Rehoboth Beach

Washington's summer beach, where the boardwalk links up with Dewey Beach's bars and historic Lewes, and the dunes of Cape Henlopen look out over the Atlantic.

Rehoboth Beach lies on the Atlantic coast of Sussex County, Delaware, and is the favorite summer beach for residents of Washington and Baltimore — earning it the nickname “the Nation's Summer Capital.” It is also known for its inclusive, diverse community. The resort centers on Rehoboth Avenue and a boardwalk of about 1.6 km (1 mile), lined with long-established fry stands, saltwater taffy shops and the Funland amusement park. Heading south you'll find Dewey Beach with its lively nightlife, Delaware Seashore State Park and the Indian River Inlet Bridge, and then quieter Bethany Beach; about 10 km (6 miles) to the north are historic Lewes, founded in 1631, and Cape Henlopen State Park, whose dunes, WWII observation towers and Gordons Pond Trail are ideal for cycling. From Lewes, the Cape May–Lewes Ferry crosses Delaware Bay for a day trip to Cape May, New Jersey. Delaware has no sales tax, so the outlets along Route 1 are a shopping hotspot. The best time to visit is Jun–Aug, when the water is warm and there's the most going on, though lodging is pricey and parking is hard to find; Sep–Oct brings fewer crowds and lower prices, and the water is still fine for swimming. Getting there: about a 2.5-hour drive from Washington via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, with heavy traffic on summer Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons; locally there are DART beach buses and bike paths. Plan to stay 2–4 days.

Top sights

• Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk & Beach – A seaside boardwalk about 1.6 km long, lined with fries, salt water taffy, amusement rides, and wide sandy beaches.
• Cape Henlopen State Park – A dune peninsula at the mouth of Delaware Bay, with beaches, pine forest trails, a WWII observation tower, and birdwatching spots.
• Historic Lewes – Founded by the Dutch in 1631 as 'the first town in Delaware,' with colonial-era wooden houses, boutiques, and a quiet bay beach.
• Funland – An old amusement park on the boardwalk, run by the same family since 1962. Rides are paid for by ticket, and it holds childhood memories fo…
• Dolle's Candyland – A candy shop nearly a century old at the boardwalk entrance. Its orange sign and saltwater taffy are symbols of the town.
• Dewey Beach – A narrow beach town south of Rehoboth, known for bay sunsets, beach bars and a young nightlife scene.
• Fort Miles & WWII Fire Control Towers – A WWII coastal defence site within Cape Henlopen, where you can climb a concrete observation tower for ocean views and visit a gun battery…
• Zwaanendael Museum – A small museum modelled on the Hoorn town hall in the Netherlands, telling the story of Dutch settlement and shipwrecks. Admission is free.
• Cape May–Lewes Ferry – A car-and-passenger ferry crossing Delaware Bay in about 85 minutes, linking Lewes with Cape May, New Jersey.
• Junction and Breakwater Trail – A roughly 10 km cycling trail on a former railway line, running through woods and wetlands between Rehoboth and Lewes.
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – The Milton brewery of Dogfish Head, a pioneer of American craft beer, where you can tour the production line and taste experimental brews.
• Tanger Outlets Rehoboth Beach – A large outlet centre in Delaware, where there is no sales tax, with three shopping areas along the Route 1 coastal highway.
• Delaware Seashore State Park & Indian River Inlet – A narrow sandbar park between Rehoboth and Bethany, known for the Indian River Inlet cable-stayed bridge, surfing and fishing.
• Indian River Life-Saving Station – A coastal lifesaving station built in 1876 by the US Life-Saving Service, now restored as a museum, with summer rescue demonstrations.
• Bethany Beach – A quiet family beach about 20 km south of Rehoboth, known as the “Quiet Coast,” with a short boardwalk and Indigenous totem poles.
• Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge – A wetland and woodland refuge on Delaware Bay, with boardwalks and paddling routes, and a top spot for birdwatching in spring and autumn.

Where to eat

• Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats – The original pub of craft brand Dogfish Head, founded here in 1995, serving stone-hearth pizza and seafood small plates.
• Thrasher's French Fries (Boardwalk) – A Boardwalk tradition since 1929: hand-cut fries served in paper cones, with apple cider vinegar and no ketchup.
• Salt Air – A farm-and-sea-to-table restaurant that opened in 2012. Its crab cakes and seafood stews have a reputation that keeps i…
• Egg – A popular brunch spot in a retro cottage downtown, best known for its blue crab Benedict and lemon curd crêpes.

Itineraries

• New Jersey to Delmarva Coastal Highway – Head south along the Atlantic from boardwalk towns to Cape May, take the ferry to Delaware, and see wild horses.