Bethany Beach Reviews

Atlantic beaches are more calm than Pacific. (I grew up spoiled on the Oregon coast.) But the beach here is beautiful. It's quiet and peaceful. (We have only visited during the off-season.)

We absolutely love Bethany Beach! Great for people of all ages...so much to do without being overly crowded or bustling! The boardwalk and downtown have a lot to do and are super cute! There are a bunch of great restaurants too! Highly recommend vacationing here!!!!!

Nice town but really quiet and not much to do but the beach. Family orientated. If your looking for more than beach go to Ocean City a few miles down from here. If you just enjoy the beach then this place is for you. Not much else to do.

Great little community that exudes family friendliness, beautiful beaches and an array of vacation destinations. Plenty of weekly rental opportunities with houses for all budgets; community nights with movies on the beach; music etc; bike friendly (you can easily rent if you do not own); and all the amenities just minutes away. BB rivals the Outerbanks. Hilton Head, Atlantic Beach and the Jersey Shore if you want both the classy and classic beach vacation. We rented a HUGE house through Crowley Real Estate (Greg Murphy) and felt the "love" from the first day until the last.

Nice little boardwalk with some activity. Beach is always crowded. Streets wash out when it rains heavily.

The beach is clean , safe, and attractive. Weather your sunning, swimming, or watching the dolphins pass by, I am pretty certain you will enjoy this beach. Get up early and watch the beautiful sun rise and stay later, each at the Ocean Suites restaurant on deck and watch the sun set

I always come here for 4th of July for a week. It's always fun. This year there was beach replenishment but it's made the beach wider.

On a windy day with rough surf and not many others on the beach, we decided to stop by after a visit to the fenwick island lighthouse. We enjoyed a scenic walk down the beach then walked back to our car via the boardwalk. The beach was clean and easy for walking, the boardwalk had a convenient foot shower so we minimized how much sand we took with us. The dunes were newly planted (nice neat rows of grass ) but will grow into picturesque protection for the town. Make a visit for a slower paced boardwalk and beach.

Love Bethany and we go every August.

Very family oriented vacation spot.

Comparisons? Not so crazy busy as Ocean City, a little less hotel than Rehoboth, a little less college party than Dewey, and very nice beach.

We really love a lot of things there:
- nice beach that's not incredibly crowded for a public beach
- lots of food stands to walk to from the beach
- lots of rental houses in short walking distance for small groups and large.
- nice shops and rainy day activities in walking and driving distance (shops, arcade,
- movies on at least one night (last night they had Boss Baby)
- good ice cream, soft serve and dessert (Candy Kitchen, Fischer's Popcorn, Kohr Bros and Dickey's soft serve, Bonkey's Ice Cream), Book Store (Bethany Books), 3 Blonde Bakers for fudge)
- Good restaurants (Blue Crab, Off The Hook, 14 Global, Patsy's)
- and some eclectic stuff (Good comic book store, 2 sports memorabilia/ trading card stores), etc.
- lots of clothing and beach stores.

It's gotten a lot busier in the past 15 years, but that has also brought some good choices to town.

Highly recommended.

I really love this beach, it's way better and cleaner then ocean city. The positives outweigh the negatives. However their are negatives which is why they don't get 5 stars. They are ridiculous with the parking fines. If your a minute late they will fine you. Then their is the sand. I've been to plenty of beaches and have never had sand that is soooo difficult to get off of you. You will be cleaning that sand off for weeks!

Quite nice beach but very small compared to Rehoboth beach. It can become very crowded during peak times.

This is a clean, not too crowded beach - waves not too big - and there are lifeguards. There is a rental spot for beach chairs and umbrellas to the right, facing the water, take your own snacks or picnic. Parking is on the street, at meters. The pay stations for the meters only take credit cards, so be prepared, and you can pay for two hours at a time. We prepaid four hours and that was a good amount of time with babies and tots in tow. The bathroom facility is a single port-a-potty at the entrance to the beach and it is clean and does not smell horrible.. The boardwalk is not really a boardwalk, it is street shops running perpendicular to the beach, with good choices for food wrapped to take with you.

Bethany Beach is, like a lot of East Coast beaches, a rich folk destination - especially someplace so close to the heavily populated NE and the liberal haven of Philly. So, this beach is not that great. It gets slammed by erosion that is valiantly fought with pumping of sand after any large storms. The boardwalk is very small with little variety of food or stores, much of which is quite overpriced. The price of parking has gone insane in season in Bethany, not sure of the hourly cost because I get a seasonal DE park pass and go to the much better beach a couple miles north at the Inlet. The rent a cops of summer hover like vultures waiting to ticket any expired meter. I recommend staying out of Bethany proper if you have a family income less than $150 K per year.

Bethany is a family oriented quieter resort located between from the "hubbub" of other resorts to the north and south. It is bordered to the north and south by pristine Delaware State Park. You will be greeted by a gorgeous boardwalk and beautiful beach. Friendly and hospitable, it offers hotels and guest accommodations, excellent restaurants, beach side refreshments, umbrella and chair rentals, and a well-trained life guard staff. If you go during the summer, be sure to attend the free concerts that are offered everyFriday, Saturday, and Sunday nights during the summer.

We have been going to Bethany for over 30 years. It is a great little family resort, with a small boardwalk and central business district. If you are staying on the ocean side of Rout 1 the entire town is very reachable by walking.

We were at Bethany Beach in mid August.
We love the waves at Ocean City but wanted a change. The waves at Bethany Beach were fabulous!! They were big and fun to play in! The boogie boarding was good and the water was warm!

Craft shows in June, movies on the beach, open farm market weekly. Small boardwalk but great for walking and Garfield Ave. off the Boardwalk has many interesting shops & restaurants. Peaceful beach atmosphere and convenient to other events in Fenwick Island and Ocean City,MD. You can be busy or just kick back & relax.

Parking hell! It's no lie. Despite using ParkMobile, I got 2 tickets. I have Maryland plates and there "CF" for Chesapeake Foundations on the plate. As a ParkMobile user for years - I never got a ticket despite not having the "CF' in my plate number in the APP. Everyone with that plate style has it. But in Bethany Beach, despite paying for the parking - I got 2 tickets. To their credit the police waived the first one, but wouldn't waive the second one. Ok. Then I updated the app and got another ticket because my car was slightly parked outside the lines.

While Bethany Beach is a great place - the parking enforcement certainly is doing their best to make folks never want to return.

This atlantic beach is beautiful. Nice and wide. Makes for great walks or sitting and staring out at the horizon. Enjoy

I love this beach! Quiet, family-oriented & so well taken care of. You can walk for miles & often we see porpoises and herons along the way. Small boardwalk & quaint downtown. We've been coming for 30+ years & happily it is still the perfect place to relax & enjoy the ocean.

Bethany Beach is a great beach town for families looking for a quieter vacation! It is conveniently located nearby Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach at the North and Fenwick Island and Ocean City MD at the south, lots of fun and amenities in those towns to make for a great trip. We will definitely go back to the area!

Bethany is a great place for couples and families. Just enough variety of entertainment and dining options.

If you, your family and friends are looking for a special place to enjoy a positive atmosphere with a wide variety of restaurants and unique shops, visit Bethany Beach!

Bethany Beach is a fun, low key beach, but a good low key. It's never crowded, the waves aren't that dangerous most of the time, and the lifeguards at the beach are always on key and alert! This is a good family beach thats perfect for you to take kids too! People of all ages love Bethany Beach, and I should know, my family has gone to Bethany for generations!

great location for families. centrally located to get to Rehobath Beach, Dewey Beach and Ocean City Maryland. Good selection of activities and restaurants.

Lovely ocean view of sunrise over Atlantic Ocean. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn Ocean Suites.

Nice family resort with just enough shops and entertainments to keep things interesting without being crazy like OC or Rehobeth. Large choice of restaurants. The roads are quiet enough that walking is not a hazard. Beach is a bit narrow and steep, but very nice. We'll be back! Try Pie - a great pizza restaurant!

The post review questions asked if the hotel had a “Harbor View?” Well no but it has Great Ocean View! The Boardwalk is not large but offers everything you would want.

We love Bethany Beach! The beaches are very clean and the lifeguards are extremely diligent. The boardwalk and it’s shops are very nice and charming.

We came here ahead of the busy summer season and loved the place. The drive toward the water was amazing: one of the most beautiful tulip displays we've ever seen. That alone was worth the visit. Nice restaurants and shops. Looks to be a really upscale beach town where things are well cared for.

Overall great trip to the beach. Traffic was great. parking while easy to pay with their online payment is still is still difficult to find even on a Tuesday. Great shops, umbrella rentals along the beach. Safe beach with 2 life guards at each station across the beach. Not overly crowded as other beaches in the area and most importantly the kids had a blast!

Beautiful beach. Unfortunately we only got to enjoy one day of it because of the weather. However it was not crowded and the beach and boardwalk was very clean.

Went to the beach at 7am to watch the sun rise. The fast moving gray cloud formations gave me a show instead. This combined with the roaring ocean was a perfect scene. I was eleated to be there.

The day before my daughter and I walked the beach, shopped the stores and had lunch at Penguin.

Off season is just perfect for me. It's like having the town to yourself. There are not a lot of people, everything is on sale. It's ALL good for me. :)

There may be no sales tax in Delaware but these little coastal town extract their revenue through their police departments by setting up speed traps and collecting parking fines. We stayed for a week in Bethany Beach and saw numerous speed traps and flashing lights of traffic stops. The police is constantly out hunting for tourist dollars in their money-making 25mph zones. We live in a much larger town and it is a rarity to see a police car there, let alone one that has pulled somebody over. We got lucky and were never actually stopped but seeing this legalized harassment of other drivers created a very unpleasant impression of always being a target and always being watched, which is not what I want to feel on my vacation. In addition, the entire town is devoid of even a single free parking spot and the legal parking spots are artificially severely restricted and patrolled by an army of parking enforcement agents at all hours of the day and night. Not a single street in the entire town allows curbside parking, save for a couple of streets near the center, where paid parking is allowed but is extremely hard to find. You can be sure, however, that those legal spots are patrolled by meter maids 24/7 and you will be sure to get a ticket as soon as your time runs out. This artificially restricted supply coupled with an overaggressive enforcement likewise creates an impression that visitors are unwelcome here. I’d rather pay sales tax and be left alone then not be able to leave my car by the curb or crawl at 25mph and expect to get pulled over for any traffic infraction. This police racket that these little towns have going is a short-cited policy in the long run, however, as we would be going elsewhere next year.

Plenty to do for families with slower pace and much quieter than Ocean City. Nice shopping area where you can walk everywhere.

