Lewes, DE

The most underrated East Coast family beach destination

Lewes, DE has to be one of the most underrated destinations for a family beach vacation on the U.S. East Coast because it has something for everyone: Beach bums, adventure seekers, kids and adults, history buffs, sportspeople, window shoppers, etc. It was also not crowded, very walkable, and less expensive than other more popular East Coach beach destinations.

I will break this page into three sections based on geography--A) Port Lewes Court, B) Cape Henlopen State Park, and C) Downtown Lewes--and identify some of the best spots within each section.

1) Port Lewes Court: Let's start in the area circled in blue on the map below. Port Lewes Court is the small townhouse community in the middle of this circle where we stayed for the week. The following picture shows the townhouses with the development's communal green space and pool. (I did not take this picture. I took it from a realtor's website.) The green space was great for playing lawn games, such as cornhole and bocce.

2) Bay beach: You can walk across the lawn to the bay beach. The beach was never crowded. The water was calm, shallow, and warm. I could easily swim 100 yards out from the shore. Unlike the ocean beach, which was windy with big, crashing waves, this setting was perfect for introducing our one-year-old to the beach.

3) Fishing on the dock: In the background of the picture with the "funny trees," you can see the dock. You can walk one or two minutes from your townhouse to fish or sit and watch the sunset.

4) Lewes Ferry Terminal: Right next to Port Lewes Court is the Ferry Terminal. My mother-in-law said that it was a decent place for a walkthrough. There are lounges, bars, and restaurants. They host concerts, too. In my short video from the dock below, you can hear the music in the distance.

5) Lewes-Georgetown Trail: Right across the street from the townhouse community is this trail which connects the adjacent Cape Henlopen State Park (to the east of Port Lewes Court) to downtown Lewes (southwest of Port Lewes Court). It is great for walking and riding bikes in the morning or evening.

Cape Henlopen State Park: From Port Lewes Court you can walk 20 minutes to the entrance of this State Park. The majority of East Coast beaches that I have visited have been developed to attract and accommodate tourism--Beaches lined with private estates or boardwalks with shops, restaurants, and other cheesy attractions. It is so nice that this entire area is protected from such development. The park is quiet, scenic, and great for walking and riding bikes, with a number of less overwhelming sites to see. Click on the picture of the map below so that you can see all the drop pins of sites.

Pinelands Nature Trail: The second picture shows an aerial view of the type trail system that weaves through the northern half of this park.

Seaside Nature Center: Near the Pinelands Nature Trailhead is this mini-museum that has aquariums with water life and informational displays, and is free to enter to the public. (I did not take this picture. I took it from Google Maps.)

Fort Miles Historic Area: Within Cape Henlopen, the United States Army built Fort Miles during World War II to defend the Delaware Bay and Delaware River and protect domestic shipping that occurred between Cape Henlopen and Cape May, NJ. In 1964, Cape Henlopen State Park was established. The Fort is not operational and now exists as a historic area.

Fort Miles Artillery Park: In this section of the old fort, you can see the old army barracks and World War II era cannons and vehicles. The street is wide open and great for bike riding.

Fort Miles Museum: An old battery warehouse has been converted into a museum devoted to the history of this area that you can visit for free.

Fire Control Tower #7: Climb the stairs inside this structure to access the roof deck, which offers great views of the park and ocean.

Other landmarks to visit:

• Cape Henlopen State Park Beach (if you want the true ocean experience with big waves)
• Cape Henlopen Frisbee Golf Course
• Cape Henlopen Playground
• Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier
• Herring Point
• Battery Smith
• Multiple campgrounds
• More observation towers
• More trails

There are two pictures in this section that are not mine: The one of downtown and the one of the playground.

Downtown Lewes: Downtown is a quaint little area with lots more to see and do: Restaurants, boutiques, ice cream parlors, museums, parks, riverside walking paths, etc.

Lewes and Rehoboth Canal: This is the waterway that runs through Downtown Lewes. It was built between 1913 and 1916 and connects the Delaware Bay and Rehoboth Bay.

Lewes CanalFront Park: This park has a green space for picnicking, running around, or playing catch, a playground for the kids, and benches and other shaded areas for sitting.

Pirates of Lewes: About half a mile up the river northwest from downtown is the launching point for Pirates of Lewes Expeditions, a "pirate ship" ride for kids up and down the waterway. The kids get to dress themselves in pirate gear before going on a pirate ship quest for treasure. The organizers set it up like a scavenger hunt. The kids try to search for clues and landmarks along the journey that will help them get from one step of the journey to the next. Along the way, there is a rival pirate who approaches the pirate ship in a dingny boat and sprays the ship with his water gun while the kids get to fight back with water guns of their own. Of course, the ride concludes with the discovery of the treasure and every kid gets to take a few plastic prizes from the treasure chest.

Anglers Marina: A docking place for boats on the northeastern side of the canal (opposite downtown).

Irish Eyes: Perhaps the most popular, crowd-pleasing restaurant in Lewes. 

Two other sites we missed:

• The Lewes Historical Society
• Zwaanendael Museum