78 | SALTY AIR IN DELAWARE


www.nitravelnews.com


Sand Dunes and Salty Air in Southern Delaware


July/August 2026


Boardwalks, beaches and crab cakes on Delaware’


s Culinary Coast.


BY ANDREA MCVEIGH THERE’S a lyric in a Van Morrison


song that goes ‘wouldn’t it be great if it was like this all the time’, and I couldn’t stop thinking of it during my trip to the Delaware Beaches in May.


I didn’t think holidays like this still existed. Edging the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware’s string of beach towns stretches 25 miles along the southern coast of America’s second-smallest state. Each town


personality, but they all encompass the spirit of the classic American beach


has its own distinct


holiday with independent shops, small time charm and, to quote another song, ‘sand dunes and salty


they create a coastline with remarkable variety packed into a relatively small area.


Washington D.C., Maryland, Philadelphia and New York, while travellers from New Jersey can arrive aboard the Cape May NJ - Lewes, Delaware ferry, crossing Delaware Bay in just 85 minutes.


Crab Cakes and Craft Beer My long weekend took in two towns,


and my first stop was Rehoboth Beach, known as ‘the nation’s summer capital.’


Its famous mile- long boardwalk runs alongside sweep


sand dotted with colourful beach umbrellas, lined with restaurants, ice cream shops, amusements, and independent businesses. It buzzes with life without ever feeling overwhelming. My base was The Avenue Inn and Spa, a property that perfectly matched the town’s welcoming personality. Guests gather for complimentary wine and cheese in the early evening, while warm milk and cookies appear in the lobby later at night. The sunshine and sea breeze puts everyone in a good mood, so over a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon I chatted with a guest who had stayed at the hotel annually for 20 years and met a woman from Maryland, visiting with her husband, kids and mum. With my everyday concerns floating away on the


I later bagged a table in Victoria’s, perfectly positioned on the boardwalk, to experience my first bite of a Delaware delicacy - crab cake.


fresh Atlantic of a golden broad They also sit within easy reach of


stodgy, heavily-battered fish cakes I’ve tried at home. In Delaware, soft chunks of sweet fresh crab meat are seasoned and lightly fried or baked, so they are only just held together, then served with a wedge of lime. By the end of my weekend, I’d eaten crab cakes overlooking beaches, beside harbours and in historic towns. I became mildly obsessed with them. By my second day I had stopped resisting and simply accepted that o r d e ri n g another crab cake was now part of my itinerary.


wood-fired pizzas, crisp tasty fries and meaty burgers.


are no crab cakes on the menu, their specialities are


it opened more than 30 years ago. Surprisingly,


there


And for those who don’t like crab, there are numerous outlets on the boardwalk offering everything from lobster rolls to ice cream and frozen custard – to be eaten with a side of sea air on a bench overlooking the ocean.


that Southern Delaware is referred to as the Culinary Coast.


breeze, It’s no surprise


Local Life Like any good seaside town, Rehoboth rewards wandering. Rehoboth Avenue forms the bustling heart of the resort, filled with independently-owned shops,


the


Another memorable stop was Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats, the first brewpub in state when


What I tasted was nothing like the air.’ Together


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