6 Quietly Charming Towns In Delaware

Quiet and charming are two words that encapsulate much of Delaware. This serene slice of America houses tinier, quieter locales that are perfect for a peaceful getaway. Smyrna, for example, is ideal for nature lovers and birdwatchers, with its many wildlife preserves and refuges protecting rare species of resident and migratory birds. Delaware City is replete with historical attractions, providing visitors with a glimpse into the illustrious past of the state. Bowers offers a completely different flavor. It has a gorgeous coastline along the Delaware Bay, perfect for relaxing and rejuvenating. Together, these six quietly charming Delaware towns are ready for your next Delaware vacation.

Smyrna

Home to about 13,000 people in central Delaware, Smyrna is a major waypoint for both rowdy beachgoers and peaceful backpackers. The former group crosses Smyrna on Route 1 to reach southern beach towns like Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, while the latter branches from Smyrna on Route 6 to explore eastern tidal preserves like the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Despite this traffic, few travelers tarry in Smyrna, giving it uncommon tranquility for such a central hub. Those who linger can enjoy locally sourced food and drink from Brick Works Brewing & Eats; Irish cuisine and ambience from The Celtic Pub; and all kinds of understated events from Jane Austen book readings to a citizen photographer workshop at the Smyrna Opera House.

Laurel

Situated in the southwestern corner of the state, Laurel is a small town surrounded by serenity. To its west lies the Nanticoke River, a Chesapeake Bay tributary that feeds whimsical preserves like the Nanticoke Wildlife Area, where you can hike, bike, horseback ride, and admire animals ranging from raccoons to red foxes. To its east sits Trap Pond State Park, a 4,000ish-acre oasis featuring, per the Delaware State Parks wesbite, "the northernmost naturally occurring stand of baldcypress in the US." Parkgoers can thus traverse a Southern-style baldcypress bayou without fear of alligators. Bisecting Laurel is Broad Creek, a tributary of the Nanticoke River that you can follow to taste in-town treats at Abbott's on Broad Creek. This waterfront eatery, focused on local scenery and local ingredients, lets you sample smoked turkey and butternut squash from an elegant outdoor dining deck.

Delaware City

Delaware City sounds like a metropolis and perhaps the state capital. It is not the capital, but it is a city, although it has only around 1,885 residents as of the 2020 Census. Thanks to its small-town-sized population and bayside semi-isolation between Delaware's bustling north and beachy south, Delaware City shines for tourists happy to go off course to mine hidden gems. They are warmly greeted with two historic parks, Fort DuPont State Park and Fort Delaware State Park (the latter of which occupies Pea Patch Island, a half-mile from shore), and crabbily welcomed by Crabby Dick's, a waterfront seafood restaurant. For a complete, serene look at Delaware City and its surroundings, tourists would be wise to join Hike Across Delaware, which might seem arduous until you realize that Delaware spans only nine miles at its narrowest. Hike Across Delaware runs for roughly 15 miles from Chesapeake City, Maryland, to Delaware City along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The trek is completed on a single November day amidst vibrant fall foliage and stunning ships and barges.

Hockessin

Hockessin is a quiet, verdant suburb of Wilmington tucked below the Pennsylvania border. Just about 13,500 people awaken daily in this borderland that borders on fantasyland, thanks to many magical attractions. Mt. Cuba Center, perched on the east side of town, conserves over 1,000 acres of manicured gardens and natural woods south of the Ashland Nature Center, another oasis with beautiful biota, including monarchs and swallowtails at the Ashland Butterfly Habitat. Farther east sits the Enchanted Woods, a fairytale-styled section of the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, while smackdab in Hockessin stands the Hindu Temple of Delaware, AKA Mahalakshmi Devasthanam, where worshippers and skeptics alike marvel at the majesty of Delaware's first Hindu temple. Capping off that wonderment is the taste of fresh mushrooms from numerous nearby farms. The borough of Kennett Square, located right across the border, is nicknamed the "Mushroom Capital of the World."

Bowers

Many beach towns are, ironically, the last places in Delaware you can go for rest and relaxation, especially during summer. One exception is Bowers, AKA Bowers Beach. Rather than fighting your way through an army of sweaty, sunburned beachgoers to stake your claim to a three-foot-by-three-foot patch of sand, you can have Bowers' pristine beach almost entirely to yourself. Fewer than 300 people are estimated to live in town, which straddles Delaware Bay in a relatively remote region populated more by fishermen than partiers. Besides sunbathing and beachcombing, Bowers offers chartered fishing via Captain's Lady Charters; historic sightseeing via the Bowers Beach Maritime Museum; and seafood dining via JP's Wharf. Visiting Bowers is like traveling to a simpler time. Sure enough, its motto is "The Way Life Used to Be."

Arden

Though Hockessin feels like a hidden fairytale realm, Arden is actually aligned like one. This village in extreme northeastern Delaware was founded on principles that seemed fantastical, but they are still followed more than 120 years later. Arden is one of the last Georgist Single-Tax colonies, wherein residents own what they produce, rather than the land where they produce, which stems from an economic movement begun by Henry George that gained traction at the turn of the 20th century. Ardenites therefore own their homes, but not the land beneath them. That land is leased for 99 years at a time. Since land is communal, it is preserved to such an extent that about half the village—and Single-Tax sister settlements Ardentown and Ardencroft (collectively called The Ardens)—is green. Preserves like Sherwood Forest evoke storybook whimsy, as do the eccentric houses and eclectic "gilds" that derive from The Ardens' other foundational movement: William Morris's Arts and Crafts movement. Sample Arden artsiness at Gild Hall and return in September for Arden Fair.

It may be small, but Delaware is dense with activity due to its desirable coast and proximity to super-busy states like Maryland and Pennsylvania. To escape such traffic, head to Delaware towns that are much quieter but no less charming. Smyrna's preserves, Laurel's bayous, Delaware City's parks, Hockessin's gardens, Bowers' beaches, and Arden's gilds can stimulate and soothe in equal measure.