Bethany Beach is a beautiful beach with a nice small town feel. We have been enjoying our visits to Bethany for years now and hope to continue for many more.

This is a beautiful beach...very clean and not built up. Obviously quieter in the off season or weekdays.

A beautiful beach resort town that is family oriented. We enjoyed al that it had to offer, as well as proximity to other beach areas too.

They need more public beach bathrooms and parking is a little crazy. If you come, try to get walking distance to beach and save yourself a headache.

Visited at the end of August and it's wonderful! Beautiful beach, clean with no crowds, plenty of lifeguards, boardwalk shops, and parking. Perhaps it will get crowded Labor Day weekend like any other holiday so choose your travel days wisely to avoid crowds.

I am not a beach person but my whole family prefers this beach to any other in De. It's small and pleasant and clean.

We love Bethany Beach compared to nearby Ocean City. It's much more family friendly and safer. It just doesn't seem nearly as trashy as OC. It has a nice small town feel.

Love this beach! Grocery stores close by, but not as busy as the Rehoboth area. Beach is unguarded, but ok for our family. People are friendly, but respect distance and privacy. This area doesn't seem to have swimming pools, which makes it different from Outer Banks homes.

Bethany is such a first class beach destination! So safe, so clean, so beautiful! Bethany is the perfect destination with so much to do! We love the off season when the crowds are much less.

We rented a house third house from dewey beach through Crowkey. Sherrie Ternahan was nothing but rude and a royal pain. Will never use Crowlwy ever again.

Our famiy has been going to Bethany Beach for 32 years. We rent houses in West Bethany for 50 people. We love the family atmosphere of the beach, the clean sand, nice people. Sometimes the waves can be intense, so be careful. The lifeguards are excellent, but you don't want to depend on them to get you out!

It was a great few days at the beach for our family. It wasn’t crowded, loud, or busy. It’s a great family beach.

Very busy week 4 th of July. Great fireworks on the 5 th. Kids enjoyed being close to downtown. Good parking at our rental and could walk most places in the town. Every place very busy from the donut shop in the am to the dinners at night. Missed a lot of places we wanted to go. Places seemed short staffed but we found that to be the case for our whole 2 week trip up the coast after our one week rental in BB.

Great beach! Never really gets over crowded even when its busy there is always a good spot. The boardwalk is smaller and great for families. Definitely a slower pace compared to places like Ocean City or even Rehoboth.

I love this beach because it is not as built up or crowded as Rehoboth beach. It is a quieter smaller beach town with less retail space and restaurants than Rehoboth Beach. There are a few nice shops to purchase gifts for children and adults. There are also some good restaurants in town, some (about 5) of which I have already reviewed favorably with at least 4 stars. The boardwalk is only a half mile long and 12 feet wide, which is much shorter and smaller than Rehoboth Beach’s boardwalk, which is longer and wider. This town seems more family friendly. The beach here is also very nice. I love to walk the boardwalk or the beach here.

The town has about 1,000 residents, however, during the summer months some 15,000 more populate the town as vacationers. My only complaint here is the lack of adequate parking during the summer season from May 15 through September 14. I enjoy the September 14 through May 14 Fall through Winter season, which is less crowded.

Spent a wonderful day on the beach! The beach/community is quiet and upscale. Not much for those seeking a lot of fast-paced excitement, but if you want a great place to relax, Bethany is the place to go. We will definitely be coming back.

We were just driving by and I was so surprised at the atmosphere! Families enjoying the beach and walking around. Very clean and friendly!

Bethany Beach is a great little town, right on the beach with the ocean and boardwalk. Very low key, clean, and more upscale than surrounding communities such as Ocean City Maryland (yuk!). You can easily walk to most shops, food and do not have to worry about traffic, lines, or crazy amounts of people

Spent 5 days there. Stayed at Sea Colony East. Though the weather was cool, we still spent time on the beach. Beautiful beaches! Everything is neat and well kept. A much smaller scale than OC or Rehoboth. We all had an enjoyable stay and already made reservations for next year

Summer beach on the Boardwalk and therefore crowded but the water seemed more clearer than OC and though not really the case just seemed nicer.

The beach was clean, lots of life guards, easy to access, Some vendors on the beach if you needed water ice or snacks. I loved the beach!

There is no natural shade and there was something black on much of the sand. Likewise, there were no public restrooms or changing rooms in sight in the area in front of the Marriott and other businesses in the little shopping center there.

Bethany beach is a great area for young families with children to vacation. The beaches are clean, lots of activities for young children and the restaurants are good.

Delaware seashore has some of the cleanest beaches I’ve been to along the east coast and especially this far north. If you’re ever around check them out.

We were here for a week in August. The beach is wide and with wonderful sand. The business district right off the boardwalk is a pure joy. Not a touristy boardwalk like you will see in most beach destinations. This area is wonderful for a relaxing vacation. I highly recommend.

I enjoyed Bethany when my kids were little because the beach is small and not usually as crowded as the larger beaches - Wildwood NJ or OC. I continue to go with my grandchildren. Clean beaches, family oriented. I just love this little town! Great shopping district, convenient to so many things - including a playground for the kids. Just remember to put money in the meter as they do ticket!

Cute little resort town. Nice little Boardwalk with shops and access to the beach. Great restaurants with a family feel.

This place is a rare find. Peaceful yet near everything. We are going to be looking for property up there very soon!!

My family used to summer at Bethany when I was young. I don't think I've spent more than a weekend at Bethany for over twenty years. The beach is well groomed. The ocean break is gentle but powerful. The weather was grand and the company delightful. This is still a great place to vacation.

My family and I decided to meet here for a weekend ... we stayed at a local resort .It was a great time with you it is Lawson the beach is very clear .. clean and quiet !! It was off season but I think it's a little less hectic than Ocean city ..
it was October the water was cool but not cold .. I loved the waves .. sea gulls and white sand ..
can't wait to return !!!

Beautiful beach, proper safety precautions taken for pandemic concerns, professional, competent life guard staff. Great weather (after a tropical storm), and good food from the local restaurants.

I have been coming to Bethany beach since I was just a few months old. Each year, it’s something I look forward to and it never disappoints. From the beautiful ocean to the wonderful beach and boardwalk, Bethany Beach is one for the books. The beach is mid-size, not to big, not to small, just perfect.

Bethany Beach has been a family vacation spot for the past two years. Very family oriented area. Nice beach and walkable neighborhoods. Quite at night

Crowds were gone, only locals walking their dogs, and tourists strolling along the water's edge. Beach was pristine, though small. Rustic, high dunes topped with beach grass, wooden steps to the beach... I imagine this is really crowded in the summer. Perfect for a fall getaway!

I had never been to Bethany up until now. I walked on that beach and it was breathtaking.

A beach is a beach however this place is a bit different. It's clean and spacious.

There was no lifeguard on duty probably because it's out of season but that was fine.

There was less of a crowd which was great because there was space to relax and move around.

My sister and I were driving through Delaware, not planning on stopping anywhere, but then we saw the sign for Bethany Beach, and since my daughter's name is Bethany, we had to stop.
So glad we did. It was quiet and beautiful. The sand was marvelous, and this is a perfect beach if you want to avoid the crowds. It was a summer Sunday afternoon, and not at all crowded. the town seems very pleasant, and this is definitely a place I would like to come back to and spend more time.

We try to come once a year in the fall or winter. It’s just...calm and special here. It helps that a friend “loans” their condo to us. But we would still try to visit even if we had to rent/lease on our own.

Really tourist friendly. Walkable town. Nice place to visit. Beautiful. Clean. Well done downtown. Will come again.

Was at a private beach. Very laid back family oriented. There were no life guards because it is a private beach. Quiet and relaxing. No loud music or rowdy people

Their town motto "A quiet resort" is very accurate. The beach is not mobbed. Family friendly. On the higher end of the spectrum.

Even on a hazy day, the beach is a magnet. Even though we had not planned a swim, we had to get our feet into the soft sand and relatively gentle Atlantic of Bethany Beach. There are both private and public sections. We walked to one of the former from the restaurant where we had lunch just for a look, and then the latter for an actual stroll. Both public and private were clean and packed with summer visitors. A bright sea of umbrellas contrasted with the grey-blue of the ocean. Life guards were well spaced along the public areas. Families and friends were playing horseshoes and catch. The breeze cut through the general mugginess of the day.

We own a home in the Villas of Bethany West. Great location with lots of land, access to the Salt Pond and within walking or a trolley ride to the beach. Our sons are now 16 and 20 and still love Bethany Beach. Free public beach with lots of shops and food right up on the boardwalk. Fourth of July parade a great family event with hundreds of kids on bikes and decorations provided free by the town. Fireworks are excellent.

Here at the height of the season in early August, it was crowded as one would expect, but not as much so as beaches further south. Devoid of trash, which was a real plus.

A 3 hour beach trip cost 30 dollars. The meter did not work, I thought it had taken my credit card but no slip. An amount flashed on the screen. And when i got a ticket, i called the number on the meter. The person that answered was rude and told me i should have called when no slip appeared. Go to one of the natural beaches nearby that cost 5 dollars and have an attendant booth. Or come to a southern beach in the Carolinas where I live, the water is warmer and there is a lot of free parking. All the barely working parking meters in Md and De turned me off for this area.

Very nice clean, dog and family friendly but small. Parking was meters or kiosk from 10 am to 11 pm every day. Best bet was to go to the state park beaches with fixed 10.00/ car per day. We went to several. Also not enough restaurants in the area. They were overwhelmed and were not even able to offer take out.

Only reason why I gave a 2...is.......parking at Bethany is ......uncalled for and makes no sense. They have this permit parking in place for bethany locals only. We own home in Ocean view and must fight with out of towners for a small area to park. Local town bethany....those that typically walk....and dont shop....get all the parking spots upon entry. Makes no sense to out of towners and to outside locals. The shops that rely on out of towners and seasonal visitors are losing revenue. Covid is bad enough without added stress of this. Shame on the town of Bethany for doing this. Many are now going to Reobeth, Dewey, and Oc. I feel sorry for shop owners and hope they leave leases and vacant stores for Bethany borough. Hope they lift this crazy permit before they lose the people that help keep their borough running.

I love Bethany. The boardwalk is just right; classy/not trashy. Best crepes outside of France according to my 96 year old French mother-in-law who is not easy to please when it comes to American food.

My siblings and I would get up before the sun to go play in the waves before the kids woke up (the water was rough and having the little ones there was frightening). It was the best trip we have ever taken and didn't want to leave. Can't wait to go back one day!

As compared with nearby Ocean City, Bethany Beach is a lovely quiet town. Ample shopping and entertainment. Charming and quaint.

