Planning for a fun beach vacation with family?? How about Delaware?? There are plenty of fun beaches in Delaware, United States.
Delaware, the First State, or the Diamond State, is a small Mid-Atlantic U.S. state located on a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean (surrounded by Delaware Bay and the Delaware River). So, obviously, it features some excellent family-friendly beaches.
The Europeans first discovered this coastline in the 16th century. So, we should be thankful for them for finding these stunning beaches.
Hundreds of thousands of locals tourists are attracted to the beaches in Delaware to enjoy watersports, sun, soft sands, and warm waters during the summer.
Especially, Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes Beach, Cape Henlopen State Park, and Delaware Seashore State Park are more famous among beach lovers.
Here’s the full list of the best and fun Beaches in Delaware. Just check and add to your bucket list.
Beaches in Delaware
1. Beaches in Delaware: Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach is a small and relaxing beach town in Sussex County, Delaware. And obviously, its most highlighted feature is the wide, boardwalk-backed beach.
This scenic and white sandy beach is perfect for a relaxing family beach vacation. Also, it attracts young couples, college students, and teenagers too.
What are the things to do on Bethany Beach?
You can walk, run, jog, bike, and shop along its half-mile, wide wooden boardwalk. There are plenty of sellers that sell anything you want. Ex: seafood, ice cream, beach equipment rentals, etc. Since Delaware has no sales tax, you can buy anything at affordable prices.
After that, you can do plenty of water activities on Bethany Beach. It has an excellent swimming area with on-duty lifeguards. Also, you can rent a jet ski and be adventurous with your friends and family.
Another most important feature of Bethany Beach is its quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Therefore, it considers as one of three “Quiet Resort” areas in Delaware.
So, come along with your family to have a quality vacation in Bethany Beach.
Address: Boardwalk & Atlantic Avenue Bethany Beach, DE 19930, United States
2. South Bethany Beach, South Bethany
South Bethany is also another fun beach town in Sussex County, Delaware. Although it is so famous as other beaches on the list, it is surely one of the best-kept secrets of Delaware.
If you are looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of your work life, consider South Bethany as it is really a quiet and peaceful beach.
This quaint beach town with only 500 residents will help you to spend an unforgettable long summer vacation. All you have to do is to rent a holiday home for a long vacation and enjoy. Don’t worry; those homes are affordable.
You can fish, eat fresh and delicious seafood, swim, boat, kayak, watch stunning sunsets, play golf, and do many other things with your family.
Address: Ocean Drive, South Bethany, DE 19930, United States Phone: (302) 539-3653
Here’s the list of the best things to do in Ocean City MD, just check and add to your list.
3. Beaches in Delaware: Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach is one of the most popular family vacation getaways in Delaware. And also, it is a five-star beach that has won many travel awards as an excellent place to visit to play and relax.
Its soft sandy shores are perfect for sunbathing and playing beach games. And its warm waters have dolphins and many other marine creatures.
Also, another important feature of Rehoboth Beach is its clear water. Actually, the cleanliness of water is a big reason to attract thousands of families to this beach. So, you can swim as you wish (lifeguards are also on duty during the summer).
Aside from that, Rehoboth Beach offers you more entertaining opportunities like miniature golf courses, a fun boardwalk, Funland Amusement Park, Beach Arcade, candy stores, souvenir shops, and many eateries.
Especially, your kids will love to visit Funland Amusement Park near the beach as it features kiddie rides, bumper cars, thrill rides, a haunted house, and a video game arcade.
And as mentioned above, Delaware is like tax-free heaven for shopping. Rehoboth Beach contains a famous outlet mall named “mile of style,” which features all the luxury brand names. Also, the city has numerous tax-free outlets, galleries, and chic boutiques.
At the same time, Rehoboth Beach offers you plenty of delicious restaurants too.
