Delaware beach season 2023: Your guide to updates, roundups and the latest trends & news

Grab your SPF and boogie board, folks. It's beach season!

Let us be your guide with an ocean's worth of beach-related content that we will continue to update all season, topped off by our weekly beach guides with fresh info on everything from weather to traffic to event alerts.

Look for a new guide ahead of every summer weekend from now til Labor Day.

Visiting the Delaware beaches the first weekend in June? Here's your guide

Believe it or not, it's June.

The dog days of summer are still ahead, but it's been just warm enough to stretch out on the sand on sunny days. Memorial Day weekend 2023 is already on the books.

Restaurants and shops at the beach had a busy weekend, a preview of the season that's coming. With summertime visible on the horizon now, it's full speed ahead at the Delaware beaches.

The News Journal/Delaware Online offers this guide each week, with up-to-date information about parking, events, sand replenishment and everything else visitors (and maybe a few locals) to the Delaware beaches need to know.

Early June beach visits: Visiting the Delaware beaches the first weekend in June? Here's your guide

Whether your idea of a perfect beach day is lounging beneath your umbrella, exploring the natural wonders of the Delaware coast or sleeping in and hitting the nightspots, we've got you.

Check back often for fresh reports from the sand, surf, boards and more.

Rehoboth, Dewey & beyond: Local's look at all you need to know about Delaware's beaches

With five coastal Delaware towns to choose from within 25 miles of each other, it can be tricky to figure out what's right for you and your fellow beach-goers.

To help, the Delaware Online/The News Journal newsroom brainstormed a local's guide to Delaware's beaches to help point the way.

Grab your flip flops: Rehoboth, Dewey & beyond: Local's look at all you need to know about Delaware's beaches

Ready to beach? Here are 5 new spots for nightlife & bites at Delaware beaches this summer

A lot happens in the restaurant and bar world at the beach in the eight months between Labor Day and Memorial Day.

Some close and vanish from the scene while others sprout in their place, looking to see if they will have better luck capitalizing on the busting Delaware beach towns (and the crowds they draw.)

Here are five new spots to grab a meal, sip a drink and catch a tune from Rehoboth Beach all the way down to Indian River Marina.

Party at the beaches: Here are 5 new spots for nightlife & bites at Delaware beaches this summer

Beach season is near. Here's your guide to parking at the Delaware beaches for 2023.

Imagine you've just parked in a Delaware beach town on a hot summer day.

There's sweat dripping down your back. The kids are complaining about how many blocks they have to walk to the beach. You're pulling a cooler with one arm and carrying a 40-pound bag of towels and toys in the other.

Just as you've prepared yourself to make that arduous trek to the beach, you realize you need to download a parking app. You have to put down your things, get out your credit card and input the numbers. God forbid you start walking and have to turn around to get your license plate number.

Actually, there's a worse scenario: Imagine realizing you've parked in a permit-only area. Get back in the car, kids!

Make sure these common yet rage-inducing situations never happen by using our guide to parking at the Delaware beaches.

Where to park at beaches: Beach season is near. Here's your guide to parking at the Delaware beaches for 2023.

Have you ever been on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry? Here's everything you need to know

Looking for a weekend daytrip but tired of your usual routine? The Cape May-Lewes Ferry could be just what you need.

Whether you plan to enjoy an entire weekend of offerings in Lewes and Cape May, New Jersey, or simply have a few hours to explore somewhere new, the ferry is a great option for anyone interested in dining, shopping and exploring their way through two beach towns.

Enjoy the ride: Have you ever been on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry? Here's everything you need to know

The best 'secret' beaches in Delaware: Broadkill, Pickering, Slaughter. Plan your visit.

Delaware has three of "America's Favorite 100 Secret Beaches," according to Family Destinations Guide.

The website dedicated to family-friendly hotels, resorts and destinations surveyed 3,000 U.S. families "to determine the hidden beaches they most want to visit in summer 2023." Hawaiian beaches took three of the top five spots.

Delaware beaches took spots 83, 97 and 100.

Secret beaches: The best 'secret' beaches in Delaware: Broadkill, Pickering, Slaughter. Plan your visit.

Which Delaware beach best suits your personality? Take our quiz

President Joe Biden was only half joking last year when he told reporters Florida Governor Ron DeSantis should come visit the Delaware beaches.

"We have a beautiful shoreline," he said.

The many miles of Delaware's beaches are some of the cleanest in the nation. You can watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean and watch it set over the Inland Bays. There are wonderfully nostalgic boardwalks, copious shopping opportunities and a renowned dining scene. You'll also find no shortage of nightlife and plenty of opportunities to commune with nature.