The beach and boardwalk are superior to Ocean City. A nice change of pace. Why I only gave Bethany Beach three stars, parking. Parking is atrocious, stayed one day on Bethany and then went to Dewey and had a great time there. That parking bugs me.

By reputation this is a quite beach community and it certainly lives up to its reputation. We have been going to Bethany Beach for many years and hope to continue this traditions for many years to come.

This is an excellent family beach and not for singles. I don't think I saw any singles other than lifeguards. There are no rude people. No yelling. No noise. Everyone sticks to themselves (as they are a family). All of the beachgoers seem to be higher class. There are a lot of golf shirts at night. The boardwalk isn't really a boardwalk like Ocean City. It's 10' wide and only has three or four stores on it. It's mainly used to connect all of the townhouses to the streets that have the stores. The stores are mostly right off of streets that attach to the boardwalk, which is nice. The town looks brand new, and all of the stores are high class and high end. Sure you might find a t-shirt store here or there, but for the most part, they are stores you will want to shop at. Food is REALLY a challenge here. Mostly it is pizza you have to settle for. Who wants to eat hot pizza on a hot day outside? I guess its easy to make. Some restaurants try to be a seafood restaurant, but can't pull it off since there's no seafood from the area. Mostly you'll find ahi tuna or Columbian salmon. Lots of ice cream. Lots of stores claiming to be bakeries but really sell candy and no pastries. The actual beach is a rocky beach. Its depth isn't too great, so it's an easy walk from the boardwalk to the actual ocean (unlike the 1/4 mile desert trek at Ocean City). The water here is green/grey. Any pictures of blue water that you've seen have been doctored. Ocean City is only 35-40 minutes away. This is the beach you want to stay at and then go to Ocean City boardwalk for a few hours until you get sick of it and then come back and relax.

Very nice, clean beach. However, the surf was very rough. You couldn't go out very far because the waves were huge. Not sure if this is typical but if it is, not the best place to take small children. There is a nice boardwalk and restaurants in one section.

Great family vacation spot on the beaches and around this seemingly sleepy town of 1000 residents. However, in the summer you can expect another 15,000 or so folks to descend on this little oasis for summer fun. Movies and bonfires on the beach, entertainment on the boardwalk bandstand and the always entertaining 4th of July Parade. NO amusement parks, no waterparks, no movie theater but loads of make your own fun on the beach and boardwalk

Beautiful beaches Pleasant boardwalk lots of nice shops
Very quaint and elegant town with very pleasant people. Easy conversations abound all the views are gorgeous.

Permanent population of only 1,200 swells to 100,000 in summer! Perfect for friends and couples in late fall and early spring without the crowds and while many of the shops and eateries are open. My second annual long "mature girls'" weekend at a friend's home. The town is reminiscent of the 50s with well maintained, updated houses (some a bit monstrous, but most with a comfortable beachy feel), no glitz, good selection of rentals, a mile-long boardwalk, several hotels, etc. very comfortable walking around at any hour. Near the outlet malls in Rehoboth Beach to the north and the much larger Ocean City to the south, both with movie theatres, without any crowding.

Bethany is a classy, beautiful beach that you can feel good about visiting with the entire family. If you are looking for carnival craziness, go somewhere else!

It's tough to find parking but worth the effort.

Beautiful beach, cute town, clean and a nice mix of senior and young.

Waves hit very hard and water was not as warm as end of July. Up to now my favourite was Rehoboth and Assateague Island but Bethany makes the favs list!

Very fortunate to have beautiful weather for our vacation. We stayed about 1 mile from the boardwalk and shops. Great choice! Only complaint were the amount of broken shells and pebbles in the sand. Will not keep me from returning. Definitely one of my favorite places to visit.

Relaxing and not as crazy as Ocean City, MD. Nice boardwalk and beaches. Unfortunately, must pay to park and deal with the hassle of remembering to renew parking when the time is near to avoid a parking ticket. Is a bit easier with the parking app than in the past (remembering to bring plenty of quarters). Do wish Bethany Beach would stop bleeding people who visit the beach as we're paying enough, in other ways, without the hassle of paying for parking and the parking vultures who constantly check for violations.

Bethany Beach is a tremendous beach for families. Especially those with small children. It is situated between Ocean City New Jersey and Rehobeth beach in Delaware. It is a much quieter beach with a much smaller boardwalk area. There are plenty of places to stay either right on the beach or inland. There are also plenty of things to see and do, such as Assateague Island or outlet shopping.

We love this beach and come back every year. It isn't too crowded and everything you need is located on the Boardwalk. It's perfect for a family vacation!

Eastern shore’s treasure is the family friendly beach town of Bethany Beach. A perfect spot to visit or to own a home.

This unit is Oceanfront but besides that this place really needs cleaned and updated. Please refer to the photos I have uploaded to help you out in your rental choice. Let me say that this isn't the worst place to rent but we were really disappointed at how the owner has let this place go and at how dirty it was. The door located in the kitchen is your entry door, as shown in the photo it looks like a screw driver has been wedged in there one to many times to try and open it. The kitchen drawers and cupboards look newer but several of them are off track and do not shut all the way, the coffee pot was disgusting, we washed and wiped it over and over and continued to get black stained coffee out of the pot. The AC unit was just as disgusting as the coffee pot, you could see mold in the vent slats and when you were on the balcony that is all you could hear was this thing running, no quite ocean waves to listen to, just a noisy AC. There were 3 window blinds in the living room, one was on the floor behind the couch broken, another was on the window with the blinds bent up so much you couldn't raise or lower them and the 3rd one worked. The 3 ceiling lights, one was burnt out the other two were incandescent light bulbs, who even uses those anymore? But they did go with the VHS player and the almond corded phone on the wall. The ceiling in the living room above the AC unit had water markings on it and the ceiling was droopy. The bathroom was updated but had a pedestal sink, ok ladies you know what that means, no and I mean no room for any of your make up, hair dryers etc... have you ever been in an airplane bathroom? If so then now you know what it feels like to be in this shower, again ladies... in order to shave your legs you have to open the shower doors lean your head out of it in order to reach your calves. The bedroom was average nothing to praise or complain about. So after all that.... if we had no other choice we would rent this unit again and at least next time we would be more aware of the actual condition. Oh by the way, the pictures on the website are not all correct as far as what furniture is there or the kind it is. I don't know who the owner has clean this place between renters but there was stuff in the fridge when we arrived and the counters were dirty-sticky. Hope this will help any future renters so that they don't get a surprise when they arrive like we did.

I love this beach!!!! I am here several times a year and never grow tired of it. I love that it is relaxing and not a party beach... The movies on the beach night are fun abd the best are the July 4th fireworks.

It is a wonderful small beach town however, in October during the week there are no restaurants open

Attended the 2022 arts festival on September 10. It was very nice but it does get crowded on the boardwalk. My biggest complaint has to do with parking. I arrived at approximately 10:20 and drove around for 20 minutes trying to find a place to park. I eventually gave up and parked about a mile from the festival. I have 2 suggestions if you go in 2023: 1) arrive by 9:30 or earlier. Maybe have breakfast in town so you guaranteed to find a spot. 2) wait till 1:00 to arrive as people who arrived early are now leaving.

A great all American town, a quiet resort with zero to no crime and an American Flag in every yard. We plan to retire here soon, God willing.

Parking has been horrible. Meter readers give tickets before your time is up. They are like vultures

Surprised about crowds and mixed use of masks which could be dangerous for all. This was a Saturday so it is understandable, but we left early.

We just came back from a week at Bethany Beach, even though it is considered off season, it was still great! People on the beach, on the boardwalk, bike riding, walking dogs and great food!

I wish it hadn't been very windy the day we visited. The beach is clean and long/wide. Had the weather been nicer, we would have spent the day.

We’ve been to Bethany before, however this year they are doing construction on the beach which has massive sections of the prime beach blocked off, leaving the remaining beach extremely crowded. If yuh go early, (before 10:00) you have a better chance at a nice location.

This was our first experience using the beach at Bethany and it was a perfect experience.

Get to the beach early because parking can be tricky. However it was never impossible. The beach is clean, huge and well patrolled.

Wonderful bathrooms and food near by.

As you can see from my last review in May 2022 this is one of my favorite local beaches. Bethany beach was heavily eroded and impacted by the storms in 2022, especially the pathways from the boardwalk, since my last review. The dunes mostly survived the storms of 2022. The beaches have been somewhat restored thus far. I expect the town and the state will implement further restoration prior to the upcoming summer. Hopefully the beach will be fully restored to normal prior to Memorial Day.

I love to walk the boardwalk during the warmer days of Spring 2023. Some of the businesses are closed until the start of summer, while some of them are open year round.

Bethany Beach is beautiful. It's a beach, how can you go wrong? Well groomed and maintained the beach is lovely. Family activities on the beach daily and workouts are available early in the morning for a fee. Concerts on the boardwalk (which isn't much) but it's lovely.

We went before Memorial Day weekend and the summer crowds, so I'm not sure how it compares..but we found it to be quaint, quiet, and a nice little beach community. The board walk was a good size, the beach was clean, the views and strong waves were beautiful. Very nice visit to the Atlantic Ocean.

It's hard ti explain, but there was a different vibe here than at Rehobeth. I visited both over the last two days and prefer Rehobeth. That's all I have! :-/

I loved this cute Beach town. The Beach is beautiful and peaceful. The boardwalk is great & there is just enough restaurants and service to make it fun, without being too loud or crazy. Everything looks clean and well maintained. I like that is quiet at night . If you're traveling with your pet, off season is perfect because you can walk your dog on the sand. I love Bethany Beach.

Bethany Beach - beautiful but a tad crowded during the day! Crowds died down by 4pm and was more comfortable to socially distance

Bethany is clean, not crowded this time of year and wonderful for sitting, shopping and swimming. Most shops are still open, with sales also a plus. Early morning walks are serene and beautiful.

We had a wonderful day at this beach. So much better than Ocean City. People were much friendlier. They had chairs and umbrellas that you can rent for the day. The bathrooms are not too far away. Perfect beach for families with young children. Very nice, clean town.

Hello everybody!
I am a exchange student and i will work at giant food store this summer but still i have not housing.I mailed to epoint but they dont have housing anymore so you guys do you have any suggestions for me? Or if you guys looking for roommate please contact with me.(i am coming alone)

This is one of the worst places I’ve ever been to. I can not imagine how or where someone would live for this place to seem like a “vacation”. It’s the most user unfriendly place I’ve ever seen. The rentals don’t provide sheets for the beds, or towels, or soap, etc. (I’m supposed to fly in with a suitcase full of these obvious necessities or rent them at a ridiculous price). They try really hard to keep the “riff raff” off the beach. Rent a house a few rows back and there is no parking, no bathrooms, no crosswalks etc. You’ll have to drive a car full of stuff down to the beach, unload, set up your spot to “claim” it then take your car back and walk back to the beach. Did I mention no bathrooms? If you decide the biting flies, strong under tow, stinging nettles, crowded beach, cigarette butts, aren’t your thing, you can try to “sight see” by braving stop and go traffic, circling endlessly to find a parking spot and waiting in long lines to do anything. Anyone who thinks the beach isn’t crowded hasn’t been there lately, last summer the beach patrol came around and limited people as to how many umbrellas or shades they could put up. The pictures we took looked like wall to wall umbrellas. One of my relatives owns a house there and insists that we go there for our summer extended family vacation, otherwise I would never set foot there again.

