6 Stunning Small Towns In Delaware
Delaware makes a strong case for a weekend. Colonial towns where the streets have barely changed since the 1700s, and quiet beaches that haven't been overrun. New Castle served as the colonial capital before Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Lewes traces its roots to a Dutch settlement in 1631. Bethany Beach has three miles of Atlantic sand without the crowds you find farther north. And all of it sits within easy driving distance, which means a single weekend can cover more ground than you'd expect. These six towns make the case that Delaware deserves a proper look.
Bethany Beach
If it's ocean you're after, head for the coast, and there's no better place in Delaware to do that than Bethany Beach. The town itself keeps a quiet, residential feel, and the Bethany Boardwalk adds the classic seaside-promenade atmosphere. Just south, Fenwick Island State Park opens up three miles of white-sand beach for swimmers and walkers. For something more active, Bay Venture Outfitters rents kayaks for paddles through the bay. When hunger hits, the Cottage Café serves sea views and baked potato soup, while Off the Hook handles the local seafood. Bethany's laid-back pace makes it a summertime favorite.
Centreville
Centreville works for travelers who want 18th-century village character alongside nearby outdoor space. The surrounding Brandywine Creek State Park, and the landscaped grounds of the Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library, fill the outdoor side of the trip. In town, Buckley's Tavern, set in an 1800s home, carries the local history forward, and the Grooves & Tubes vintage music store fills an afternoon for record hunters. It's a quiet spot to step out of the city for a while.
Lewes
Dating back to a 1631 Dutch settlement (Zwaanendael, which was destroyed the following year), Lewes is widely recognized as the oldest town site in Delaware, and its compact, walkable layout and bayside setting keep visitors lingering. The Lewes-Rehoboth Canal running through town adds scenic interest as boats pass through. Several preserved buildings managed by the Lewes Historical Society tell the town's seaport history, particularly at the Historic Lewes Town Campus. For beach time, Cape Henlopen State Park has a photogenic lighthouse and quiet shoreline.
New Castle
Between Philadelphia and Wilmington, the preserved historic town of New Castle played a central role in Delaware's colonial history (as the colonial capital until 1777), and the state later became the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787. Founded in the 1600s, New Castle has long carried an outsized role in Delaware's story, and its early architecture has been well kept. Landmarks include the 1732 New Castle Court House and Jessop's Tavern & Colonial Restaurant, which serves European classics from a building that dates to 1724. For a livelier history lesson, plan a mid-June visit for the Separation Day Festival, which marks Delaware's separation from Pennsylvania (and therefore from British colonial rule) on June 15, 1776, complete with historical reenactments.
Selbyville
Known as Delaware's "Gateway to the Beaches," Selbyville combines a laid-back rural setting with easy access to Delaware's popular shoreline. Once one of the East Coast's major strawberry-producing towns, Selbyville is now an easygoing stop with draws like Doyle's (one of Delaware's oldest operating diners), the open-air Freeman Arts Pavilion, the well-kept Delaware Seaside Railroad Club model-railway collection, and the fairways of Bayside Resort Golf Club. The nearby Delaware Seashore State Park puts the beach within a short drive for visitors who want toes-in-sand without the full summertime crush of a beach town.
Smyrna
In a state as compact as Delaware, you never have to travel far from a city to find a good small town. Located in the Dover metro area, Smyrna brings natural and cultural draws together. Visitors can spend a day on the beaches and docks of Lake Como (no, not that Lake Como) or watch the birdlife at the nearby Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, then walk the main street with stops at Helen's Sausage House and the Smyrna Opera House. It's a walkable, friendly town with a well-kept older downtown.
Plan A Delaware Weekend
Surrounded by some of the Northeast's largest metros, Delaware is easy to bypass on a travel itinerary. For anyone looking for small-town pacing, that's a mistake. Thanks to its deep colonial history and compact footprint, the state holds more walkable old towns and quiet beaches than six picks can really cover. None of them are far apart, so narrowing down the list is mostly a matter of choosing what you want to do first.
