Surrounded by natural beauty, the Inn by the Sea on Crescent Beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine offers luxurious accommodations.

Fall in New England marks leaf-peeping season and beautiful sunsets, making it a perfect time to visit and enjoy the cool weather. Located just outside Portland, Maine is Inn by the Sea, a coastal destination where “luxury comes naturally.” Renovated extensively just a few years ago, it’s now nationally recognized for its eco-friendly practices.

Because Inn by the Sea is adjacent to a wildlife sanctuary, it is a designated wildlife habitat, making it one of the first hotels certified as “Green Lodging” by Maine’s DEP. It seems that the Inn is leading the hospitality industry in Maine through other aspects as well. It was the first to heat with biofuel, the first to be carbon neutral, and the first to have dual flush toilets as well. Other cool eco-features include solar heating for the pool, recycled rubber floors in the fitness room, recycled cork floors in the spa, and the inn even assists eco-conscience couples in planning green weddings.

Perhaps one of the aspects of Inn by the Sea that we love so much is that it goes beyond the corporate level by engaging guests with educational classes that are offered to pass on the environmental messages. Weekly seminars and garden tours are offered on the Inn’s five acres of seaside gardens, teaching guests how to plant for wildlife, while children learn about bug ecosystems during the summer’s “Bug’s Life” series.

If you go: Check out Sea Glass, the Inn by the Sea’s restaurant featuring local ingredients from produce to cheese to sea salt. Rates start at $189USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

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