This is a small town with a great beach feel to it. It is made for families so bring the kids. There is a small cute boardwalk. The bandstand has free concerts several times a week in the summer. Bring your own chair! Many beach access points. The downside?? Parking! It will cost you $2 per hour IF you can find a place to park.

This beach is quiet with a decent sized boardwalk. The water isn’t calm at all though unless you swim further out. The water is a little cold, but you get used to it. My mom has a timeshare, so we’re here every year. There are chairs and umbrellas to rent if you don’t have your own.

The location is great because you can visit Rehoboth and Ocean City as well. I feel it’s not as crowded as the other two. There’s a nice 4th of July parade through town if you’re here during that time with fireworks on the beach.

The boardwalk and town is wonderful with a wide variety of shopping and restaurant experiences while enjoying a small beach town. If you want to experience many things that the large beach attractions like Ocean City or Rehoboth have without the traffic and large crowds then Bethany is your place for a more quiet fun . You won’t be disappointed.

The beaches here at Bethany are clean and the lifeguards are on constant alert . It has a safe family friendly feel.

Too many flies, make sure you have some good repellant, they are a nuscience. I believe because you have food at the boardwalk, that may be an attraction to them.

Nice but a bit crowded beach - lots of rental umbrellas and chairs. No shelling but lots of options for sand castles.

We had an umbrella that touched the ground to protect our infant daughter from the sun. Some man from the beach commission told us it was a tent and we weren’t allowed to have it. He didn’t care that we had a baby with us. We left the beach after 5 minutes because of this. Very disappointed as this was our first beach trip as a family.

This was my first visit to Bethany Beach but I definitely plan to come back! Beach was very clean. Boardwalk is quaint and quiet with just a few shops and restaurants. Public restrooms are located within an easy walk from the beach. Lots of nice shops just off the boardwalk in the town of Bethany. Merchants are friendly and welcoming. Definitely a hidden gem among the MD/DE beaches!

Love Bethany in the fall...so relaxed and beautiful. Beach is clean and less crowded. Water is still warm.

Family Beach, good eats locally; Bethany Beach Suites, the Penguin - all excellent, good value, awesome experience!!

One of our favorite beaches! Wonderful restaurants and shopping. Great boardwalk and gazebo! Always something going on!

Small boardwalk with stores and restaurants. Small but not too small. Just right. Movies on the beach, marshmellow roast and venues at the bandstand.

We remained on Fenwick Island but chose to visit a beach in Delaware rather than Ocean City to try something new. We were blown away by Bethany Beach's cleanliness and serene vibe!!
Great place for family and friends if you're searching for something quieter and less crowd it

We have been coming to Bethany Beach for close to two decades. We rent in the fall so my review and opinion is based on an out-of-seson experience. We love that Bethany sits smack between OC and Rehoboth. This makes it convenient to get to either of those places for golf, fishing, restaurants and shopping. There is a major roadway running inland to the west, which allows for a convenient arrival/getaway, plus access to several close small towns for a wider array of goods and services. Bethany Beach has a boardwalk and 'main steet' similar to Rehoboth but is much easier to get around to everything. The town is well-run with a good fire and police department close at hand. Word of caution: they are protective of their speed limit just as they are in the other resort towns. But you really don't want to find yourself zipping by and missing what this place has to offer. We like it because it's just a bit quieter and more laid-back than the other beach-town neighbors.

This is a lovely, family friendly beach. Crowded in summer but not as bad as Ocean City or some other Delmarva beach resorts. If you want exclusivity, rent a house in one of the private communities to the north of Bethany, where you'll have the beach pretty much to yourself.

Despite many storms erosion, this beach is always great...year-round. Boardwalk and town are always a real treat. for locals and visitors

Bethany is lovely and Bethany seems more upscale versus Dewey and Rehoboth. It has a quaint vibe which the locals love and tons of vacation shops, restaurants and things to do for the entire family. Highly recommend.

Bethany Beach is known as one of the Quiet Resorts. People are very friendly and it has great restaurants and shops. Most summer nights there is entertainment on the boardwalk bandstand! People dance and sing along to different types of music.

I was in town 9/7-9/9 for the first time and wished I had read some of these reviews before I went as I would have stayed elsewhere for certain! 1. The beaches are hard to navigate and look terrible due to all the dredging going on. 2. Food is overpriced and lousy. Mexican restaurant served me fish tacos with tuna in it in it. SERIOUSLY!!?? 3. But the final and most important straw is the parking apocalypse that is Bethany Beach. There is minimal parking for large events and attendants are out like turkey vultures trying to nickel and dime you for any infraction. When I broached the subject of a parking ticket I received with Terry Gordon( Parking Director) I was immediately shunned and he rudely denied any of my reasoning, Classic government overreach there. Just out to take your money. STAY AWAY!!!!

Love this quiet little town which limits buildings to no more than 3 stories which makes it very appealing. Lovely town, boardwalk and beach.

Not crowed and easy to get to. Had a very enjoyable day with family and friends. You must be careful where you park.

We always return to Bethany Beach each year. It's a great little Beach town with a small boardwalk. This town offers some great restaurants and unique shops. There is enough to do and it's the perfect place to relax. The beaches are very clean and well taken care of. There are many great places to stay here. Don't feel like you have to stay at Sea Colony. Although it is very nice, don't be afraid to check out all the other great places to rent. What is great about Bethany, is you are close to ocean City, MD for a fun night out, and you are also close to Rehoboth. It gives you the opportunity to visit some other great beaches without staying in an area that is super busy.

We enjoyed the beach, it wasn't overly crowded in June and used the umbrella and chair rental located right below the boardwalk.

We have been going to Bethany Beach for several years and always have a wonderful, relaxing holiday. It is filled with great restaurants, shops, boardwalk and features a beautiful beach with plenty of lifeguards and amenities, such as umbrellas, chaises and chairs that make your time at the beach so enjoyable. It is great for families of all generations. It is definitely not too busy or glitzy. It is low-key and just beautiful for a relaxing time.

We had not been to Bethany in many, many years and we were delighted to see that this quaint beach town is still a great spot for families. Beautiful beach, great accomodations walking distance from the beach, no bars!

We have visited Bethany beach a handful of times when visiting my sister who lives in St Michaels, Maryland. We have usually visited in July/August when it is very busy but it is a large beach, plenty of life guards. It can be difficult to find parking and you are charged, but the whole experience makes up for that. It’s a tourist town they have to make money during the summer season, if I won the lottery would love to buy a property nearby, can’t wait to return.

Wonderful we love this town. Coming here over 24 yrs. Very family oriented. Great food stores beach. Everyone so friendly

This was our first experience to Bethany Beach and we loved it! We got there early, about 9:00 and had our pick of spots. We rented chairs and umbrella for the day and were set! We parked nearby and were not far from the public restroom. We also brought a small cooler with drinks and food, but enjoyed some ice cream from one of the boardwalk shops later in the day. By lunch time, it was crowded, but still plenty of room to walk around people and to walk on the beach and enjoy the waves. Much better experience than other beaches we have been to - clean, quiet (no partying or loud music), plenty of lifeguards and comforts nearby. My idea of a perfect day at the beach!

Although not the Bethany Beach I remember from the fifties, it has managed to keep a whisper of that era--still quiet, low key and family friendly. Most of the quaint houses and guest houses have been torn down and replaced by new money McMansions or condoplexes (yes, sniff), so the town is much more densely developed than it was (or should be). But development could have been worse. With notable exceptions, it is still a small-scale, two story town, and still walkable, a good thing, given the parking situation in the summer. Fall is a great time to visit. There are attractive shops and restaurants on the small, well-maintained boardwalk and elsewhere in town. The beach itself is all but pristine. After decades of seeing beaches all over the world, I can say that this is not the best beach in the world--but there is some possibility that it is the best in the Mid-Atlantic area, and that is more than good enough.

We visited here after spending a couple of days in Maryland on Assateague Island. I has beautiful sand, the water was ideal and the boardwalk is less commercial than the Ocean City ones (Maryland and NJ) But it was very crowded and waves for bodyboarding weren't nearly as good as the ones in Assateague, which I would choose 9 times out of 10. The tenth time because it does have shops, restaurants and places to snack.

Bethany also has lifeguards on the beach which is good because from where we were sitting in the 8th row of people we couldn't see the kids playing in the water. It's a wonderful place and our family had a good time, but we prefer a less crowded experience.

We are very picky New York style thin crust pizza lovers. This is the only place we enjoy pizza in Bethany Beach, DE. You can buy it by the slice, add a fresh salad and eat in. What more could you ask for!

I have been a De. resident (30 miles north of this place) for over 11 years and in the off season have visited often. My daughter and husband were here and we always go to O.C. but the last day of their visit they needed to leave early so against my better judgement we ended up in Bethany. Everyone already knows the money driven parking situation but I never knew just how heartless and uncaring they are. Paid for a spot (2 hours) with credit card. Put ticket in window, came back before time ran out and there it was, a 30 dollar citation. My receipt had slid down, still had the small print visible but I was sited - "receipt not visible". No problem, take it to someone and show them, NOT. Moved car closer to beach area we were at because of heat, purchased another spot. On the beach people on both sides of us played noise the entire time, and I couldn't even see the shore line as the drop off was so severe. I was ready to leave but the kids talked me into food so I went to a 3rd area and yes, paid one more time. Two phone calls the next day to explain did not matter, I was going to pay anyway even with 3 receipts in hand. At least the second officer let me know that if I produced receipts for the time of the ticket it was ONLY a $15 fee for being totally legal. This city has chosen greed over all else, now my friends and family have chosen to never visit Bethany again, like they care.

One of the best family beaches- quiet, clean, easy rules to follow- they allow you to put your items down in the morning and don' t have to monitor you being there all day- we loved it!

The only reason it got 4 out of 5 stars was that they were doing major restoration and part of the beach was closed. The beach does get crowded as people go very early and stake out an area. I think it is better to go a little later as parents take the kids back for some rest. There is no shade, so rent or bring an umbrella. Close to boardwalk and several places to grab food, drinks, etc

clean, nice beach. Hardly any shells. In May hardly any people on beach. Large public parking lot and lots of paid parking meters in front of local houses.

