Summer shines a little brighter in Southern Delaware. Long, sun-filled days draw you outside, where warm ocean breezes roll in off the Atlantic and life moves at a relaxed coastal rhythm. With miles of sandy beaches, scenic waterways, lively boardwalks, and charming towns, summer is when the region truly comes alive.
Be sure to check out our calendar for your dates of travel to see what events are taking place during your planned visit.
1. Play on Land, on the Sand and in the Sea!
With 26 miles of pristine Atlantic coastline plus inland bays, canals, marshes, and more, it’s not surprising that outdoor adventures top the list for summer visitors. Surfing, skimboarding, beach sports, boating, fishing, sailing, kayaking, parasailing, skydiving, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding, hiking, and biking, building sandcastles, and, of course, sunbathing are all high on the list of favorite summer activities. The jewel in the crown of Southern Delaware is Cape Henlopen State Park. The park offers miles of beautiful hiking/biking trails that meander through coastal marshes, pine forests, and along ocean beaches. You’ll find a fishing pier, Frisbee golf, campgrounds, a nature center, and many other activities and events too. Don’t miss the scenic Gordons Pond Trail that connects Rehoboth Beach with Lewes. This trail and the nearby Junction & Breakwater Trail can’t be beat for pure, unspoiled coastal beauty. Trap Pond State Park, also with many beautiful trails, is a wetland forest and home to the northernmost natural stand of bald cypress trees in the United States. Have you ever taken a pontoon boat tour of a cypress swamp? At night? You can do that here in Southern Delaware! Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is a huge draw for hikers, photographers, and birders - we’re right smack in the middle of the Atlantic Flyway, so the birding is phenomenal here. The Nanticoke River in western Sussex County - the most pristine tributary of the Chesapeake Bay - provides countless opportunities for recreation and sightseeing too. Explore our inland bays and bay islands, tidal marshes, and rivers. Learn how to surf fish; enjoy a pontoon boat Eco Tour; attend a lantern tour of the historic Indian River Life Saving Station; visit Fort Miles, the WWII fort that’s been transformed into an indoor- outdoor museum and artillery park in Cape Henlopen State Park; take a walking tour of historic downtown Lewes; visit the iconic amusements at Funland in Rehoboth Beach and treat yourself to some boardwalk fries and ice cream while you’re there; play a round of golf (or miniature golf). There are outdoor adventures waiting for you here every summer (and year-round!) regardless of your age or abilities.
2. Eat Local, Fresh, Fabulous, Inspired Cuisine throughout the Culinary Coast™
Southern Delaware has become known as The Culinary Coast™ because of its incredible concentration of top notch, James Beard nominated and award-winning chefs and dining establishments. While it may appear to visiting beachgoers that Sussex County’s #1 industry is sunshine and surf, in reality agriculture is our biggest economic driver. This is great news for visitors and locals alike because it means the restaurants of our Culinary Coast™ serve up delicious dishes made with the freshest possible ingredients. In fact, most visitors to Southern Delaware have traveled farther to get here than the food that’s served here! Love to cook? You can serve up the freshest ingredients too. Our farmers’ markets are amazing and there’s at least one taking place nearly every day of the week in season. Southern Delaware is also home to many farms that welcome visitors and sell their own home-grown products, including some that you can pick yourself. If you’ve never been to a winery, or a lavender farm, or if you haven’t tried farm fresh ice cream, lavender chocolate, cherry cider, or bison burgers, visit our local farmers and nurserymen and expand your horizons! Our area boasts three wineries, several renowned breweries, distilleries, and a meadery. Milton is home to the very popular Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Wine tastings, winery, brewery, and distillery tours, and cooking classes and events hosted by award-winning chefs from several of our most popular dining establishments are must-dos for locals and visitors alike.
3. Tours on Land and Water
In Southern Delaware we say beaches are just the beginning. Find out why - and discover all the fascinating and fun adventures along and just beyond our beaches this Summer! For an "off- the-beaten-path" experience, check out these fabulous themed trails, itineraries, field trips, museums, farm adventures, and guided and self-guided tours to add a little exploration to your Summer vacation.
4. Golf
Southern Delaware is the Mid-Atlantic golf destination. No matter what your skill level, there's a course (or several!) for you here. If you’re looking for a professional experience visit the Bayside Resort Golf Course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus, for instance. Browse the courses at this link (link! Get it? Lol) to get a feel for the incredible number and variety of golf experiences Southern Delaware has to offer.
5. Tax Free Shopping
Visit some of our 25 charming beach and riverside towns and enjoy some Tax-Free shopping! Each of our small towns offers singular shopping experiences thanks to the many unique boutique-style shops that line their streets. There are antique, vintage, and consignment shops sprinkled liberally throughout Sussex County too and fabulous independent bookstores to pick up your beach reads. The area is also home to talented artists, artisans, and crafters and therefore you’ll find many small shops, galleries, and studios where their one-of-a-kind works are exhibited and sold. And, of course, there are more than 130 outlet stores lining Route 1 between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. The best part? No sales tax!
