Malaga Island Sea Kayak Tour

Malaga Island is an island that was used by our Native Americans, a mixed race or interracial colony, and now has no inhabitants in eastern Casco Bay. Stories and plays have been written about it, historians investigate, archeologists are facinated, and the locals from Phippsburg don't like to discuss its sad history and the part their forefathers played in its history. During 2022, Alice is offering private tour of any size group on a mutually agreed upon Tuesday or Wednesday.  

Come learn some of the secrets of this island with Alice's Awesome Adventures. Paddle to the island from a small local launch site where you might see seals basking at low tide. During a three hour tour you will have time to land on the northern shell beach for a snack and see a kiosk about the history and listen to Alice's extensive knowledge of the island from the time of native american use to today.

On a longer interactive historical tour, you will have time to explore the island with Alice, visiting different historical sites along its 1.2 mile long perimeter trail entering different "rooms" and experiencing its different climates, vistas and having a snack at the south end of the island like the gals to the left. You will decide if the island talks to you. We will close our visit on the island with a discussion about all the users from the time of the Indigenous Peoples use of the island through today.

On August 27, 2017, Alice brought Benjamin Darling descendant, Richard Linscott with family and friend s to the island for the first time. He had seen it many times from the Phippsburg shore, and he had an emotional trip. His comments - " Your “guide”-ance made it much more meaningful for me today.  I greatly appreciated your stewardship of Malaga and more generally with the Maine coastal area.    Best wishes and blessings from the descendants, Rick Linscott"

Rick and Alice	Rick signs the register	The kiosk	Rick paddling	View from the southern end of the island

In June of 2016 she lead a group of 18 from Scarborough Middle School who had studied about the island, the book "Lizzy Bright and the Buckminster Boy" and american history of the time in Maine and the country to try to understand more about why what happened, happened. By going to the island and visiting it, the history came alive for the students and their teachers.  She has led two trips with University of Southern Maine students. 

The Department of Performing Arts at Emerson College presented the play, "Lizzy Bright and the Buckminster Boy" under the 

direction of Robert Colby at the Semel Theater, October 31 - November 3, 2013. In order to help the company learn more about where the play took place and the community that surrounded it, Director Colby asked Alice's Awesome Adventures to lead a trip to the island for 18 members of the company. Many of these college students had never been to Maine or in a kayak. The trip was awesome!  Here is what Sarah Erkert, dramaturg, wrote in the playbill about the trip:

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy  is based on a little-known piece of New England history, one that for a long time was considered "a story best left untold". We believe different. Our hope in telling this story today we can all come to better understand the effects of racism and poverty on the characters and society of that time, and in our world today.   The island - As the fog cleared and our sea kayaks neared a small shell midden beach on the north side of the now uninhabited island, Malaga appeared exactly as Lizzie describes it. Beautiful fir trees rose above us, and the opaque blue water met the solid rock cliffs of the mainland just a few hundred  yards off the western edge of the island. We stepped onto the thin, moss-covered soil where Lizzie and the islanders had lived and looked over to the neigboring town of Phippsburg, the town that had considered the shanties and mixed race commuity of Malaga an eyesore. It was hard to understand their point of view, as the place today does seem like it "is the most perfect place God ever created." Though all the island's structures were razed long ago, the spirit of its community still lingers.  

From Robert Colby - "All of us were similarly touched by our experience on Malaga, which had a profound impact on our rehearsal and design processes, and we hope that you, too, will be moved by the spirit of Malaga."

From Jessica Kelly - "My students studied about the island, its history, the culture, and how America was in the late 1800's and early 1900's. This trip brought our studies together. Thank you Alice for such a great trip and working with us to make it happen."

In the fall of 2017, Alice brought the theater company from The Theatre Project to Malaga because they were producing Lizzy Bright and the Buckminster Boy as a Maine premiere. What a great group of 12 people from 8 - 80 years old to visit the island. They had already visited the burial site at Pineland. Their show was wonderful!  

Join Master Maine Guide Alice on your personalized group or private trip to Malaga Island in a single or double kayaks. Learn about its history, explore its forests, bogs, ledges, and vistas. Three hour tours paddle to the island and land at the north end and visit the kiosk. A break for snacks are at the north end beach with some historical stories.

The longer tours land at the same place but go on an interpretive 1.2 mile hike around the island. We have our snacks or lunches at the southern end of the island where we have a totally different vista. While on our interpretive hike, we walk over uneven surfaces, rocks, tree roots, small wooden plank bridges, and moss covered trails. This trip is not advised for those that have difficulty walking or are in wheelchairs. This trip really helps you to understand the island, the Malaga Island Colony of the late 1800's and their expulsion, as well as earlier history and later history.

Books that are available currently that feature Malaga Island Colony include:  Historical Fiction-  Lizzy Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt, Dis Place A True History of Malaga Island by Matt Herrick, Rattled Bones by S.M. Parker, Shadows in Our Bones by Tamara Merrill,  and a new Collection of Poems- Midden by Julia Bouwsma.

Not ready to sea kayak yet? Join Alice by participating in a 90 minute historical talk and virtual tour from your home if you wish. Check the schedule for the next date. Book your own private 60 - 90 minute historical talk for your group by contacting Alice. 

Join Master Maine Guide Alice on a private tours during the months of May, June, July, August and September.   

To contact Master Maine Guide Alice to book a private tour or to ask questions,  click here. 

Alice's Awesome Adventure Malaga Island private custom tour prices include the private services of a Master Maine Guide, a custom tour, sea kayaks, pfd's, paddles and candid photos.  Price does not include gratuity which is up to you to give. " Tip your Guide, not your kayak!"