Great beach. Packed in the summer, but nicer and not as packed as the nearby beaches (calmer than Ocean City). Quiet and Peaceful in the winter.

A very laid back beach that was clean & wide for family to enjoy their stay. The activities that were going on while we stayed were nice & family friendly, art show & music .

My family & I love Bethany Beach and have been traveling down here for the last 10 years. Very close to Rehoboth, Fenwick Island and Ocean City. Great town, clean beaches and Boardwalk. Great Restaurants in all directions. If you love tennis then the Sea Colony is where you want to stay.

Can't wait till next year!!!

Sea colony is a oceanfront resort located in Bethany comprised of condos and single family homes for rent
Beautiful beaches, great dining, shopping at outlets, water parks
It’s a long drive ( for us 6 hours) but we do it to be here

A nice quieter option if you are looking for one in the area. During the last week of May (after Memorial day), it was sparse and plenty of great spots to lay out and easy to walk up and down the beach. Soft sand as well.

We went to the beach area right off the center of the boardwalk. I am sure it is less crowded as you venture away from this main area, but it was wall to wall people. Aside from the crowds, I really don’t like how the water is down a slope from the beach - the waves crash so large and hard in this area - it is not friendly for young kids and a far cry from Carolina beaches. OC beaches are more flat than Bethany. Despite the crowds and rough water, the beach and boardwalk area are clean and people are generally not obnoxious neighbors. I would return to this beach off-season to sit on the beach. I really love the vibe of Bethany compared to OC but sadly the beach area is not the best.

ach Trolley/Parking
Feb 5, 2022, 11:10 AM
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Why is Bethany Beach charging local developments to allow a shuttle to drop off consumers who would like to support your shops and restaurants? There is very limited parking in Bethany Beach and your trolley bus only covers a few blocks east of the coastal highway. The town really caters to Sea Colony and rentals within the town limits and the beach traffic is very congested. Our community is about one mile from the beach and the Town of Bethany Beach requires a shuttle permit costing $8,000 per vehicle. This really limits the ability of rental families getting to the beach and shops/restaurants. Not sure why shuttle permits are so expensive but it would allow more access to the downtown if communities could drop off families to shop, also reduce congestion. If you don’t hit the beach by 9 am in the morning you should pack up your car and drive to the state park north on route 1 which has a great big parking lot, big beach, and delicious restaurant/bar called THE BIG CHILL.

The kids spent their summers growing up here, going to the beach, catching crabs and surfing. They developed friends who in some cases attended the same colleges and are now visiting with their families. It is oddly a second home with a real neighborhood quality. You just done get this in big cities anymore - well not this way at least. It's a great town that really comes to life in the summer.
The town isn't just for children. The veteran gather in Thursday's at the VFW for crab night. Often times these are multi-generational families. The retired guys gather at the World Gym and talk sports. Not a lot of exercising going on here, but it sounds like a fair amount of gambling - or at least banter.
The local establishments are quite good ranging from seafood restaurants to Italian. The locals know the best and when the best specials are offered.
The beach is great in the spring, summer and fall. One of the most relaxing times is late fall. Light up the wood stove! It's almost like a ski chalet without the slope or the pesky snow.

Love the quaint shopping area. Very nice and clean bathrooms. The beach was way overcrowded. Surprised by the amount of people there.

Beautiful sand beaches, several marine mammal sightings, and very few visitors really made our beach time special. The tide is extremely rough (compared to Florida beaches) but you'll be impressed by the cleanliness.

Great beach and friendly people. Great place to develop life long friendships. Good waves for body surfing

We decided to visit Bethany beach, staying at the residence inn right on the beach. This town is NOT dog friendly. Don't be mistaken. The hotel allows dogs with an exorbitant pet fee, plus a separate "cleaning" fee. The beach and boardwalk are not open to pets at all during the summer and not even restaurants with outdoor seating allow dogs. It seems that dogs can't go anywhere. Even a weekend farmer's market outdoors was off limits to dogs. So, why bother bringing your dog here. Save your money and visit a different town. Maybe somewhere not in Delaware altogether.

We have owned a beach house in the town of Bethany for many ears and love it! We especially like coming here after the summer beach rush.

Been coming to this area for over 15 years. Always a treat. Private beaches are a bonus if you happen to stay at one. The cute little town is perfect for a nice walk and evening ice cream treat.

Bethany Beach is a gem on the Atlantic Ocean south of Rehobeth Beach on the Delaware seashore. It is quiet and not as commercialized as many of the beach resorts. My wife and I stayed at the Addy Sea B & B and had a wonderful time. We plan to return at least two times next summer.

My family and I vacation here every year --- we're always sad to leave and excited to go. The beach is big, beautiful, and full of white sand. September is pristine if you prefer an emptier beach and calmer waves. It's a great place for tanning, and has a true, generally peaceful, family atmosphere. If you go into the waves just a bit, you can find some shells as well.
Love it. it's like a whole other world.

Thought for birthday this year celebrate it here. Well what a disappointment. It was not a special meal was not satisfied with amount for cost. Then also not as good as tasted elsewherem. But have try to see what you think as has a lovely out look over square upstairs does morning tea, lunch dinner.

I understand the beach was just replenished, but was very tough to walk on, crushed shells and pebbles. Easy to cut your feet. Besides that, it was clean and well guarded.

Thef rules in place are no smoking on the beach, which is wonderful for the environment and good for non smokers. there are many dining options on and off the boardwalk. Lots of small stores to browse and paid parking UGH.

We will be staying the week of 3/25/2018 to 3/24/2018 Easter Break at Bayside at Bethany Lakes. This is a great development to stay during off or on season. This place has a great clubhouse with a game room, indoor swimming pool and a exercise room. Tennis courts too! It also had a great room where you can read or watch TV. It is still close to Bethany Beach and the board walk. Most times when we stay in season Bethany can be seriously overcrowded with cars and people, parking is a mess. So my suggestion is take the trolley that is available to everyone and fun!!!!

There are a lot of pluses to this beach...it is narrow, so you don't have to walk too far over hot sand to get to the water, there are places to rent umbrellas and chairs and there is access to public restrooms and good food. It does get quite crowded, and parking is an issue. There is a steep drop off into the water, and not much surf for kids to play in.

Perfect for families (older and younger ) the boardwalk is small but perfect ! The shops are great ! The beach of course is crowded but all the families are friendly beach is clean

The town of Bethany Beach in Delaware has become way to crowded and commercialized. Everything is this town is very expensive and to make matters worse their Code Enforcement has gotten out of control. $2.00 per hour to park you car to shop in their town and spend time on their beach is starting to fell like more of at tax than a fee especially that you must pay for parking until 11:00PM. There are a lot of signs in the area that say "Prohibited" or just plain "No" This is not the town that I fell in love with 26 years ago when it was cute and not so commercialized. I have brought countless friends and family to Bethany Beach every year. It is time for me and my family to move on to a new more welcoming area. Amount that we spent in Bethany Beach for one week, 2 homes rented from Wilgus Assoc. - $5,300.00, Steens beach services - $300.00, Local food concessions in town - $300.00, Local restaurants for dinner and cocktails - $2000.00 plus miscellaneous odds and ends which adds up to be a lot of money for the Bethany Beach community.

Crowded in the summer but still quieter than Rehoboth. We stayed at Sea Colony and had a wonderful week going to the beach, playing tennis, and swimming in the pool.

We saw dolphins, horshoe crabs, blue crabs (ouch!) and really enjoyed the family time. Dogs on lead permitted.

Let me first say I do feel bad for the people who own this condo, it is a beautiful home Oceanfront Bethany Beach however the neighbor beside them used to own this condo, 95 G at Ocean 8 condo. When we first arrived we pulled into the lot, I went to ground guide my husband under the carport and this man came rushing out from next door. He introduced himself as the former owner of that condo he was the president of some sort of Association and began to berate the new owners saying how when they bought the condo they promised they would never rent it out and that's all they've done and how horrible his summer has been because of people making noise and running up and down the stairs and children being loud and the real estate company whom we rented this condo from used to be his real estate company and how they do not inform the renters of anything that goes on there so that's why he is letting us know where we need to put our garbage and what we can put in there and what we can't and where we need to park he even said I assume you know what the word tandem means? He was cursing , so disrespectful, ignorant, rude, degrading and so full of himself and between his slurred words after only assuming several afternoon cocktails he finally let us be so that we could finish parking the car. He is the sole reason we will not return to this condo which is unfortunate to the owners because it is a very lovely place and the real estate company that rented it is a very good company we have rented from them several times before and will continue to rent from them however never this condo again. If you're looking to have a peaceful fun vacation you do not want this jerk as a neighbor.

It is a nice beach for hanging out and sunbathing. The beach is very crowded. The area is not particularly dog friendly. A lot of the area is totally dominated by Sea Colony resort which in my opinion takes away from the pleasantness of the area. We are not planning on returning.

My wife and Have made thee trips to Bethany Beach, we love this place so much so we decided to build a home on the area. The Boardwalk is very clean the views are amazing, the restaurants in the area are awesome. It is one of the most relaxing locations we have found. If you haven’t been there, then you are missing out in a great vacation venue

A nice beach - not too wide, can get a little crowded toward the middle but is less crowded on the ends.

It’s always a nice beach with lots of families and generally relatively calm waters.

We were all very impressed with this beach. The color of the water was gorgeous and clear. I did not expect the water to look like that in Delaware! The beach was very clean and although it was a bit crowded, we found a good spot to set up our things and had a great day. The waves were CRAZY! We got roughed up a bit, lost glasses, goggles and almost lost bathing suit tops and bottoms but had so much fun. The water was very cold, even though it was mid August but that didn’t stop us. The boardwalk is small but nice and family friendly. Definitely a place I want to visit yearly from now on.

Hot sand and refreshing water at this Delaware beach. Clean and well life guarded. Plenty of room for umbrella and blanket.

Bethan Beach just got an overhaul! The beach was just replenished with sand from the ocean. Watching the whole operation was fascinating! The sand is clean, raked and perfect!

I love Bethany beach and look forward each year to coming back for a vacation with my family, but I prefer to go to Delaware National Seashore when we go to the beach. Can’t have canopies? I just want something to keep the sun off my family and myself during part of our stay at the beach, I don’t want to change my clothes, smoke, drink alcohol, or go to the bathroom. Always new town ordinances. I’ll head up the road a ways. There are less people, more room on the beach, easier access to a shower or bathroom, food, and parking is easier and closer to the sand...ciao!

Bethany beach is a beautiful get away that is safe for children and teenagers. The shops, food, and entertainment is all so fun and is sure to have something for everyone.

