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The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s most expansive estuary, combining the Eastern Shores of both Maryland and Virginia and the entire state of Delaware. More than 150 major rivers and streams, including the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers, flow into the Chesapeake’s 64,000-square-mile drainage basin. This complex ecosystem includes New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Water is life in Virginia Beach. The city sits roughly 100 miles southeast of Richmond, Virginia, and is known for its beautiful ocean views.
From the Atlantic waves to the calm waters of the Chesapeake Bay beaches, it is easy to find open shorelines in this Central East Coast town.
When talking about Virginia Beach, it can get a bit confusing. The city is Virginia Beach, but there is also the main beach that many refer to as Virginia Beach. This sandy stretch sits directly across from downtown. This area is also called Chesapeake Beach.
Locals often shortened the beach names when referring to the dozens of locations up and down the eastern shore to make things easier.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is both the city and its central Beach. Located around 30th Street, Virginia Beach expands both north and south.
In addition to the Boardwalk, there are numerous attractions along this sandy beach, including the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier and Virginia Beach Horseback. Visitors are drawn to the ultimate horseback riding experience along the pristine sands with the Atlantic waters sweeping the beach.
Virginia Beach has a long and storied past. And local folklore has fueled the paranormal-curious, supporting ghost tours as a growing Virginia Beach attraction. Observers report seeing ghosts and experiencing strange phenomena along the BoardwalkBoardwalk and at the Virginia Beach Surf and Rescue Museum.
Neptune Beach
Centrally located at 31st and Atlantic Avenue, Neptune’s Park is the third leg of the resort strip. The small sandy space is dominated by a 26-foot tall bronze statue of King Neptune — son of Saturn and Lord of the Sea.
Like its sister parks at 17th and 24th Streets, which are also part of the Virginia Beach promenade, Neptune Beach and Park is a place for fun in the sun.
This grassy beachfront park is at the center of 40 year-round events in honor of the sea god. The Virginia Beach Neptune Festival includes the FAll’s annual Boardwalk Weekend with daily concerts, artisan booths, and an international sand sculpting competition. While in May, the annual Spring Wine and Food Festival offers tastings from around the world.
Easily accessible just off of 31st Street with plenty of free and paid parking, Neptune Beach is the best of Virginia Beach beaches.
Oceanfront Beach
1700 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451, (757) 385-4700.
Oceanfront Beach is one of the area’s essential beaches revered by tourists and locals alike. It is a lively stretch of the coast with a wide beach and blue water views.
This area is home to most of the entertainment and resort hotels in the city and is perfect for a trendy beach vacation.
Oceanfront is home to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, also referred to as the Virginia Beach Strip. The Boardwalk is a 30-foot wide, three-mile-long promenade lined with bars, boutiques, outdoor cafes, and rental stops.
The wooden strip is the perfect place to walk, jog, or even rollerblade. And it is common to find street performers showing their talents.
Oceanfront Beach is the perfect spot if you want to be near everything. Located off Atlantic Avenue, Oceanfront sits just north of Virginia Beach Fishing Pier. It is accessible via 21st Street. Area parking is free but limited along the corridor as the beach fills.
Sandbridge Beach
3128 Sandfiddler Rd, VB, VA 23456, (757) 385-4700.
Sandbridge Beach is located immediately south of Oceanfront Beach on the Currituck Banks Peninsula. Sandbridge marks the northern end of the Outer Banks.
Nearby, the shallow waters of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge are perfect for kayaking and fishing.
Sandbridge Beach is secluded with beautiful dunes, seagrass, and impressive Atlantic ocean views. And most locals agree that it is one of the best beaches in the area.
Sandbridge Beach is open 24 hours a day, but restrictions on surfing are enforced. And animals are not permitted. A paid parking lot with in and out access serves Little Island and Sandbridge.
Little Island Park
3820 S Sandpiper Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, (757) 385-7324
Little Island Park is also located in the Sandbridge community near Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, just off South Sandpiper Road. The park covers over 122 acres with over 2,000-feet of shoreline. And there is a paid parking lot nearby.
