentic Jamaican restaurant ran by a husband and wife team and they have everything from oxtails to stewed chicken to patties.

    And if you’re looking for a good late night option check out Oga Suya- it’s a Nigerian bbq spot at the Portland Zoo (an outdoor beer garden type of vibe with DJ’s, etc.)

  9. Nichole
    Nichole
    09 Aug 2024
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    I can’t really say that I had anything remarkable happen.
    I was in Peabody Mass for a couple of days and stayed at the Homewood Suites with my son and his girlfriend.
    Wandered around Salem and the Village during that time (it was the week leading up to Halloween so it was mostly festive), at a beautiful restaurant (Sea Level Oyster Bar) outside of the main areas of Salem on the water, then drove to Maine.
    Stayed at my son’s place in Brunswick. Went to Portland and ate lobster on the waterfront, drank local beers at the lobster place and also in Bath at Bath Brewing, but we mostly just stayed close as his girlfriend worked early mornings and my son had to drive and pick her up.
    It’s an odd area as it’s not unusual to see a house with both a “don’t tread on me” flag along with a rainbow flag flying (or similar displays along those lines).
    Everywhere we went, I didn’t feel any “tension” and was encouraged enough to want to return but my son has moved from the area so I don’t see it happening now.

  10. Deondra Berry
    Deondra Berry
    24 Jul 2024
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    I traveled to Portland, Maine solo as a black female. I had a wonderful experience. I was in Portland for three days and two nights. All of the people I encountered (workers, locals, other travelers) were very friendly. I went to Scales, Blyth & Borrows, Commercial Street Pub, The Holy Donut, Eventide, Luke’s Lobster, Cocktail Mary and a few other places. There were a lot of nice shops around the area. I felt safe my entire trip, even when walking home from bars at night. A stayed at the Aloft Hotel, my only complaint is that the walls were super thin.

  11. Brian Oliver
    Brian Oliver
    24 Jul 2024
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    Traveling While Black
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    Traveling While Black

    I visited Maine with no clue what to expect. While I knew that the state had much to see and do, I had no idea how receptive locals were to Black travelers. From the time I landed in Portland I was welcomed with open arms and well wishes. Each city I traveled to felt comfortable and safe. It was also great to connect with other Black locals and travelers to enjoy the experience and activities with. Maine is full of great restaurants, deep history and great experiences such as sailing. I would definitely revisit and encourage others to visit as well.

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