Rehoboth Beach

The beach is the reason Rehoboth exists. A wide strip of pale sand runs the length of town in front of the boardwalk, with lifeguarded stretches, surf that is usually moderate, and quieter sand to the north at Cape Henlopen and south towards Dewey Beach and Delaware Seashore State Park. In July and August the Atlantic reaches about 23°C to 25°C, warm enough for long swims, and the day revolves around towels, umbrellas and the walk back for lunch.

The season is short. The water is cold until mid-June and again from October, and outside summer the shore is for walking rather than swimming. Summer weekends are crowded near the boardwalk, while the state park beaches feel wilder and more spread out.

For a town of its size, Rehoboth eats well. Its long-standing role as a summer escape from Washington has given it more chef-led restaurants than most beach towns, concentrated along Rehoboth Avenue and the side streets near the boardwalk. Local character comes from the Mid-Atlantic shore: steamed blue crabs and crab cakes, raw bars, boardwalk fries doused in vinegar, saltwater taffy and caramel corn. Craft beer is a real strength, with a famous Delaware brewery born here and brewpubs nearby.

The limits are those of a resort. Much of the scene scales down out of season, cheap options lean towards pizza and boardwalk snacks, and there is little street food or market culture.

Rehoboth was founded as a Methodist camp meeting in the 1870s, and some of its old cottages and shaded streets still recall that era. The Rehoboth Art League, with galleries and historic buildings set in a garden in Henlopen Acres, is the main cultural stop, and a small museum house tells the town's early story. Beyond that there is the boardwalk itself and a scattering of galleries. A visitor interested in history usually heads to nearby Lewes or the wartime observation towers in Cape Henlopen.

Summer evenings are livelier than the family boardwalk suggests. Rehoboth has long been one of the East Coast's best-known LGBTQ resorts, and its bars, piano lounges and drag nights around Baltimore Avenue and the downtown blocks give it a social, sociable night scene. Neighbouring Dewey Beach, a couple of miles south, is the place for big outdoor deck bars, crowds of younger visitors and loud summer weekends.

There are few true clubs and most nights wind down earlier than in a city. Outside the summer season the scene shrinks to a handful of bars and quiet weeknights.

The landscape is low and coastal: dunes, pine woods, salt marsh and the wide inland bays. Cape Henlopen State Park on the town's edge has the tallest dunes on this coast, the Gordons Pond trail, fishing piers and a sheltered bay side. The Junction and Breakwater Trail links Rehoboth to Lewes by bike through woods and wetland, and the whole area is flat enough for easy cycling.

Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay suit kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing, dolphins are often seen offshore in summer, and the wild ponies of Assateague are within about an hour. There are no hills, and the outdoors is gentle rather than dramatic.

Lewes, a ten-minute drive, is the first trip: Delaware's oldest town, with a small historic district, maritime museums and a harbour. From there the ferry crosses Delaware Bay in under an hour and a half to Cape May, whose Victorian streets make a full day out. South along the coast, Ocean City in Maryland offers a bigger, brasher boardwalk, and the small town of Berlin has a well-kept historic main street.

Dover, the state capital, has its colonial Green and the Air Mobility Command Museum about an hour inland, and Chincoteague's island village is within reach to the south. The list is pleasant rather than remarkable, and every trip needs a car.

This is a classic family beach town, and it works easily with children. The boardwalk has Funland, a small amusement park running since the 1960s with gentle rides and arcade games, plus ice cream, fries and taffy at every turn. Lifeguarded beaches sit steps from the rental houses, and a water park and mini-golf courses line the highway just outside town.

Cape Henlopen adds a nature centre, easy trails and calm bay water for small children. The town is compact and safe, though summer weekends are crowded and parking with a car full of beach gear takes patience. Out of season there is little laid on for children.

Within town, getting around is simple. Downtown, the boardwalk and the beach are all a short walk apart, the grid is flat and bikes are everywhere, and the cycle trail runs on to Lewes. A seasonal trolley and local buses link Rehoboth with Dewey Beach, the outlets and the park-and-ride lots.

Getting there and going further is another matter. There is no train, almost everyone arrives by car along a highway that clogs on summer weekends, central parking is metered and scarce, and day trips along the coast need a car.

Delaware has no sales tax, and that shapes shopping here. Large outlet centres along the highway just outside town draw shoppers from several states for discounted American and international brands. Downtown, Rehoboth Avenue and the side streets mix independent clothing boutiques, home and gift shops, galleries and bookshops with the usual beachwear and souvenir stores along the boardwalk. There is no luxury street or department store, and much of what is on offer is resort casual.

In summer Rehoboth is an expensive place to stay. Hotel rooms and rental houses near the beach command high-season premiums, especially on weekends, and restaurant meals and parking cost what they do in a prosperous American resort. The beach itself is free, the lack of sales tax helps when shopping, and costs drop sharply in spring and autumn, when rooms can be found for far less.

Live performance is modest and mostly seasonal. The town bandstand off Rehoboth Avenue hosts free concerts on summer evenings, a small local theatre company stages musicals and cabaret through much of the year, and the autumn film festival brings screenings to town. Bars in summer put on piano and cover acts. For larger touring concerts, visitors drive to an outdoor arts pavilion further south in Sussex County.

There is no bathing tradition here, only a few day spas, hotel spas and yoga studios offering massages and classes. What Rehoboth offers instead is pace. In June and September, and on autumn weekends, the town slows to long walks on the empty boardwalk, bike rides under the pines and quiet evenings, which suits a restful break. High summer is crowded and noisy by contrast.