Primarily a swimming and fishing park, lifeguards are on duty from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Little Island Park’s 400-foot fishing pier is famous. Visitors bring their gear and cast for a nominal fee between sunrise and sunset daily. City licenses are not required when fishing from the pier, but a saltwater license is needed from shore.
In addition to sunbathing, beachgoers can play volleyball and pickleball.
The park also has picnic shelters with grills and restrooms. Canoeing and kayaking are allowed, and rental shops line this section of the Boardwalk.
False Cape State Park
4001 Sandpiper Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, (757) 426-7128.
False Cape State Park is an exquisite mile-wide sand barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and Virginia Beach’s Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The 4,321-acre park stretches unencumbered down to the North Carolina border.
False Cape State Park is breathtaking. It features over six miles of unspoiled primitive beaches and 15 miles of ocean-to-freshwater bay habitat trails. A hike to various campsites can extend up to nine miles. Unfortunately, with no public vehicle access, False Cape can only be reached by hiking, biking, small boats, or the park’s beach tram services.
This remote park is also home to over 300 species of nesting and migratory songbirds, including a growing snow geese population. Other animals include otters, red fox, loggerhead turtles, American bald eagles, feral pigs, wild horses, and reptiles.
Whether for a day or a weekend, False Cape State Park is a good option for a quiet beach getaway.
First Landing State Park & Beach
2500 Shore Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23451, (757) 412-2300.
First Landing State Park is listed as a Seashore State Park Historic District as Virginia’s first planned state park. Its name refers to the historic landing of the Discovery, the Susan Constant, and Godspeed. These three small ships brought the first English settlers to America in 1607.
The park combines First Landing Beach, 1.5 miles of Chesapeake Bay shoreline, with roughly 20 miles of hiking trails. Unique to First Landing State Park are in-land lagoons and cypress groves.
The area is also well-known for its bottlenose dolphin population. And these friendly marine mammals are known to frequent the Chesapeake beach, allowing kayakers alongside. Numerous kayak rental companies provide guided tours launching from the park.
The Cape Henry Lighthouses are also on these tours, a pair of historic signal lights that guide vessels into the Chesapeake Bay.
The area is perfect for a quick beach fix or a quiet lunch. Dogs are welcome, and the park has regular rangers for safety.
Although paid parking is limited, the Beach and park are both easily accessible off of U.S. Highway 60, Shore Dr, which encircles the area.
Chic’s Beach
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Chic’s Beach sits on the Chesapeake Bay, about 17 minutes away from the centermost Chesapeake Beach. Considered a neighborhood beach, it is two miles of pet-friendly shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay.
Chic’s Beach is covered in windswept dunes and marsh grass.
A laid-back, friendly beach, swimming, paddle boarding, and kiteboarding are allowed during the season.
The sandy stretch of land is a perfect place to take in the sunset or a quiet walk during the off-season.
Getting to this small beach is easy. Several access roads up and down Lookout Road connect to the shore. And Lucius J Kelium, Jr Bridge-Tunnel can be seen from the sands.
Street parking around Chic’s Beach is reserved for residents, but the Lesner Street Bridge marks a free public beach parking lot.
While it’s true that a few of these beaches are quiet and even secluded, the city works to keep everyone safe. Whatever beach you are planning to visit, remember that those open containers of alcohol are not allowed in public places.
Also, the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service operates 50 stations between 1st Street & 89th Street and Croatan Beach in case of an emergency.
Fort Story Jetty
Fort Story Jetty is located 14 minutes north of Oceanfront at Atlantic Avenue & Cape Henry Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
This historic outcropping houses the first lighthouse built in America. Like much of the Chesapeake Bay, Fort Story Jetty is a well-known spot for dolphin watching.
Fort Story is a military base and requires proper identification. In addition to military ID, the guard may ask for a driver’s license and proof of insurance to access the complex.
