A beach vacation is your family’s chance to spend time together, build bonds, and catch up on the latest from your daily lives. Dewey Beach offers condos on the beach and spacious family homes, where your family can spread out and enjoy the trip. Located in southeastern Delaware, Dewey Beach sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Up and down Highway 1, there are other beach and coastal towns that offer their own unique vibe with a variety of activities to keep your family busy. Here’s a look at the top 10 Dewey Beach vacation rental locations.
1. Dewey Beach
Known for its wide beaches, Dewey Beach provides plenty of room for you to throw down a blanket and spend the day by the ocean, playing in the surf, collecting seashells, and flying a kite. This small coastal community hosts the Greyhounds Reach the Beach event each year. In October, rescued greyhounds and their owners take over the beach for a day of fun and festivities. After a long day on the beach, grab a pizza from Grotto Pizza and take back to your vacation rental with you.
2. Rehoboth Beach
In the summer months, Rehoboth Beach bustles with life and tourists enjoy the gorgeous weather on the beach. Spend your days kayaking, walking on the beach, boating, and biking around town. In the afternoon and evening, take the family to the town’s mile-long boardwalk. The boardwalk is where all the excitement is in town with shops, restaurants, and live music events. At Funland, let the kids ride on all the rides or take a turn at the old-fashioned arcade games.
3. Spring Lake
Head north on Highway 1 to reach the small town of Spring Lake, where your family can avoid most of the crowds at Dewey and Rehoboth Beaches, but close enough to drive to either one to enjoy the beaches. Find a vacation rental along the waterline of Spring Lake and fill your days with fishing, boating, canoeing, swimming, and paddle boarding. Spend a day hiking on the Thompson Island nature trails and check out the diverse ecosystem and bird life in the area.
4. Ann Acres
Enjoy the peace and quiet that you find in Ann Acres when you choose on the private family homes with a spacious yard for the kids to get out and play in as a vacation rental. The town sits almost in between Dewey and Rehoboth Beaches so it’s a quick trip to walk on the boardwalk, catch a music concert, or ride on the rides. In this community, you can bike around town, enjoy some shopping, and splash in the surf.
5. Henlopen Acres
The vacation homes and vibes of this small coastal community are upscale and exclusive so your family can enjoy a luxury vacation. The community restricts many businesses so you and the family can hop in the car for a quick drive to nearby Dewey Beach for dinner or an afternoon of shopping. The local beach in this community is a private beach, making it less crowded so you and your family have plenty of room to spread out, build a sandcastle, and fly a kite. Bring your boat and dock it at the local marina.
6. West Rehoboth
In West Rehoboth, you and your family can save some money on a modest vacation rental It’s close enough to the beach to drive there in a few minutes or take the bus. This small community offers easy access to other small towns and local state parks, where you can do some hiking and wildlife watching. In town, you have your choice of restaurants for dinner out or stop at one of the many grocery stores to fix dinner together as a family.
7. The Pines
On the northern edge of Rehoboth Beach, this community has a wide range of luxury homes and provides quick and easy access to the beach, making it easy to fill your days boating, swimming, and sunbathing. Old growth pines line the sidewalks and fill the yards of the homes in this area, and you can bike to the boardwalk in just a few minutes.
8. Lewes
On the shores of the Delaware Bay, Lewes is a small town with a laid back feel, where your family can avoid the crowds in the larger areas. Fish, boat, kayak, and paddle board on the Delaware Bay or rent a jet ski for something a little faster on the water. Learn a little about the local history at the Ryves Holt House, the oldest building in Delaware. Take the family into town and wander the streets shopping, dining, and listening to live music concerts.
9. North Shores
Find North Shores nestled in between Cape Henlopen State Park and Henlopen Acres. This small coastal community offers family homes and less crowds than the larger areas. The beach area in Cape Henlopen State Park offers restroom facilities and a concession. You can spend the entire day there. Every year, this park hosts the Kite Festival and the Halloween Fantasy Trail so check the schedule before your trip and see what events the park has coming up.
10. Bethany Beach
Travel south down Highway 1 enjoying the views of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Bay as you go to reach the beach community of Bethany Beach. While away, you can walk on the boardwalk and indulge in some shopping in the small boutique. Enjoying great fresh seafood dinners is a great idea, too. Take the kids to Captain Jack’s Pirate Golf and find out who has dreams of the PGA tour. Rent bikes for a day of riding with the wind blowing in your hair from the Bethany Bike Shop.