Beach quiz: Which Delaware beach best suits your personality? Take our quiz

Delaware Seashore State Park guide: 5 things to do, admission, eats and more

Taking a weekend trip to a nearby city can be fun, but a hidden gem right here in the First State might have you thinking twice about leaving the next time you’re searching for a good time.

Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehoboth Beach, known as Indian River State Park until 1967, is located within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean and features 6 miles of ocean and 20 miles of bay shoreline.

The Indian River Inlet connects the Indian River and Rehoboth Bay with the Atlantic Ocean and boasts sprawling beaches on either side.

More: Delaware Seashore State Park guide: 5 things to do, admission, eats and more

New visitor center at Delaware's Bombay Hook, one of the nation's best bird-watching spots

Delaware is home to one of the bird-watching capitals of the East Coast at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge east of Smyrna.

The saltwater marsh and tidal pools that make up the refuge stretch 8 miles along the Delaware Bay providing a popular stop for migratory birds and year-round habit for many other birds and animals.

A new $5.6 million center for visitors is nearing completion at Bombay Hook to house interactive exhibits and educate visitors on the rich habitat and abundant wildlife.

Bird-watching destination: New visitor center at Delaware's Bombay Hook, one of the nation's best bird-watching spots

6 Delaware campgrounds you can visit for a weekend trip, get a dose of the outdoors

Warm weather and friends is a great combination for loads of weekend fun now that spring is here, and instead of opting for your usual getaway routine, why not go camping?

Delaware is home to many campsites offering beach views and a morning sunrise over crashing waves, or a classic forest excursion complete with the scent of pine needles and bonfires in the air.

However you choose to camp, Delaware has plenty of options with all-inclusive offerings for trips with friends, family adventures and summer vacations.

Pitch a tent: 6 Delaware campgrounds you can visit for a weekend trip, get a dose of the outdoors

Just another Joe: Where you might spot the president and first lady in Rehoboth

Rehoboth Beach is known as the “Nation's Summer Capital” because it's frequently visited by beach-goers from the Washington, D.C., area.

One of the highest-profile visitors (and residents) is President Joe Biden. He and first lady Jill come to their North Shores vacation home, near Cape Henlopen State Park, every few weeks.

Here's where you night spot them.

Where to spot the Bidens: Where you might spot the president and first lady in Rehoboth

8 things to know about newly restored World War II tower in Delaware Seashore State Park

A second historic World War II era watch tower, one of several that dot Delaware's beaches, is now open to the public.

The newly rehabbed, 57-foot tall World War II fire control tower at Tower Beach in Delaware Seashore State Park, recently opened to allow visitors to climb to the viewing area.

“The vistas are incredible, and we don’t want to lose our history from World War II,” said Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation board member Ernie Felici. The foundation helped raise money to restore the tower.

“It’s important to never forget the people that defended our country and our coastline,” Felici said.

More: 8 things to know about newly restored World War II tower in Delaware Seashore State Park

5 must-try places in Rehoboth Beach for French food, fancy fritters and ice cream for Fido

If there's one Delaware beach town to visit, where you can park your car, walk around and have easy access to surf, sand, public restrooms, and plenty of places to eat and drink, then it's definitely Rehoboth Beach.

While Rehoboth's 1-mile-long boardwalk is stuffed with storefronts offering pizza, funnel cakes, French fries, fried chicken and ice cream, the town also has a diverse variety of casual and high-end restaurants.

There are a lot of options, of course, but here is a starter list of five places not to miss:

Where to eat: 5 must-try places in Rehoboth Beach for French food, fancy fritters and ice cream for Fido

Sleek new Rehoboth Beach seafood restaurant is in building dating back to 1890

The newly formed 2nd Block Hospitality Group made up of partners Tyler Townsend, Dave Gonce, Bob Suppies and former Blue Moon restaurant co-owner/chef Lion Gardner, acquired a Baltimore Avenue building and spent more than a year renovating the historic house for a seafood restaurant known as Drift Seafood and Raw Bar.

It opened last August and is just starting its first full summer season.

New dining option: Sleek new Rehoboth Beach seafood restaurant is in building dating back to 1890

Via Sophia by the Sea, upscale Italian restaurant, to open in Bethany Beach hotel

A sophisticated Italian restaurant that’s generated solid reviews in hip locales like Washington, D.C., and Kennebunkport, Maine, is opening a third location in Bethany Beach.

Via Sophia by the Sea is slated to open June 14 inside the newly renovated Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn by Marriott.