Croatan Beach
920 Vanderbilt Ave, Virginia Beach, Virginia, (757) 437-1157.
Croatan Beach is a hidden gem. The ocean view beach stretches roughly one mile from Rudee Inlet to Camp Pendleton. And is a few miles from the Virginia Aquarium.
Croatan has minimal amenities at the park entrance, including a parking attendant, restrooms, and showers.
Considered the Bay’s surfing mecca, Croatan has two designated surfing areas, north and south of the beach, and lifeguards on duty. The unique coastline and various piers provide surfers with hazards and challenges like tight barrels and tide prediction. The daily waves at the Croatan beach range from .3 feet to over 4 feet swells.
If you are a surfing beginner, lessons and surfboard rentals are available on the strip. For seasoned surfers, your longboard is welcomed, even if you ride goofy foot.
While it is easy to get to Croatan Beach, parking is limited and expensive. Since the area is primarily residential, on-street parking is enforced during the summer months, 24/7.
The average rate is $1.50 per hour for 3 hours. Locals who surf regularly opt for a monthly pass at $75 per month.
Buckroe Beach
Buckroe Beach and Park border Chesapeake Bay in Hampton, VA. Lifeguards protect this family-friendly mile-long beach throughout the summer months.
Each Saturday from April to October, the Buckroe Beach Farmers Market is held at the beach. The park boasts a private observation pier and a stage pavilion. And the city of Hampton rents jet skis and paddle boards, while food vendors sell hot dogs and drinks.
North End Beach
8800 Oceanfront Ave., VB, VA 23451
North End Beach is located on the peninsula’s northern tip — from 68th to 88th Street. This area is known as North Virginia Beach, a secluded residential area beyond the noise and fray of hotels and beach bars.
While Oceanfront Beach is awash with energy and activity, North End Beach is calm, and its sands are pet friendly.
Inland from North Beach sits the town of Lynnhaven, one of the seven original Virginia Beach boroughs. Named because it sat at the mouth of the Lynnhaven Bay inlet, the city now marks the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway interchange where U.S Highways 13 and 60 meet.
There is also a South Beach at the southernmost tip of the peninsula. It is a growing entertainment and shopping area near the North Carolina border.
Grommet Island Park
The intersection of Boardwalk & 100 2nd Street, VB, VA 23451, (757) 385-1100.
Grommet Island Park is on the Boardwalk’s southern end. The 15,000-foot playground and public beach include wheelchair-accessible entrances, beach wheelchairs, and a public assistant.
The playground boasts kid-friendly sculptures, including a dolphin and a surfboard. Unique tables designed to facilitate building sand castles are also available.
As with all Virginia Beach beaches, balloons and water balloons, and confetti are prohibited in the parks. Pets are welcome at Grommet Island Park if controlled and leashed.
Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island is a protected national park on a barrier reef island that runs from Maryland to Virginia. Assateague shares the island with the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to the south near Assateague Beach.
There are numerous outdoor activities on the National Seashore, including crabbing, kayaking, shell hunting, and swimming. Visitors can also travel to the inner shoreline to visit the Assateague Lighthouse, a historic 142-foot tall red-&-white lighthouse that once helped sailors navigate the channel.
And further south, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other, Cape Charles Beach lies at the southern peninsular tip of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Cape Charles is connected to Virginia Beach by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
Colonial Beach
315 Douglas Ave, CB, VA 22443, (804) 224-7181.
Colonial Beach is Virginia’s second-largest Beach, Bounded by the historic Potomac River, Monroe Bay, and Monroe Creek.
This beach destination has five beautiful beaches, a Boardwalk, shopping, museums, and a town pier. It is located 65 miles from Washington, D.C., and 70 miles from the state capital of Richmond.
Colonial Beach is also just 15 minutes (10 miles) from the birthplace of General George Washington, the United States of America’s first elected President after the end of the Revolutionary War.
There you have it, the best 15 Virginia Beach beaches. With so many to choose from, you may want to extend your trip and stay while!
