The Jersey Shore is great, but you should really try Rehoboth this summer

Earlier versions of this story were published in 2023 and 2024.

It has a crowded boardwalk, plentiful Skeeball, wide beaches, big waves and flocks of summer tourists. But, this Jersey Shore-like ocean resort isn’t in the Garden State.

It’s in Delaware, where the city of Rehoboth Beach proclaims itself “the nation’s summer capital.”

Some New Jerseyans have known for years that Rehoboth Beach, on Delaware’s southeastern coast, is a worthy rival to our Shore, though getting there can mean a nearly two-hour drive from the Delaware Memorial Bridge or an 85-minute ferry ride across Delaware Bay to nearby Lewes.

The beach, unlike most on the Jersey Shore, is free. There are rides, arcades, popular restaurants and the city’s legacy as a travel destination friendly to LBGTQ+ beachgoers.

And there’s a Jersey-like vibe in Rehoboth.

Bon Jovi tribute band Shot Thru the Heart — named after a lyric in the New Jersey-based band’s 1986 hit “You Give Love a Bad Name” — is scheduled to perform Aug. 23, on the second-to-last weekend of the city’s summer concert series.

In Rehoboth Beach, the biggest celebrity sighting isn’t Bruce Springsteen — it’s former President Joe Biden, who has a vacation home in the area.

Biden’s presidency brought additional prominence to Rehoboth, not unlike what President George H. W. Bush’s summer home in Maine did for Kennebunkport. Biden’s summer house is in the North Shores area, just outside Rehoboth’s border and about a mile from the boardwalk.

Fodor’s Travel included Rehoboth Beach’s mile-long boardwalk among the 12 best boardwalks in the U.S. and Thrillist listed Rehoboth Beach among the 20 greatest beach towns.

More recently, USA Today listed Rehoboth Beach among the nation’s 10 best small town beer scenes.

One big change is happening: The city’s board of commissioners voted May 16 to approve a year-round, 11 p.m. curfew for those under 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Ann Osterdale and her husband, Mark, moved from Basking Ridge several years ago. She said they enjoy eating at the Shorebreak Lodge, located near the boardwalk, where the “Shorebreak burger” — topped with Vermont sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, garlic black pepper aioli on a brioche bun and served with fries — is priced at $22.

She recalled frequently vacationing in nearby Bethany Beach, Delaware, while she and Mark were working as attorneys in New York City.

“We just remembered how lovely we thought Rehoboth was. Just a family feel,” Osterdale, who is retired as an attorney but does public relations for classical musicians, told NJ Advance Media in 2023.

“The waves are a little bit bigger here. If you enjoy waves, it’s great,” she said.

MORE: 10 reasons why New Jersey is better than Delaware

Rehoboth Beach has a reputation for being more affordable for vacationers than the Jersey Shore. But, how much summer renters can save in Rehoboth compared to going to the Jersey Shore largely depends on location.

Rehoboth Beach is perhaps the best-known location in Delaware’s coastal region, which city spokesperson Lynne Coan said stretches from Lewes and Cape Henlopen State Park in the north to Fenwick Island on the state’s southern border.

The region includes Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany and Henlopen Acres. It is sometimes all lumped together, mistakenly, with Rehoboth Beach, though the city is only 1.2 square miles.

Kristina Lingo, a rental manager for Jack Lingo Realtor in Delaware, said in 2023 that summer rentals ranged from $700 to $800 per week, if staying outside Rehoboth Beach’s borders, and went up to $20,000 per week for a large oceanfront house with seven or eight bedrooms.

A “nice house” in Rehoboth Beach, within a block or two from the beach, could go for $10,000 per week, she said.

“There’s a very large range, but there’s inventory for everybody who comes down here,” Lingo said.

Rehoboth Beach has a 19th century origin story similar to Ocean Grove on the Jersey Shore. The Delaware beach resort was founded in 1873 as a Methodist community, then known as the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association.

The association lasted only a few years — in contrast to the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which continues to own land and lease properties to homeowners — and in 1893 it was established as the city of Rehoboth Beach.

Rehoboth Beach long has had a reputation for being LGBTQ+-friendly. Frommer’s, a well-known travel guide, compares Rehoboth Beach to Provincetown in Massachusetts in terms of popularity with LGBTQ tourists, and cites as examples several clubs, restaurants and locations along the beach.

A historic marker is being sought for Poodle Beach, located just south of the boardwalk, that for decades has served as a draw for the LGBTQ community. The state gave preliminary approval for the marker in 2020, though Coan, the city spokesperson, said earlier this month that it remains in the works and that no installation date has been set.

Rehoboth Beach’s gathering hub is the boardwalk. It is approximately one mile long and ranges in width from 12 feet to 43 feet, Coan said. That’s a decent distance, but less than some prominent boardwalks on the Jersey Shore. The iconic boardwalk in Atlantic City stretches for approximately 5 1/2 miles, according to a city spokesperson.

Rehoboth Beach replaces wood as needed and last redid the boardwalk around 2010, Coan said. It replaces about 500 boards per year, she said.

The city’s boardwalk has endured a 1992 storm that demolished or heavily damaged the northern one-third of the boardwalk, and a 1962 nor’easter that washed away large sections, she said.

Boardwalk games, a staple of the Jersey Shore, are also found here. Funland has 15 games, including Balloon Bust and Skeeball, 18 rides — including five from the early 1960s — and an arcade. Zelky’s operates three arcades on the boardwalk.

Restrictions on the boardwalk and beach intensify during peak visiting season, which stretches over five months.

From May 15 through Sept. 15, bicycles are allowed on the boardwalk only between daybreak and 10 a.m., and police officers were observed during a June 2023 visit by NJ Advance Media flagging down and warning violators. Rollerblades, skates and scooters are banned altogether during the same, four-month period.

There are no restrictions on running on the boardwalk, but it is better to run early in the morning before it gets crowded.

Smoking is prohibited, year-round, except in designated areas. Commissioners in Rehoboth Beach voted in 2023 to maintain the ban on marijuana sales and manufacturing in the city, a prohibition that Coan said remains in place.

Music is a big part of the summer scene in Rehoboth Beach. The city’s summer concert series has 8 p.m. performances on weekends, starting on Memorial Day weekend and continuing through Labor Day. Concerts are held at the bandshell across the street from the boardwalk.

The musical acts lean heavily on nostalgia and the 2025 lineup features plenty of tribute bands.

The Jersey Tenors, which brought a Jersey vibe during a performance last summer, are returning July 11. The band’s typical playlist highlights Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston.

Rehoboth Beach, like the Jersey Shore, markets itself as a year-round draw.

The Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Tuesdays, between May 6 and Oct. 28. The 36th Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival is Oct. 16-19. The Rehoboth Seashore Marathon is Dec. 6, with runners also getting the option of running a half-marathon.

This year’s 35th Sea Witch Festival is from Oct. 24-26. HGTV has profiled the festival as part of its “21 Great Fall Festivals” feature.

Stories by Rob Jennings

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.