THE EARNEST TRAVELER
Lubec is small and remote, so lodging is simple and limited — inns, B&Bs, cottages, and a couple of state-park campgrounds. Book early; there aren't many rooms this far Downeast, and the good ones go fast in summer.
In Lubec
Staying in town puts you minutes from the lighthouse, the waterfront, and the Campobello bridge. Expect historic inns, B&Bs, and waterfront cottages — small, characterful, walkable — rather than hotels or resorts. Water views and kitchens are worth seeking out; reserve well ahead for summer and foliage season.
Camp at Cobscook Bay
Cobscook Bay State Park, between Lubec and Eastport, has wooded, tidal campsites right on the water — superb for birding and watching the Fundy tides, at modest state-park rates. It's the best budget base and central to everything: lighthouse, Bold Coast, Campobello, and the Old Sow.
Eastport
Across the bay, Eastport offers historic downtown inns and B&Bs within walking distance of galleries, restaurants, and the boat docks. If your trip leans toward whale watches, the Old Sow, and the arts scene, Eastport is a fine alternative base to Lubec.
A Wider Base
If you'd rather not commit to the far Downeast for every night, base part of the trip in Bar Harbor / Acadia (about two to two and a half hours south) where lodging is plentiful, and day-trip or overnight up to Lubec. It's a natural pairing — two of Maine's best coasts in one journey.
This is one of the foggiest stretches of the East Coast, and Lubec all but closes down in winter. The sweet spot is summer through early October — whales and puffins in summer, clearer skies and foliage in September. Even in season, build in a flexible day: fog can gray out the coast, and boat trips cancel for weather.
Rooms are scarce Downeast and vanish in summer. Reserve as far ahead as you can, and pick a base — Lubec, Cobscook, or Eastport — that's central to the tours and trails you care about most, so you're not driving the long way around the bay every day.
Camping, the town gateway, and Acadia to the south.