Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Lewes, DE
Year Listed: 2006
First settled by the Dutch in 1631, Lewes, Del., a small hamlet where the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet, is happy to be known as the "first town in the first state." Home to generations of fishermen and river pilots, Lewes is fiercely proud of its colorful maritime heritage and its charming, diverse collection of well-preserved historic homes, some dating back to the 1660s.
Fisherman's Wharf and the Lighthouse Restaurant grace Lewes' waterfront on the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal. Charter and head boats take anglers out to Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean fishing sites that are known for its flounder, weakfish, striper, taug, and marlin fishing.
Credit: Lewes Historical Society/Lewes Image Library
With its small, cypress-shingled homes that line narrow streets, colonial Dutch vernacular architecture and stately Victorians, Lewes is a town made for walking. Within an area approximately a half-mile square, visitors will find an enchanting historic district, including Pilottown, the traditional home of the Delaware River & Bay Pilots, and Chamomile, a historically African-American section of the city, as well as museums, antique shops, art galleries, fine restaurants and several inns and charming B&Bs.
Lewes is also home to the 5,193-acre Cape Henlopen State Park, created by William Penn in 1682 and given to the settlers of Lewes, a bequest that became the young nation's first public lands. An area of great natural beauty, the park is famous not only as the site of many shipwrecks but for its miles of white sand beaches and for its hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, camping and the historic Henlopen Lighthouse, which still haunts local seas and captures imaginations. Visitors also enjoy taking a trip aboard the ferry from Lewes to Cape May, New Jersey, which offers far more than just a shortcut from the Delaware coast to the Jersey shore. Crossing the Delaware Bay in 70 minutes, the trip offers a breathtaking view of two of the Mid-Atlantic's most picturesque seaside towns.
