Where once there were dozens of year-round island communities off Maine’s coast, only a dozen or so remain. But the beauty of the sea, pine-lined paths, meadows, and sweet cottages on bluffs has never ceased inspiring us. Come summer, like clockwork, day-trippers descend with backpacks and vacationers with suitcases.

Last summer, photographers Winky Lewis and Mark Fleming hopped aboard ferries from the mainland to explore five Maine islands, each one proud of its individual identity, its particular hold on the imagination. There wasPeaks Island, a respite just 20 minutes from the bustle of downtown Portland;Monhegan, famous for inspiring artists from Rockwell Kent to Jamie Wyeth; North Haven, a traditional summer home for the bluest of New England’s blue bloods; Vinalhaven, home to one of the largest lobstering fleets in New England; andIsle au Haut, which rewards intrepid hikers with miles of trails and countless indelible views.

To see more photos and to discover each island in the words of a longtime resident, go to Yankee’s July/August 2019 cover story, “Maine’s Magical Islands.”

More Scenes from Maine’s Magical Islands