Lewes/Cape Henlopen Area, 302-645-8073
Rehoboth/Dewey Beach Area, 800-441-1329
Bethany/Fenwick Island Area, 800-962-7873
Delaware State Parks, 302-739-4702, www.destateparks.com

Delaware has 25 miles of  Atlantic Ocean coastline, with classic family resorts and beautiful coastal parks. Delaware’s ocean resorts are only 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours drive from Dover and Central Delaware. 

Three Delaware State Parks allow visitor access to the beach: Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware Seashore State Park at the Indian River Inlet, and Fenwick Island State Park just north of the MD/DE state line. All three parks feature guarded summer swimming in the ocean, nature programs, surf fishing, and much more.

Historic Lewes, founded in 1631, is nestled on the Delaware Bay coast near Cape Henlopen. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry there offers visitor transportation to and from Cape May, New Jersey for both vehicles and foot passengers, and is a major visitor attraction. Lewes is delightful, with boutique shopping, fine dining, and lots of interesting museums along the scenic Lewes and Rehoboth Canal. The Queen Anne’s Railroad departs the city regularly for dinner excursions.

Rehoboth Beach and its sister town Dewey Beach, are known as “The Nation’s Summer Capitol” because of the number of visitors from Washington, DC. Rehoboth Beach is a classic seaside family resort, with a wooden boardwalk, amusements, lots of shopping, great restaurants, and guarded ocean swimming beaches. Rehoboth and Dewey have retained much of their historic beach cottage architecture and family appeal. Nearby, Rehoboth Outlets is a tax-free shopping mecca.

Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island are billed as “The Quiet Resorts,” and are primarily residential in character. Like Rehoboth, Bethany Beach also has a wooden boardwalk along the beach, with many shopping and dining opportunities in town. The Town of Fenwick Island offers public swimming beaches, and is located on the Delaware/Maryland line just north of Ocean City, MD.