Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond

Crisp white trim and dark wood furniture set the tone in rooms that look out over the Miles River. The property began as a farm after the War of 1812, and its nautical bent still shows: a fleet of five sailboats, a 55-foot Hinckley yacht, and the Stanley Norman, a 63-foot working skipjack once used for oyster dredging. Golf is here too, on the Pete Dye-designed course at Links at Perry Cabin. Gardens run thick with seasonal plantings, tended closely enough that a horticulturist leads guests through them on set mornings. A zero-edge pool sits above the water. Bicycles, kayaks and paddleboards are free to take out, and the town centre, with its shops and antique dealers, is a ten-minute walk. Sherwood's Landing serves three meals with river views; Purser's Pub does whiskey and small plates by the fire. Private dining houses on the waterfront, including a boathouse and a lighthouse, hold five-course dinners for smaller groups. The spa uses herbs grown on the grounds and keeps a steam room and a guest-only plunge pool. Baltimore-Washington International Airport is 90 minutes away by car; Easton's municipal airport is ten minutes from the door. Rooms carry Wi-Fi and cable television as standard. It is a working stretch of the Chesapeake Bay, not a recreation of one.