This is one of the few beaches I enjoy going to! It is super clean and the new ramp makes it very accessible from the boardwalk (they use to have stairs- it’s much easier now). They have a company right on the beach to rent umbrellas and chairs- they setup and clean up everything. The lifeguards are extremely nice and appear to stay on top of things. This year the beach had WAY more rocks than I ever remember- wish this could improve for next year!

We've spent summers in or near Bethany Beach for 30 years. As it has developed it has, inevitably, lost a lot of its charm. Side streeets with small cottages have become side streets with a few small cottages and a lot of oversize houses. The place is packed in the summer. But there are some good restaurants, decent shops, a pretty main street, a good bookstore (still!), a library, friendly people (more so off season), and the main attraction - a very long, deep white sand beach with shallow entry for swimming.

Beautiful sandy beach. Cute little boardwalk with some nice shops. It costs $2.50 to park for an hour. Lots of little food shops also. Easy to park. I would recommend.

This was our first time to Bethany Beach after many years of wanting to visit. The beach itself was on the smaller side where we were, but the kids really enjoyed the ocean and it was a very enjoyable place to be although the weather was not great. Definitely will plan to come back.

Just beautiful, relaxing, clean and friendly. A great trip for social distancing.

There are dogs on the beach but the owners are responsible.

A great beach to get your walking miles in.

This is a very nice white sand beach south of Rehoboth Beach. The biggest difference would be the amount of broken shells at the surf break and in the sand as you walk. The beach is clean and the life guards were on duty. It was really cool to see dolphins hanging around in the morning. We were there mid afternoon and it was starting to get pretty crowded. This is definitely a great place to visit with family.

Nothing like OCM. Quiet family oriented. There is the Altlantic Ocean, sand on the beach, places to eat, without sweaty smelly 20 something's swearing and partying around every corner.

Not that I never did that, I just don't now ;)

A great family retreat. Bike around town. So much to Do, beach, shop, golf, and great restaurants. Local art galleries and activities for the children at the library. A beach resort with a family feel.

Will go there again on July 11, will stay in hotel for 2 nights. Hope will find some time for a fishing and beach metal detecting.

We were having a girls' trip (my mom, my daughter and I) to Washington, D.C. and we decided to spend a day at the beach in Delaware. None of us had been to Delaware, and we are trying to visit all 50 states, so we took the opportunity while in DC to get to another state. We were lucky to have a beautiful day with lots of sun and the perfect temperature. They have a stand where you can rent chairs and umbrellas for the day, and also pick up some food for a picnic on the beach. We set up camp on a beautiful stretch of sand and relaxed for the day. The chairs were comfy, the food was good. There were many families on the beach and the atmosphere was fun and carefree. My daughter and I swam in the ocean and bodysurfed the waves. However, I kept feeling like something was "biting" my legs and my daughter thought I was crazy until she felt it too. We saw a "cloud" of something in the water around our legs and ran out of the water. We had tiny marks all over our legs, and later learned that we were stung by sea lice, which are baby jellyfish! Apparently there is a season for these and we happened to be there right in the middle of it. The stings weren't painful - just a little annoying and itchy, and gave us a good laugh. It wouldn't make me not want to go back - we actually did go back in the water for more body surfing. Overall it was a fantastic day!

The beach is very clean. Some days the waves get pretty choppy. The beach is not very wide. It looks like nothing in the town is higher than three stories which was nice.

We usually visit ocean city Maryland, but switched things up this year. Bethany is nice- they beaches are clean and there are some nice restaurants and shops. Not quite as much to do as nearby Rehoboth or Ocean City.

Well maintained downtown area and a quality beach.
Great place for families to visit and some new quality restaurants as well.

Not a deep beach, but very clean. Great for families. The new big chill beach takeout make it even better.

The beach is extremely beautiful and is very peaceful. It is very family friendly and is much less crowded as ocean city.

Went Sedona for anniversary dinner missed sign on parking for may 15th came out and found a ticket no other cars around us ok we goofed but then saw overtime ticket $ 40.00 dollars more then NYC. Go to Rehoboth or lewes Bethany is giving crazy insane tickets don't want any business

Looking from the pier, the ocean was beautiful. It was windy, so there were not many people there. But it is peace and quiet.

Enjoyable relaxing vacation. Everything was very neat and clean. Busy on the beach and boardwalk. Friendly people.

beach is well maintained foot showers at beach access, parking can be a challenge, go early and you will not have a problem. Pay parking is done very well in this area

I went to Bethany Beach at the end of August with my family, all adults. The area we stayed in was absolutely lovely, the beach was beautiful and the boardwalk filled with great little mom and pop shops.

I highly recommend this area, we would visit again 👍🙂.

Bethany is a small scale, gorgeous beach. There are hardly any high rise buildings in this town, so it has a wonderful feel. Enough commercial stuff without overloading.

Second year in a row for my family vacation at Bethany Beach. Crowley listened to my wish list, location preferences and budget, and very quickly found me the perfect rental for the week. We returned again to the same location this summer and vacation was spectacular! They are very responsive, well-staffed and they treat their clients well. Their management of rentals is outstanding and I had very little worry or stress getting set up for my vacation.

Been coming here 8 years. Small, little night life, family friendly. Easy enough to go up to Dewey or Rehoboth for more bar scene or broader dining experience.

Want a beach that is loaded with families and kids having a good time? Head here. Well behaved families and groups... Great beach...

Bethany beach is great. I love the small town feel of this place. The beach is wonderful. Love to watch the dolphins swim in the morning here. They were so close. Just awesome.

Great Road Trip: Booked a 3 bedroom villa at Sea Colony through Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The house was amazing extremely clean, well stocked and everything we expected as advertised. Bethany Beach is great for all families. We stayed Memorial Day weekend and had a nice relaxing visit.
Best part is there is so much in the area you cant go wrong.
You can dine at one of the many restaurants or pick up groceries and make a family dinner.
The are outlets near by for shopping

Tip: For all of our road trips we always need a late check in.
The great part about Sea Colony is you can request a late check in, even after the office is closed.
Most if not all of the rentals are managed through Resort Quest Market Place @ Sea Colony office. The staff will put your check in package into the out door lock box. When you get there you call the number on the door and get your box code and your all set.
Quick simple and easy the way all mini trips should be.

We happened across this little beach community as we were driving through, and I'm already planning our next vacation! The characterization of the area as "quiet resorts" is fitting, and the town center was charming.

We prefer Bethany, Lewes, DN Seashore all over Rehoboth. Quieter, quaint, well kept, proximity to snacks, parking available overall and many less teenagers than other close beach sites. HOWEVER, beware the parking ticket people. They are constantly checking and ticketing. The spaces are not marked that you need to find the pay machine either. Pay at the machine, put the ticket on your dashboard and get back PDQ.

Spent a few days in Bethany Beach wanting a relaxing, quieter beach than most of the other area beaches and Bethany is perfect. There is a small boardwalk with just a few shops, no rides-games or other usual boardwalk attractions, exactly what we were looking for. Stayed at the Marriott right on the beach/boardwalk. Only a few restaurants in Bethany, but the ones that we tried were very good.

the weather was bad but the beach was clean and great to walk.
we rented chairs and enjoyed watching people!

Amazing time at the beach! Family friendly and we loved it. We came in the afternoon, found parking quickly. Beach had plenty of space.

I vacationed here 20 years in a row, it's a nice town, it's much quieter at night compared to other towns like Ocean City and Dewey Beach,it's definately more family friendly,no bars in the middle of town,so you won't be hearing drunken brawls late at night,it has a small boardwalk without rides,just small shops and places to eat.parking has not been an issue for us,you might have to drive into the side streets to find a place to park,but it's not a problem. It's conviently located to travel to Ocean City for shopping and eating or going north to Rehoboth for Outlet shopping.

This was lovely beach. Clean, less crowded than other beaches. Beach staff even puts out umbrellas. Small and charming shopping district with good restaurants. Cute boardwalk, too. We went to Rehobeth beach and hated the tourist gaughty feel. All the shops sold the same junk. Bethany Beach was much better and we had a wonderful time!

This was the first time we visited Bethany Beach and LOVED it. The beaches are SO beautiful, the people were so friendly, the food--especially at 99 Sea Level and Sedona--was amazing. And the that , this place was incredibly responsible in terms of wearing masks and sanitizing appropriately. We felt safe here, enjoyed ourselves and so we will return.

Due to the sand replenishment the waves break on the beach. Your run is from the wave to the beach. Very short and dangerous. Great for families, quieter than Ocean City and Rehoboth.

Went to Bethany beach for the weekend. It is a little bit cheaper than Ocean city with the same great beach. I actually went to Ocean City beach while I was staying in Bethany, and there were actually less people and the beach appeared to be cleaner that that in OC. Also, tried to catch a sunrise, the weather was not very cooperative, but we did see about 3 or 4 different groups of dolphins playing in the water not too far from the beach. In my opinion, that was much better than the sunrise!

I have been coming to Bethany Beach for the past four years with my family and we love it. They made one huge improvement form last year, which was removing the stairs that led to the beach with ramps. This makes it so much easier to get to and from the beach with all of your stuff and your kids! The one thing they did which I did not like, is that they outlawed the use of tents and canopies. Not too sure why they did this because now the amount of umbrellas on the beach is ridiculous. You can’t even see the water anymore from the back of the beach because of the amount of umbrellas. One things for sure, the company that rents the umbrellas on the beach is very happy. I’m sure their rentals have more than doubled.

Lifeguards are great! They are friendly and really seem to have good control over everything going on.

Enjoy beach, boards, great shops, restaurants, ice cream! Buy a kite and fly it, get a henna tattoo😄 parking can be tricky, need lots of quarters if visiting. Meter checkers on the lookout for expired time.

Lovely beaches, clean, beautiful views and this is my home!!
How did I get so lucky!! Family orientated beach, we call our beaches the Quiet Resorts, because folks respect each other. I love this place!!

I definitely plan to return. A lovely and clean beach not overly crowded. Nice, typical boardwalk with small surf shops. Not large. Very quiet.

CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION IMMEDIATELY if you have booked the Crowley listing at 105 Campbell Place in Bethany Beach, DE. We planned a vacation to this residence for over a year and were sorely disappointed when we arrived. Too many issues to count - horrible odor, place advertised as sleeping 14 but only sleeps 10 and the photos in the listing do not resemble the frat furniture decor in the home. Save yourself the disappoint and go anywhere else!

Bethany is a nice quiet beach, perfect for a family vacation. The boardwalk is small and compact with nice selections for food and beach supplies. The beach is always crowded, especially close to the boardwalk. If you are driving down parking is metered unless you rent a house with a parking pass. Meters are 2 hours and checked assiduously. DON'T let it expire or yo WILL get a ticket!! Pass holders have different parking spots than meters.