New in Bethany: Via Sophia by the Sea, upscale Italian restaurant, to open in Bethany Beach hotel

3 new Starboard and Bethany Blues restaurants opening in Dewey and Rehoboth beaches

Steve “Monty” Montgomery might be the busiest person at the Delaware beaches right now.

The owner of the legendary Dewey Beach bar The Starboard is opening no fewer than three new restaurants in the coming weeks, and he's addressing one aspect of the staffing shortage in a new way.

Starboard Sauced, a pizza and sub shop, will be located in the former Mama Celeste’s building on Coastal Highway in Dewey Beach. Starboard Claw, a seafood restaurant, will open across the street in the former Hammerheads location. Down the road in Rehoboth Beach, Montgomery will open Downtown Blues in the original Nicola Pizza building on First Street.

More dining news: 3 new Starboard and Bethany Blues restaurants opening in Dewey and Rehoboth beaches

Rehoboth Beach sand is ready for Memorial Day beachgoers. See the replenished beach

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed sand replenishment efforts in Rehoboth Beach.

Contractor Weeks Marine finished dredging sand from offshore and piping it onto Rehoboth shores Thursday. Work began in Dewey Beach that evening, according to Corps of Engineers spokesman Stephen Rochette.

Dewey is likely to be finished later this month or in early June, Rochette said, while work in Fenwick Island continues and is slated for completion in early to mid-June. Dredging in Bethany Beach and South Bethany is estimated to begin in early June and finish up by the end of the month.

Beach replenishment: Rehoboth Beach sand is ready for Memorial Day beachgoers. See the replenished beach

Later, Rehoboth Beach. Everything you need to know about Nicola Pizza's new Lewes location

The flagship Nicola restaurant, a block from the boardwalk, closed in June 2022. The Rehoboth Avenue site, operating since 2010, shut down after Labor Day.

This past October, Nicola Pizza, founded in 1971, moved into a newly constructed building at 17323 Ocean One Plaza off Route 1 in Lewes.

Here's what to expect.

More: Later, Rehoboth Beach. Everything you need to know about Nicola Pizza's new Lewes location

Ready to jump in the water this summer? Here's how to keep yourself and others safe

As the heat kicks up and pools open in a few weeks, getting a refresher on swimming safety is not a bad idea.

Whether you’re swimming a few laps at your local gym, floating through waves at the beach or having water fun in the sun right in your own backyard, drowning is a looming threat.

Here's how to stay and keep others safe.

Water safety tips: Ready to jump in the water this summer? Here's how to keep yourself and others safe

New boardwalk hotel projects designed to reflect Rehoboth Beach's past move forward

When the Belhaven Hotel was bought for $34,000 in 1938, its new owners likely didn't imagine the hotel's name would be at the center of a contentious debate in Rehoboth Beach almost a century later.

But there Nicholas Papajohn's son, John, stood behind a microphone at the Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission on April 14 less than two months from his 90th birthday.

For the last four years, John Papajohn and his family have brought plans before the city to build a luxury hotel at the south corner of the boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue, the site of the original Belhaven Hotel.

New on the boardwalk: New boardwalk hotel projects designed to reflect Rehoboth Beach's past move forward

Another goodbye to a longtime Rehoboth Beach business. Royal Treat will not reopen.

Royal Treat, the go-to ice cream sundae spot in Rehoboth Beach since 1980, will not reopen this year.

It's the latest loss of a longtime family business in a city where nostalgia is part of the draw.

"It’s kind of sad for all of us, but it’s been a family business and, to be honest, we just kinda aged out,” said Royal Treat owner Scott Fornwalt.

More: Another goodbye to a longtime Rehoboth Beach business. Royal Treat will not reopen.

Hammerheads Dockside closes after 10 years, Big Fish Restaurant Group to take over

Hammerheads Dockside has closed after the location was put up for grabs by the state of Delaware.

Hammerheads Dockside announced its “involuntary” closure in a Facebook post last week, stating that after a “record-breaking 2022 season,” the state of Delaware ultimately decided to award the site’s contract to Big Fish Restaurant Group after several months of negotiations “without any explanation.”

“We want to thank everyone who made Hammerheads Dockside the wild success it has been, especially throughout the pandemic,” the restaurant said in a statement. “We truly couldn’t have done it without all of you. Dockside was a magical place where we all have so many fun and special memories.”

More: Hammerheads Dockside closes after 10 years, Big Fish Restaurant Group to take over

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: What's new at Delaware beaches? A guide to all our coverage