Rehoboth & Lewes Beach, DE, Guide and Information

In the small state of Delaware, Rehoboth and Lewes Beach are twin communities along the Atlantic shoreline, offering loads of charm, history, great food and, of course, beaches. As you’re exploring all of the above, be sure to pick up a souvenir (or two or three) to remind you of your amazing time spent in this sometimes-overlooked vacation destination.

Here’s where to go for shopping and souvenirs in Rehoboth and Lewes.

The beachside cities of Rehoboth and Lewes Beach, Delaware, are the place to go in this tiny state for a mixture of beaches and boardwalks, historic sites and delicious eateries. However, before you can thoroughly explore all the charm this area of The First State offers, you'll need to book a place to stay. Here are three spots to potentially call your basecamp while in the region.

In Rehoboth, the Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center sits right on the family-friendly oceanfront, while also putting you in easy reach of great shopping at Tanger Outlets, just two miles away, as well as dining and drinking in the downtown restaurants and watering holes. The modern property features an outdoor pool and on-site restaurant, and many guest rooms offer views of the beach. Amenities include free WiFi, so you can keep in touch with everyone back home, while also posting all your great vacay pics to your fav social media channels. For the best views, book an Ambassador Corner King guest room, which offers floor-to-ceiling ocean views along two walls, plus a spacious balcony.

The adjacent towns of Rehoboth and Lewes Beach, Delaware, offer charm in spades, along with plenty for visiting travelers to enjoy and explore. Beaches, boardwalks and history are some of the top attractions here, drawing both Delaware natives and newcomers to the shores. However, as you shop the independent boutiques and visit the historic sites, you’re bound to get hungry at some point. When you are, you should check out one of these six favorite restaurants, cafes and other eateries.

What better way to start a beach day than with a piping hot cup of coffee from a local roaster? In Lewes Beach, Notting Hill Coffee offers a range of caffeinated beverages, alongside pastries, breakfast specials and light lunch options. In a rush? Indulge in one of the roastery’s grab-and-go items, like a spinach-feta croissant or cheddar, egg and ham croissant.

It sounds cliché but there really is something for everyone in Rehoboth, Lewes and Dewey Beach, Delaware. No wonder the population in these resort towns explodes from 350 (in the case of Dewey Beach) and the low thousands (for Rehoboth and Lewes) to tens of thousands during the season. They are popular summer destinations for people from nearby Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, so know that Delaware Route 1, also known as the Coastal Highway, can become pretty jammed up at the beginning and end of weekends, particularly the section that heads in and out of Rehoboth.

Fortunately this busy thoroughfare is lined with outlet stores, restaurants and lots of shops that sell all kinds of seashell-inspired souvenir items and more. Shell We Golf and Sea Shell Shop provide the necessities for kids (in the form of mini golf and cool knickknacks), while the Royal Farms Store & Gas are sure to offer welcome relief to moms and dads. (There’s no sales tax in Delaware, which gives you one more reason to shop here.)

There’s so much history in Rehoboth Beach and Lewes that you almost want at least one rainy day during your stay to visit the many sites and museums that document the centuries-worth of doings within these communities.

Just ponder this: Delaware was named the first of the thirteen original colonies and is thus considered the first state of the union. And Lewes proudly claims the distinction of “The First Town in the First State.” It was the site of the first European settlement, a whaling and trading post founded by the Dutch in 1631 and named Zwaanendael, or Swan Valley.