Eastern Shore

The Eastern Shore occupies more than half of the Delmarva Peninsula shared between Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, protecting the towns along Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Although linked to the mainland by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, life is much slower and sleepier on this side of the bay.

Miles of country lanes and Chesapeake waterways await, while old wooden farmhouses and wheat fields, waterfront towns and fishing craft, lonely wind-rusted marshes and the sound of birds give the peninsula its charming character.

On the Atlantic Coast, the summer-swollen resort of Ocean City with its lovely beaches, amusement arcades, and busy fast-food stands is the most visited spot on the East Shore. In contrast, the quaint old towns of Oxford, the colonial college town of Chestertown, and Saint Michaels are waterfront communities that sport old-fashioned family-owned stores and are the essence of life along Chesapeake Bay.

Crisfield and Smith Island are classic old-world villages in the south and home to huge numbers of soft-shelled blue crabs that are the delicious speciality of Maryland. Easton is the unofficial capital of the Eastern Shore and is the largest town with a picturesque downtown district of historical colonial buildings.

The farmlands invite exploration by bicycle along miles of quiet back roads. Visitors can also explore the inlets and rivers by boat, stopping along the way to sample the fish, oysters and crabs found here throughout the year.