The beach has lifeguards (hours posted) and no dogs or alcohol allowed. High tide is about halfway up the beach so be sure to check the times or set up far enough back that you don't get soaked. Surf can be moderate to gentle, occasional undertows, but lifeguards are pretty good about moving ppl away if they see them.

Overall a great beach to go to - we go every year!

Quiet area for a beach resort-lifeguards very attentive and friendly. Beach is raked daily and well maintained. Umbrella and chair rentals for convenience right on the beach

Bethany Beach is very pretty, but there are an abundance of shells and rocks along the shore line. This makes it a little painful while boogie boarding. I did like the closeness of the boardwalk to the water's edge. You did not have to hike a mile to get to the water from the board walk. The beach was crowded the day that we went and finding a place to put your umbrella and chairs was difficult. We ended up sitting back farther from the water's edge and the sand sloped downward. This made it hard to keep track of our daughters. We arrived at the beach after 10 am. If you would like a better spot on the beach, I would recommend getting there earlier to set up.

Our family owns a condo on the beach and we love it here. It slowed down our pace- while we are there and it great. Not a ton to do and that's fine by us.

Bethany is a big, beautiful family beach. Clean and wide, and it even looks better since they added sand to the dunes behind the main beach.

Bethany beach is accessible from many of the streets in the town. There is also a half mile boardwalk. There are lifeguards on duty I think Memorial Day through Labor day. It was not terribly crowded when we were there, especially once we walked past the end of the boardwalk. The beach was quite clean.

Bethany Beach has something for everyone, from a boardwalk to entertain, restaurants and cafes to refresh and the beach to relax. A day of restful seaside living is ensured.

The sand and surf in Bethany Beach is great. Quiet and relaxing town goes with it. The beach is well kept and clean.

This is an AMAZINGGGG place to go!!!! If you're ever bored and just wanna get out of the house COME HERE I've been here so many times (winter spring fall and summer) and it's always a great time to come!! They have great shops and restaurants!! The beach is beautiful and clean. It's a great place to come with family friends or couples! The sun rise and sunsets are beautiful to!! 10/10 Definitely recommend!!!!!

This is the second year in a row my friends and I have visited Bethany Beach in April. The beach is always clean and everyone is so nice. The tulips and other flowers planted are breathtaking. We love it and hope to be back next April.

This is our last visit to Bethany Beach, even though we have been coming for 14 years, because the town residents have decided to overregulate the beach. This is the least crowded we have ever seen the beach and now we know why. Good luck with future tourism.

The beach is very crowded. When they say "family friendly" they aren't kidding. There were screaming kids everywhere. This is not your location if you want peace and quiet

We just go to walk the boardwalk and shop! Everyone is having a good time and there are numerous stores to buy/brouse!

Not crazy like larger beaches in area. Enjoy the early morning walks and doing things with the family.

Craft show was in the weekend and lots of typical beach cuisine and surf shops! Definitely great for families. Can walk this beach for miles and the sand is soft. Lots of lifeguards too!

We LOVE Bethany.
We've been going here for quite a few years, used to go to OCMD until we outgrew the crowd and noise and then we discovered Bethany and we love it more each year.

Wanted to see the beach in winter; it was an excellent choice; nice boardwalk; nice walking beach; I am sure in summer it is a bug hit!!!

What more can we say; we own a beach house here. We love this place. Off season is the best. No crowds but all of the appeal. The summer is also wonderful, with the casual energy and enjoyment of the vacationers and visitors.

Came in April. Though was disappointed not all stores open the beach was clean. People with dogs were quick to take care of dogs doing business. The boardwalk was being repaired in some areas. I know hurricane came through few years ago. The state has done great job with repairs.

As others have commented, this beach has a quieter atmosphere. The beach is well-maintained and clean. The boardwalk can be easily accessed. It was pretty windy and chilly that day so I wish we could have spent more time by the water. I imagine traveling during peak season, parking would be a challenge. We parked by the shops along the boardwalk. I recommend this beach for those who enjoy beach community but are seeking something a little quieter.

Love Bethany! Parking during the summer is hard, if you can be within walking it could be worth the money. Love beach time, great restaurants, cousins always play mini-golf,...

Movies on the beach and concerts on the boardwalk are fun.

Watching a sunset or sunrise on the beach is really special and we enjoyed watching the waves coming in to the seashore. Its almost hypnotizing and very calming.

We love Bethany Beach and the boardwalk!
BUT I usually don’t take time to do this but do not shop at the Palms. They waited until I said that we were leaving to charge me twice on my credit card but only gave me one receipt. My husband happened to see it and we went back for a refund.
I also told the owner that the clothes had holes and were dirty and she said “that’s why they’re on sale.”
Talk about taking advantage of vacationers! I will not go back there.

Beautiful beach with an awesome Boardwalk. Many great restaurants. I recommend mangos they had a great location and great food.

If you like a nice beach in a small beach town, I suggested Bethany Beach. The boardwalk is rather small compare to some other near by beach towns (Ocean City and Rehoboth). A two blocks commercial street between the beach and the main Rt. 1 provide a nice walking area for visitors away from the beach but close enough to go back and forth. The boardwalk extends noth and south to areas beyond stores but not too far and public bathroom is right at the boardwalk. Like I said, if small comercial area with nice beach is your take, choose Bethany beach (though the sand here is with different type compare to cities in the North or State Parks.

Not the greatest weather, but lovely uncrowded beach. Easy to walk. Quiet. Plenty of stores and restaurants still open for business.

Less crowded than Rehoboth. Found great parking even on 4th of July. Nicely kept. Although, beach was VERY crowded on the 4th for the fireworks. Getting out of there was easy, bit very heavy traffic going north through Dewey. Ride home 45 minutes longer than needed.

This is the resort town to visit if you want time to chill, hang with family and friends, and enjoy the joys of the surf.

Accessible, broad, not too long. Good mix of old times beach shops and ice cream shops. Fine dining , too. Pleasent ...good access to the beach.

We stayed at the Addy Sea, so the beach was our back yard. Bethany Beach was a great alternative to OC. We had a great relaxing time and will return in the future.

Bethany Beach has been a vacation draw for visitors in the DC area for many years. It's quaint and on the beach in Delaware. The location is a reasonable drive from the D.C. Area but really only for a night or two at the most. We are accustomed to the wide, soft sand beaches in Florida with gentle surf, low crowds and warm water, in comparison to the overcrowded Bethany Beach with course sand and freezing, rough surf.

First, the town offers bathrooms at the end of Garfield Avenue on the boardwalk but no changing area or outside showers. In fact, a large sign hangs in the bathrooms stating that anyone caught changing will be subject to a $100 fine!!!!! Not very accommodating to day visitors. But perhaps that's the point...the Town doesn't want them.

The unfair aggressive parking practices clearly aim to fill the Town's coffers at the expense of visitors. I parked on a street that lured me to a spot by a sign indicating I was in compliance with parking rules. The picture is attached and states that it was legal to park with payment of a fee at a pay station and placement of the ticket on the car dashboard. Where I parked was flooded with water so I parked as close to the curb as was possible to allow my kids to exit without stepping in the area of water under my car. I returned to my car before the expiration of my paid time to find a ticket from the parking authority on my car windshield. The ticket said that I parked in the bike path yet no bike path was visible near or under my parked car or the cars in front and behind me. Nor was there a sign giving notice how to avoid a bike path. I spoke to a meter police woman and she told me to go speak to City Hall since they would have pictures of the violation. I drove to City Hall immediately and explained my circumstances. The police woman behind the enclosed glass said that the pictures showed me clearly in the bike path. I asked to see the pictures and she refused to show me them! How's that fir due process? She told me that I would need to bring the issue up in court in two days! I expressed my dissatisfaction with the unfairness of the situation. I walked out and watched as the two police women behind the window laughed hysterically at the fact that they stuck it to me, another tourist.

I returned the next day to the location where I received the ticket and took a photo of where I parked. Seeing the location without any parked cars, I learned that the supposed "legal" parking strip is about 4 feet wide, not permitting any car, other than a golf cart or a Smart Car, to avoid handing over into a supposed bike path with lines completely not visible due to flooding. (The total width of the parking strip can be seen in the photo where the strip is free of standing water.). So the Town has a nice money making trap set up. The Pay and Park sign lures you to the space, there is no notice about a potential bike path or bike path violation, and you pay your parking fee like a dutiful citizen and boom the City pulls out some parking violation for bike path blockage. Bethany Beach you may like to thwart visitors and cash their unjustified $30 bike path parking fees, but you are only hurting your local businesses who primarily depend on tourism. The only reason I am rating this Town a two is because my heart goes out to it's cute business.

Beautiful beach, waves can get rough at times so if you have little ones just be ready. Very busy and very crowded, especially at high tide when the actual beach shrinks in half. I think we will go back in the off season so we can enjoy it a little more.

No beach badge required! Unlike much of the Jersey shore, Bethany Beach doesn't require any badges. Nothing to purchase, nothing to ruin your bathing suit! How civilized and wonderful.

The beaches were clean, great assortment of people and the sand was clean. It's easy to walk to the middle of town or even head towards Ocean City, MD.

There were couples on the beach, singles, families - in other words, there's space for everyone.

You must pay for parking but that may not matter depending on where you're staying. Nothing in Bethany Beach is very far from the beach.

Great family friendly beach. Even though it is under renovation. Fairly quiet compared to the surrounding beaches. Offers all amenities without the crowds.

The town itself is lovely at first glance. But you immediately notice the people walking around in bright yellow shirts handing tickets out. You can try your best to pay the parking fees and avoid getting ticketed, but posted signs are very vague and meant to confuse patrons. The entire town is set up just to ticket you for parking in it. To make things worse, you can't contest it if you're in the right because the catch is you have to contest it in person, which is impossible because everyone ticketed is a vacationer who goes home before the summons date. Where does all this money go? Has to be lining the mayors pockets!! Go to Rehobeth, Fenwick Is., or Ocean City. Avoid Bethany at all cost. It's like Amityville. Seems nice until you get eaten by a shark.

Was much more quieter than the board walk area. Beach was clean and not too busy. Nice beach for your family.

Bethany Beach, DE aggressive parking policies and enforement but a damper on our otherwise great vacation. We will return to OC MD with free parking and wider beaches next year.

Terrible. We spent over an hour searching for parking. Don't come here for a day trip. I would not recommend this place unless you are staying for the weekend. I WASTED MY FRIDAY ON THIS BS.

I live near Bethany Beach and have friends come an stay with us for weekends and they love the beach. It is more older folks type board walk and beach. Families too. I love living here. Great restaurant too.

