Home to only 1,000 people during much of the year, Bethany Beach explodes with visitors during the summer months. Together with nearby South Bethany and Fenwick Island, it forms part of the “Quiet Resorts” and is popular with families and nature enthusiasts. In addition to its breezy boardwalk, it offers easy access to Delaware Seashore State Park.
Things to do in Bethany Beach
In the heart of town is the Bethany Beach Boardwalk, a wooden promenade lined with traditional clapboard houses. In the main plaza are several restaurants where you can dine throughout the day, including Lili’s Places, Mango’s and the ZOCA Mexican Restaurant. Also nearby is the Bethany Fine Arts Gallery where works by local artists are exhibited.
You can learn about the people and events that have shaped the town at the Bethany Beach History Museum, which occupies the early 20th-century Dinker-Irvin Cottage. It houses old photographs and memorabilia and offers insight into what life was like during the early years of this seaside town.
Stretching along the eastern edge of Bethany Beach is a series of beaches where you can sunbathe and swim. Lifeguards patrol the beaches during the summer season and morning yoga classes are regularly held on the sand. Directly north of town is Delaware Seashore State Park, which provides a setting for surfing, sailing and fishing. For views across Indian River Bay and its salt marshes, follow the short nature trail across Burton’s Island.
Getting around Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach is a 25-minute drive from Rehoboth Beach and around an hour from Wicomico Regional Airport, which has flights to Charlotte and Philadelphia. The much larger Philadelphia International Airport is 2.5 hours away. Buses connect from Rehoboth Beach to Bethany Beach while renting a car gives you greater freedom to explore the area.