Bethany Beach Travel Guide
Overall vibe of Bethany Beach:
Bethany Beach, Delaware is perfect for a weekend getaway filled with sunshine, sand, adventures, long walks and fresh seafood. I wasn’t expecting much from a Delaware beach having lived in Florida a lot of my life but I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The beach is really nice and the town is super cute. We loved our morning walks on the boardwalk, watching sunset on the beach and adventuring to cute nearby towns like Lewes state parks like Cape Henlopen State Park. I am already looking forward to going back.
Quick Guide to Bethany Beach:
Overall vibe: laid-back, small, cute beach town
How long to stay: 2-3 nights
Where to stay: In Lewes or near Bethany Beach town center/boardwalk
Getting around: you can walk everywhere in Bethany Beach but I recommend renting a car (or driving if you live close). We LOVED having our car to adventure to Lewes and other nearby beaches.
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Where to stay in Bethany Beach
We stayed at the Ocean Suites Residence Inn By Marriott and it was fine. The views, location and convenience were amazing but the hotel was a little old. If you’re looking for an easy, basic hotel right on the beach, it’s a good option. Having a kitchen and balcony def made it worth it.
I would stay here again given the lack of oceanfront options available in the area but I’d probably check out Airbnb’s or houses for rent first.
Here’s a couple houses I would look into booking next time:
Residence Inn
Lewes
Or I’d stay in Lewes and just visit Bethany Beach on the trip…it’s a SUPER cute town about 25 minutes away that we were obsessed with. This is probably what we’ll do next time because we loved it so much.
Best restaurants in Bethany Beach
Blue Coast (Instagram: @sodelconceptsde): amazing dinner spot with great drinks, coastal vibes and incredible seafood. We loved the arancini, halibut and lobster pasta.
Beach Break Bakrie And Cafe (Instagram: @beachbreakbakrie): amazing breakfast bagel sandwiches. We loved the beach babe with cream cheese.
Parkway Restaurant (Instagram: @): great, romantic restaurant with amazing seafood. We loved the seabass.
Three Blond Bakers (Instagram: @threeblondebakers): amazing ice cream.
Sunshine Crepes (Instagram: @sunshinecrepes): good breakfast crepes.
Good Earth Market (Instagram: @goodearthmarket): amazing farm to table restaurant about 10 minutes from Bethany Beach. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Pomodoro Pizzeria: good order-at-the-counter pizza if you’re looking for an easy takeout option.
Want to try next time:
Bethany Boathouse (Instagram: @bethany.boathouse)
Pack Da Bowl (Instagram: @pack_da_bowl)
Best coffee shops
Clove & Cedar (Instagram: @cloveandcedarcoffee): local coffee shop serving Ceremony coffee (our fav coffee ever made in Annapolis Maryland!!).
Best things to do in Bethany Beach
Walk along the boardwalk: the boardwalk along the beach is the perfect place to go for a walk if you don’t feel like walking on sand but want the ocean views!
Walk around downtown/shop: downtown Bethany is super cute and has lots of shops and restaurants.
Gypsy Teal: cute boutique with clothes, jewelery & home decor.
Fresh Pond Trail: if you like nature, this 3 mile trail in the woods is a peaceful walk through the woods.
Assateague State Park: another state park about 45 minutes from Bethany Beach with wild horses on the beach. We heard Berlin is a cool town near here to stop but we didn’t have the chance to.
Take a day trip to Lewes: I can’t recommend visiting Lewes enough!! Or I’d even stay there. It’s a super charming little town with cute cafes, shops and restaurants and it’s own Bay Beach, Savannah Beach.
We also checked out Rehoboth and Dewey beaches but we definitely preferred Lewes and Bethany Beach! Rehoboth was a bit more crowded/cheese and Dewey seemed like more of a party beach. We loved how charming and laid-back Lewes and Bethany Beach were.
Best things to do in Lewes
Station On Kings (Instagram: @thestationonkings): This might be my favorite place ever. It has everything I could ever want in one place - a coffee shop, a boutique, a garden and an incredible restaurant. The matcha latte, cappucinos, grain bowl with chicken and avocado and grilled cheese were SOOO good. Highly highly recommend - we went twice and I’m dying to go back. The vibes are also 10/10.
Georgetown Lewes Trail: paved walking trail that goes through town.
Walk Downtown 2nd Street: main downtown street with lots of great restaurants, shops and cute homes.
Savannah Beach: nice beach on Delaware Bay (so barely any waves) about 5 minutes from downtown Lewes.
Cape Henlopen State Park: beautiful state park about 40 minutes from Bethany Beach (and 5 minutes from Lewes) with several lookout points and beaches. Herring Point is awesome and there’s a nice beach you can hang out on. The Point is cool to see too.
Google Map of All Bethany Beach Recommendations
I saved all of my recommendations for you in the map below to make it super easy to get around! Here’s the full link so you can save it: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/3/edit?mid=12qKdhR8H5nEbT6F1y2C1Pw44c8SM_00&usp=sharing.
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