Address: N Boardwalk Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, United States Phone: (302) 227-2233
4. Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes
Located along Delaware Bay in Sussex County, Cape Henlopen State Park is a 5,193-acre park established in 1964.
It is a unique natural environment system with plenty of gentle dunes, shorebirds, and other wildlife. So, camping is surely one of the most exciting things to do in Cape Henlopen State Park. Then, you can explore more of the surrounding.
While camping there, you can discover some historical information about WWII by visiting Fort Miles Historical Area. And do not forget to check out the Cape Henlopen Light too.
Aside from that, its gentle waves made it a perfect swimming destination in Delaware too. Therefore, the beach contains on-duty lifeguards during the summer.
After swimming, you can fish at the fishing pier, play disc golf and basketball, ride a bike, and hike along the seashore. It totally your choice.
In addition, Cape Henlopen State Park features all the facilities like a full bathhouse, umbrella rentals, and a concession area.
So, come along with your family and kids.
Address: 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958, United States Phone: (302) 645-8983
5. Lewes Beach, Lewes
Here’s one of the most picturesque beaches on the list, Lewes Beach.
Located in Lewes city in Delaware, Lewes Beach offers you an excellent opportunity to spend a relaxing, quiet holiday with your loved ones. Its tranquil and laid-back atmosphere really helps with that.
Lewes Beach is perfect for swimming, doing watersports, boating, and sunbathing. Especially, its gentle surf and the gradual slope make a safe swimming beach even for kids.
Also, this beach features all the amenities that you are looking for. Ex: on-duty lifeguards during the summer, clean washrooms, an ice-cream shop, a small concession stand, beach rentals, etc.
On the other hand, the nearby Lewes city contains plenty of delicious restaurants, shops, boutiques, and galleries. So, you can have a fun evening there too.
Bring your kids to spend an entertaining beach day at Lewes Beach, Delaware.
Address: 206 Bay Ave, Lewes, DE 19958, United States Phone: +1 302-645-7777
6. Beaches in Delaware: Broadkill Beach, Milton
Do you like to see a lot of horseshoe crabs?? Let’s go.
Surrounded by the Delaware Bay and Broadkill River, Broadkill Beach is a beach town in Sussex County, Delaware. And it is a famous horseshoe crab sanctuary. So, you can observe them closely with your kids.
If you are a wildlife lover, just head towards the west of the beach to visit the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Then, you can see many marine creatures, wildlife, tropical flora, and fauna.
Aside from that, Broadkill Beach is perfect for swimming, kayaking, surf fishing, stand-up paddle-boarding, and boating.
Due to all of these unique features, Broadkill Beach attracts many families, couples, friend groups, and solo travelers. Therefore, the beach has basic facilities, resorts, holiday homes, and restaurants.
To avoid parking problems, come early.
Address: Broadkill Road & Bayshore Drive, Milton, DE 19968, United States
7. Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Bay, and Indian River Bay, Delaware Seashore State Park is a 2,825 acres park in Delaware. It is located close to Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach.
Delaware Seashore State Park was established in 1965, and it has a six-mile-long attractive coastline. It is famous for all kinds of water activities. For example, sunbathing, swimming, paddle boarding, jet skiing, windsurfing, cruising, crabbing, and clamming.
Especially, there are two designated areas for sunbathing and swimming. And it features lifeguards, showers, restrooms, changing rooms, concession stands, and rental stores of beach umbrellas, chairs, and rafts.
If you are in here with family, surely visit the two picnic pavilions in Delaware Seashore State Park.
Or you can camp at Delaware Seashore State Park with your family. The campsites are located just beside the iconic Indian River Inlet Bridge (it is only a short walk from the beach)
While camping, you can hike the park’s scenic nature trail too. It offers spectacular views of bay islands and salt marshes. So, try it with your kids and take more photos.
Address: 25039 Coastal Hwy, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, United States Phone: +1 302-227-2800
8. Beaches in Delaware: Dewey Beach
Dewey Beach is a beach town in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. The motto of this beach town is “Dewey Beach: A Way of Life.”