Bethany is a resort that is quiet off season with the beach not losing any of it's grandeur or beauty. Many local shops and restaurants open - simply relaxing.

A must see! This is my annual vacation beach getaway. The beach is fun and has many lifeguards which is great if you have kids. They have umbrellas and small gazebos for rental..

We went to Bethany Beach on memorial day weekend. However, Sunday (the first day at the beach) it was crowded and very loud. We like to go and sit in the sun to read our books and just relax. The water (waves) kept getting closer and we had to move 3 times to stay out of the water. The last time we moved someone with a radio sat next to us and had the music too loud. Even though I liked the music she was playing (country) it was very distracting while trying to read. Then some guy came up to them (didn't know them) and talked very loud. There was no way of NOT overhearing their conversations. Ugh, we only stayed about 45 minutes or so and had to leave because kids were running in the water and getting us wet.
We did go back early Monday morning and the beach was less crowded and more enjoyable. The only thing I didn't like was they have no bathroom facilities. We would have had to walk back to the hotel to go to the restroom if needed.

This year the town of Bethany Beach instituted rules that prohibit many types of shade structures. There may be an argument for banning fully enclosed structures because they obstruct the view of the ocean and, according to town officials I spoke with, some people engaged in less than admirable activities inside those tents. However, the rationale for banning canopies escapes me. They sit higher than umbrellas and, as such, absolutely do not obstruct any views. When properly set they are more stable than umbrellas and less likely to become uprooted. However, should they become uprooted they are much less dangerous than a wayward umbrella, which becomes a potentially deadly pointed weapon when careening down the beach. A member of the beach patrol, a cadre of older people specifically hired to enforce the new rules, said that part of the reason canopies were banned was that people using canopies often set them up early in the day and left while taking up prime space. Well, I have observed many an umbrella, or cluster of umbrellas, left unattended for hours and hours on end. One newspaper article published on the subject quoted a Bethany Beach official as saying that it was day-trippers who brought canopies and they did not spend money in the town. Well, we have gone for years (with our canopy) and always stayed week – spending quite a lot in the process. The bottom line is that the citizens of Bethany Beach voted and canopies are out, but one is left to wonder why. Perhaps it is because the company that rents umbrellas on the beach influenced the voters in some way, or perhaps it is because many of the (voting) retired citizens of that small town who had not snagged a position as one of their infamous parking enforcers were enticed by the possibility of getting a summer job as a beach enforcer. Maybe neither of these explanations apply, but then WHY?? We tried it with umbrellas this year and it was just not possible to get a large enough patch of shade for our group. The kids got much too much sun and the adults who prefer to lie down in the shade (versus sitting in a chair) were not comfortable. As I said, of course the citizens of Bethany Beach can vote in any regulations they want – it is their town, but we can "vote" by not returning. The good citizens of Bethany Beach should also consider that while their town has been known as “The Quiet Resort”, "The Melanoma/Skin Cancer Resort” may now be a more appropriate appellation.

I drove 3.5 hours to Bethany Beach with a dozen or so of my college students just for a Saturday away from campus in September. Parking was free as it was more than 2 weeks after Labor Day. Maybe it's fine for a week vacation, but a day trip is near impossible, as there's no place to change. They have a bath house with big signs that read "$100 fine for changing." We changed anyway having no where else to go, and a woman walks in with her "Bethany Beach" polo knocking on bathroom stall doors threatening my students with $100 fines if they keep changing. I struggle to understand how this is even legal. But it's clear they don't want daily tourists at their beach.

I love Bethany Beach. It is busy but the people are so nice and personable. My favorite Delaware beach.

Lovely low key beach, lots less traffic then the usual beaches, love the trolley and the people here are very pleasant and knowledgeable about the area.

Beach is very clean and you can walk for miles and miles! Quiet with a lot of families. Great beach for kids.

The beach was wide and not too crowded. We saw many families and couples. The area is less commercial than Ocean City, which we enjoyed. Some areas of the beach had a significant drop off from the strand to the water line. We found a few shells and sea glass in the sand. The beach has lifeguards too. Although it's not our favorite beach, it's definitely nice and a short drive from several major cities.

My husband and I purchased a home one mile from the beach. We do not live in Bethany Beach proper, so as of now, we and hundreds of others are not allowed to park near the beach. We decided to drive 5 miles to enjoy Maryland's beach. There is plenty of free parking, a clean beach, and restaurants that you can walk to very easily. I am disappointed that the mayor and those in charge don't really care about anyone other than the people that live in Bethany Beach proper.

We went to visit my wife's brother and hos wife who has a house there. I was on the beach all three days. It was very hot two of the days, but the ocean breeze was cooling. Beach is large and kept extremely clean. Perfect vacation.

Cleaner, quieter, and smaller than Rehoboth Beach, but parking is horrible on good beach days if arriving late in the morning. The beach area is wide open most days compared to Rehoboth and I also find it more relaxing, even when it does get crowded. There's a nice collection of shops and places to eat on the main stretch close to the beach, and there are a few other places further up Garfield Parkway and down Route 1. And for service men and women, you can park at the Delaware National Guard site for free. Just show your military ID and you're good to go. It's just a few blocks from the beach on the north side of town.

This was our 1st time staying in Bethany and we were about 1 mile south of the Indian River Bridge and thought the beach was not as nice as the beach we saw in town along the boardwalk area of Bethany. We were given a free 5 night stay in this area and now know the beaches are left in their natural state in this location and we just prefer a more groomed beach with some harder packed sand areas. We were surprised at how many cars and trucks were driving on the beach.

With tons of local Beach access points & free parking on the roads off season this was a great place to stop! Soft sand, clean beaches, and very near the boardwalk with a lot of shops and restaurants. Definitely would consider coming back and renting a house in this area:)

Lovely family oriented beach. Parking is
Hard during busy season but possible. Safe and quiet. Small boardwalk area with live entertainment during the summer.

We realize that it may have interrupted some vacations, but the project to enhance the beach in Bethany looks like it is a success. The beach was grand, and, as always, there are the nicest folks at the Bethany Beaches

This was my first time visiting this beach. It was perfect! Not very crowded. Nice old world charm. Relatively quiet. Seemed to be a nice place for a family. I absolutely loved it. My new favorite beach!

I came just to explore the boardwalk shopping but the beach looked very inviting. Parking is pre paid with a credit card machine which was super convenient to use.

I love this beach it is busy in the summer and in a really cute and walkable town. Once I went in early October while the water was still warm and had yards of beach space for my very large family and dog

We have come to Bethany Beach every year for the past five years and fell in love with the area. We were pleasantly surprised when we first went to the beach and saw how nice it was. The only negative we have is that there is little parking and when you do find a spot you have to get a voucher and display on your dashboard. The maximum time is 2 hours so if you like to stay on the beach for a good amount of time, like we do, you have to keep returning to your vehicle and pay for another 2 hours. If you do not they will tow you.

Great time at the beach here with the family. We were in Bethany for the week and came towards the late afternoon and the beach was never overcrowded, parking was easy and the weather was great. This will be our spot every summer vacation

Love Bethany Beach, DE, great location, smaller than Ocean City, MD but has great shops, eateries, boardwalk and beach. More laid back than Ocean City, MD but beautiful. Quieter but still plenty to do and see.

Bethany Beach is all hype and no fun. If you like fighting huge crowds, navigating horrible parking, and adhering to ridiculous, nonsensical rules, then this is for you. Watch out for the green shirt men with their ticket writing notepads. Your umbrella will get a ticket if it is not round in shape. Don't let your kid build a sandcastle, they will kick it down. Safety first...or utter stupidity. If you want to have fun and relax at the beach, go to Ocean City MD.

This is our 8th year coming to Bethany beach and my husband and I love it here. No excess parting like you have in Ocean City. Less crime and much more quiet

Beautiful beach resort. Excellent option if you want a break from the crowds and commercial spread of some other Atlantic Ocean resorts.

Love the low key/ family vibe of this beach. The whole Bethany beach town has a mandatory mask requirement even walking outdoor in the side walks. Which we really appreciate and felt safe. We were quite disappointed when we were asked to take down our beach tent “Neso”. We understand that “No Canopy & tent” allowed on the beach. I researched that those are the ones like camping tent or enclosed pop up tent & Canopies on sport events” are the kinds that prohibited. Our Neso tent is really made for the beach. Open on all side and light weight. The enforcer guy (on the older side) seemed an unaware of new products just wanted to generalize everything and wanted us to spend more money in renting their own or moved to public beach. The life guard and the guy manning the umbrella rentals agrees with us that ours doesn’t pose harm to other beach goers.

Bethany beach has just been refurbished. It’s broad and clean, with lifeguards, beach chair and umbrella rentals, and a boardwalk. We came for the 4th of July week and people were not right on top of each other like other beaches (e.g., Rehoboth). The pic attached is of the Fourth of July 2018.

We have been going to Bethany Beach since our kids were very young. We all enjoy it and there is plenty to do with all ages. The beach itself is very well kept up, bikes, cars, and walking are easy modes of transport. Lots of shops of all types, miniature golfing, outlets, kayaking, and all different types and price ranges of restaurants.

The idea of having a beach filled with stores, publicity and no palmtrees or trees at all is not our favorite. That's why we find Bethany to be a very nice one. It's a cozy place and we park a little further away from the boardwalk, in 3rd Street parking lot.
The beach is very clean and the water looks clean. Also very safe.

Plenty of space on the beach and in the water; soft, clean sand; and a lovely low-key atmosphere make this an ideal place to truly relax.

We usually go to stone harbor but we’re tired of paying for beach access so decided to try Bethany beach for our day trip. There is no cost for the beach but parking costs. It’s 2 dollars an hour plus a .50 cent fee but it’s still cheaper than paying for beach passes. We liked the fact there was a place to wash off your feet after the beach though wish there were showers at every entrance too. There is a bathroom on the board walk further down. Overall we would go back.

Stop being ridiculously aggressive with parking fines. I was fined for parking (after I paid the parking fee) for having my tires on the bike lane line next to shoulder. If you want to offer this kind of parking you should expect this kind of thing. Sounds like Bethany Beach is hungry to punish visitors. Parking sucks if you want to go to the beach. Thanks for ruining the day.

I applaud the city planners (or similar) who have done a wonderful job of keeping their beach both very clean and calm but also accessible to those staying in the area. If you're looking for gigantic hotels and far more restaurants to house/feed the masses, go to Ocean City. If you're looking (and willing to pay) for some relative solitude instead, stay here. Their boardwalk isn't nearly as big as some others, but you probably aren't looking for that anyway. Enjoy the (mostly) friendly locals and their restaurants after a nice day at the beach.