This Charming Delaware Town Has Sandy Beaches, Oyster Houses, and Cute Nautical Inns—How to Visit

Travel + Leisure

9 hours ago

Stay at the Dogfish Inn, which has 16 charming rooms set beside the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, within easy walking distance of the beach.
Walk along the sand, catch a sunrise or sunset, bike the trails, and uncover some World War II history at Fort Miles.
Slurp oysters at the Lewes Oyster House, a throwback to the 18th-century taverns that sprung up along the mid-Atlantic coast during colonial times.
Find the perfect outfit for the beach at Aquamarine in Between, a women's clothing boutique.
Head down to Rehoboth or Dewey Beach, two nearby coastal communities, for late-night action and live music at places like the Bottle & Cork.
Tucked in a cradle of sand and loblolly pines where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean is Lewes, Delaware. Located about 120 miles east of Washington, D.C., this historic coastal community boasts easy access to three beaches, is home to a vibrant restaurant scene, and offers a plethora of fun outdoor activities—just don't call it a beach town.
'It's more like a small, charming town that happens to be at the beach,' says Kevin McGuiness, the host of the podcast "We in Lewes." 'On the same day, you can kayak with the dolphins, listen to a celebrated author speak about her latest book, go fishing, and have your choice of Italian, French, American, Indian, and Mexican food.'
The list of things you can do in this town of 3,300 people—with book festivals, art shows, concerts, and boat parades to attend—feels more like activities you'd find in a 'big city,' McGuiness says. The crook of land that frames Lewes to the east, Cape Henlopen, was first spotted by European eyes in 1609 by English explorer Henry Hudson and is now a lovely state park. However, the region was originally occupied by Algonquin-speaking Indigenous communities. By 1631, the Dutch had established a trading post and whaling station here, which became the first, albeit short-lived, European settlement in the state. By 1682, though, the area was thoroughly English.
Today, Lewes—which proudly claims to be the 'first town in the first state'—stands apart from other mid-Atlantic coastal towns that bent the knee to kitschy mass tourism. You'll find no boardwalk here, no Ferris wheel, no loud T-shirt shops—just a relaxing enclave lined with brick sidewalks, tasty seafood joints, and miles of sandy stretches flecked with sun-spangled sea foam.
As McGuiness says, 'There's a special spirit here.' Here's everything you need to know before visiting Lewes, Delaware. A guest room at the Dogfish Inn.
With 22 rooms and three luxury suites perched along the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal in the heart of the historic district, the Inn at Canal Square is arguably Lewes' most elegant place to stay. 'It rivals the sort of place you might find in somewhere like Aspen,' McGuiness says. 'Absolutely beautiful.' For the best views, book a Harbor Master room.
Also set along the canal, the Dogfish Inn—an entrepreneurial off-shoot of the popular Delaware-based brewery Dogfish Head Craft Brewery—has 16 bright rooms decked out with Scandinavian-style interior design. Each room comes with a free growler, but there's no beer for sale on site. 'If they could get around state liquor laws, I'd bet they'd have a keg in every room,' McGuiness says, laughing. After checking out the cottage library, grab a complimentary bike and explore the town.
Overdose on quirky, pastel, Key-West-meets-knickknack-store vibes by booking one of the 10 whimsical suites at this bed-and-breakfast situated a few steps from the beach. Each room at the Blue Water House is themed, from the 'Nautical,' with oars and a life preserve ring on the wall, to the 'Islamorada,' featuring a monkey mural and a blue four-poster bed. The 'Key Largo' comes with a porch swing. Complimentary beach chairs, oversized towels, bikes, and a gas grill make the transition into coastal living easy. A seascape view at Cape Henlopen, Delaware in Lewes.
'One of the coolest things you can do is watch the sunrise and sunset over the water, all from the same place,' McGuiness says. To do that, head to Cape Henlopen State Park, which encompasses 5,000 acres of sand separating the Atlantic (best for sunrises) from the Delaware Bay (head here for sunsets). Borrow a bike from Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park free of charge for up to two hours, and explore the Gordons Pond Trail, a 6.4-mile round-trip journey—it's a favorite activity of Delaware's most famous couple, the Bidens.
The Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area is housed inside a 15,000-square-foot bunker that was once used as a top-secret Navy spy station during World War II. Climb the 115 steps to Tower 7 Observatory, a concrete bastion with sweeping ocean views, where U.S. soldiers once triangulated approaching enemy vessels. If you'd like to turn back the clock even more, make plans to attend Historic Lewes First Friday Community Night at Sussex Tavern, where the Lewes Historical Society gathers every month to celebrate the town's colonial roots in grand fashion, with period costumes, live music, and even a pop-up antique shop.
Cape Henlopen State Park's Seaside Nature Center includes five, 1,000-gallon tanks full of native fish, touch tanks for getting up close and personal with sea life such as horseshoe crabs, and educational displays that demonstrate the breadth of Delaware's diverse coastal ecosystems, from salt marshes to tide pools. Keep an eye on their calendar for special events such as dolphin-watching sessions, wagon rides down the beach, and ghost-crab night hikes.
Taking place over three days in the fall, the History Book Festival attracts thousands of readers to Lewes each year. Past attendees have included heavyweights like comic book artist Erik Larsen, National Public Radio host Steve Inskeep, and more. Can't make it? Check out the Lewes Public Library's Pints & Pages, a book discussion group that combines literature with beer tastings on every fourth Tuesday of the month. A dish from Lewes Oyster House.
Courtesy of Lewes Oyster House
The tri-state peninsula that includes Delaware, the eastern shores of Maryland, and Virginia (hence, Delmarva) was once an agricultural powerhouse that fed New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., with fresh ingredients and seafood. The town's two-time James Beard Award semifinalist restaurant, Heirloom, carries on that farm-to-table tradition with seasonal menus featuring ingredients like heritage pork, pan-seared mahi mahi, and sweet corn, as well as creative dishes like smoked goat cheese ravioli. End your meal on a sweet note with one of their fun desserts, like the butternut squash cheesecake, served with a healthy dollop of honey-orange pastry cream and crunchy pecan.
Sitting inside Lewes' old railroad station, The Station on Kings offers a pastry fix with a rotating roster of croissants and tarts, as well as savory options like house charcuterie served with brie and blueberry mint jam. While you're there, check out the bakery's curated selection of home goods and garden plants. 'You wouldn't think home decor and pastries would go together, but it's actually brilliant,' says McGuiness.
Agave serves up Mexican comfort made with local Delaware produce and seafood. Try the blue cheese and steak quesadillas or the chiles en nogada , a house specialty featuring roasted poblanos, ground tenderloin, and chorizo topped with cheese, nuts, and a cinnamon sauce. Pair it with a hand-squeezed lime margarita, or choose to sip on one of their many mezcals—Agave claims it has the largest tequila and mezcal collection in the state.
Located in the town's historic district, Lewes Oyster House pays homage to the many oyster houses that sprang up along the mid-Atlantic coast during the late 18th century, a.k.a. the 'golden age of oysters.' Order the Double D's or the Nancy James, two types of oysters grown in floating cages, a relatively new technique that keeps the bivalves naturally sand-free and buttery. Nature trails near Lewes, Delaware at sunset.
The best time to visit Lewes is in the spring or fall, when many summertime visitors return to work and school. 'You have all of the amenities, but none of the crowds,' McGuiness says. Summer can also be a great time to plan a trip, but be forewarned: the Delmarva Peninsula can be very hot, muggy, and buggy during the height of the season.
Lewes is about 120 miles east of the Washington, D.C. area's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), 100 miles southeast of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), and 110 miles south of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The Salisbury Regional Airport (SBY) is the closest option, at about 40 miles south of Lewes, and has direct flights from Philadelphia and Charlotte, North Carolina, via American Airlines. For the best and most convenient experience, you'll want to rent a car and drive from there. If you're coming from the north and want even more fun and adventure, take the scenic Cape May-Lewes Ferry that steams between southern New Jersey and Delaware every day, year-round. Prices start at $30 per car or $8 per person without a vehicle.
The Delaware Administration for Regional Transit, or DART for short, has beach buses that run from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal to towns along the Delaware and Maryland coast (prices start at 80 cents one-way). Other buses in the DART system run inland to towns like Georgetown, Milford, and Seaford (prices start at $6). If you don't have a car, your best bet is to bike around Lewes, but ride-hailing services and taxis are options, too. The town is pretty walkable, so hoofing it isn't a bad idea, either.