Since Dewey is a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) 5-star achiever for the cleanliness of the water, it is perfect for swimming and other water activities.
Therefore, Dewey Beach attracts thousands of families, youngsters, and beach partygoers. Especially, this beach features parties and fun live events for youngsters. For example, Dewey Beach Music Conference (on the last weekend of September), Annual East Coast Skim-Boarding Championships, Greyhounds Reach, etc.
When it comes to water activities, Dewey Beach is like heaven. Parasailing, jet skiing, cruising, surfing, and kayaking are frequent things to do on this beach.
Dewey Beach is the best place to visit in Delaware if you love both live music and beaches.
This wide and soft sandy beach features nice condos, hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs along its boardwalk.
So, are you ready to have fun?
Address: Coastal Highway, Dewey Beach, DE 19971, United States
9. Fenwick Island State Park, Fenwick Island
Spreading for 344 acres between Ocean City, Maryland and South Bethany, Delaware Fenwick Island State Park is located in Sussex County, Delaware.
Established in 1966, Fenwick Island State Park is filled with relaxing, sunny, sandy beaches. And those beaches have all the facilities, including showers, changing areas, snack bars, a gift shop, and beach equipment rentals.
The summer attracts thousands of visitors to Fenwick Island State Park beaches. Therefore, it features lifeguards too. Also, there’s a designated surfing area for surfers.
Being one of the prettiest beaches in Delaware, Fenwick Island State Park contains soft, powdery sand, gentle waves, and breathtaking surrounding.
Since Fenwick Island State Park is located on a barrier island, it does not attract much crowd. So, you can beach comb, build sandcastles, play beach games with your kids freely.
Address: DE-1, Fenwick Island, DE 19944, United States Phone: +1 302-227-2800
10. Beaches in Delaware: Slaughter Beach
Are you a wildlife lover? Here’s the best beach for you in Delaware.
Slaughter Beach is a small beach town in Sussex County, Delaware. It is more famous for being a wildlife habitat. How about visiting a beach filled with thousands of horseshoe crabs?
Slaughter Beach is exactly that beach. So, it is totally worth walking along this beach and spot an unlimited number of horseshoe crabs. But, you have to visit during the correct season.
However, these crabs on the beach attract a large population of birds too. So, you can observe diverse bird species, including migratory birds.
Obviously, Slaughter Beach does not contain soft sand. Instead, it contains numerous crab shells and pebbles. Therefore, you have to wear water shoes.
If you like to spend a low-key beach day, Slaughter Beach offers you a shaded picnic area and a bathhouse too. Do not forget to bring some snacks and food.
Address: Slaughter Beach Road & Bay Avenue, Slaughter Beach, DE 19963, United States Phone: (302) 424-7659
11. Beaches in Delaware: Holts Landing State Park, Dagsboro
Located northwest of Bethany Beach, Holts Landing State Park is a 203-acre park in Delaware. It was a family farm before forming into a state park in 1965.
Holts Landing State Park stretches along the Indian River and features some of the best beaches in Delaware. So, it is totally worth walking along the shore while inhaling the fresh breeze and viewing breathtaking ocean sights.
Holts Landing State Park has Delaware Bay’s only pier making it perfect for crabbing and fishing.
Address: Holts Landing Road Park office at 39415 Inlet Rd., Rehoboth Beach, Dagsboro, DE 19939, United States Phone: +1 302-227-2800
Beaches in Delaware
- Bethany Beach
- South Bethany Beach, South Bethany
- Rehoboth Beach
- Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes
- Lewes Beach, Lewes
- Broadkill Beach, Milton
- Delaware Seashore State Park, Rehoboth Beach
- Dewey Beach
- Fenwick Island State Park, Fenwick Island
- Slaughter Beach
- Holts Landing State Park, Dagsboro
Beaches in Delaware
