Mark’s Score 8.1
Given the extensive coastline of the Delmarva, there are remarkably few beach resort cities and towns along the Atlantic Coast. Rehoboth Beach, DE and Ocean City, MD are the most famous and busiest of the beach resorts. Between these two busy resort towns sit the “quiet resorts,” Bethany Beach, South Bethany and Fenwick Isle. These three communities are smaller and draw an older crowd than their more famous and raucous neighbors. Bethany is our beach of choice, though that is more due to personal family history than preference. All the beaches from Lewes, Delaware to Chincoteague, Virginia have beautiful broad white sand and all the amenities one associates with beach towns. Having said that, Bethany does have the reputation of being a more staid and quiet holiday destination.
There are a number of factors I look at when I rate a city/town. Historical significance is one such factor. The Delmarva was settled in that late 1600s and early 1700s, so the entire peninsula is dotted with towns and villages with long histories. Bethany is no such town. In fact, until the early 1900s this part of the coast was virtually empty. There is even a lack of evidence that native Americans lived in the area, prior to European colonization.
The story of Bethany Beach begins in 1898 when the Disciples of Christ in Washington decided to establish a “Christian meeting place” on the Delaware shore. In 1900 they set up the Bethany Beach Improvement Company to purchase land and build a beach community. Little progress was made in the development of that beach community until the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was constructed in 1952, connecting Bethany by road to Washington and Baltimore. Even still, growth was slow, and due to its religious origins liquor was scarce. The first liquor license in town was granted until 1982.
Another factor I use in my rating system is natural and architectural beauty. Though the beach at Bethany Beach is narrower than the beaches further north and south, the unspoiled nature and comparative lack of development create a bucolic charm that you will not find in other beach towns. And for my money, the Indian River Bay, just north of town, is the prettiest tidal bay on the peninsula. As for the town itself, it is much of muchness, almost all beach towns have the same feel and look. Having said that, the jumble of architectural styles, the combination of copulas, widow’s walks, wrap around porches when combined with sea breezes and salted air creates its own charm. What is it about the sound of crashing waves, salted air, and architectural mishmash that instill such a sense of well-being and peacefulness?
Bethany Beach is a small town, so you are not going to get the extensive choices of restaurants, and shops that you would get in Rehoboth or Ocean City. But that does not take away from the fact that Bethany, for its size, has a remarkable number of excellent restaurants and bars. Not to mention a decent bookstore and a plethora ice cream parlors and coffee shops. And in spite of its religious origins, you will find no shortage of places to get a stiff drink, there are several bars serving innovative beach-oriented concoctions that you would not likely find at home.
Places rated in or near Bethany Beach
| Rating Date | Place | Category | Score |
| 2024 Oct | Off the Hook | Restaurant/Bar | 9.44 |
| 2024 Oct | 14 Global | Restaurant/Bar | 9.27 |
| 2024 Oct | James River Ecological Preserve | Park | 8.93 |
| 2024 Oct | Indian River Life-Saving Station | Museum | 8.78 |
| 2024 Nov | Rosenfeld’s | Restaurant/Deli | 8.10 |
| 2024 Oct | Harvest Tide Steakhouse | Restaurant/Bar | 8.09 |
| 2024 Oct | Beach Liquors | Shop/Liquor | 8.00 |
| 2024 Oct | Beach Break Bakrie | Shop/Coffee | 7.92 |
| 2024 Oct | Ropewalk | Restaurant/Bar | 7.85 |
Places reviewed in or near Bethany Beach
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