Are you still planning a summer getaway? Take time to add one (or all) of these 5 beaches in Virginia to your road trip itinerary. Born and raised in Virginia, I’ve had the opportunity, over the years, to visit many of the state’s beautiful ocean and bayside stretches of sand. Since there are so many great beaches along it’s shoreline, I focused on beaches that could easily be added to an existing Virginia road trip itinerary. No matter where you’re headed, you’ll find the perfect beach in Virginia to relax, to enjoy the sun, surf and sand.
Road Trip Planning – Best Beaches in Virginia
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Our first choice for one of the best beaches in Virginia is the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The beach is well maintained with lifeguards on duty during the high season. Other than the sandy beach, one of the biggest draws of the area is the 3-mile long oceanfront boardwalk. Lined with hotels and restaurants, you’ll always find families walking, biking and admiring the Atlantic Ocean. The area also hosts many family friendly events throughout the summer, such as the free concerts, art and car shows and even a sandcastle competition!
Sandbridge
Also in the city of Virginia Beach, but away from the busy business focused boardwalk, is Sandbridge. Here, visitors can enjoy wide, sandy beaches while taking advantage of the quiet backdrop of family homes and vacation rentals. If you’re looking for nice beaches, but want to get away from the resort area, Sandbridge should be on your list of beaches to visit.
Chick’s Beach
Get away from the crowds and hang with the locals at Chick’s Beach. Find street parking and enjoy lovely views of the expansive Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The Bay, with it’s placid reputation, is perfect for young kids to swim and a great spot for a stroll after enjoying one of the many restaurants along Shore Drive and the surrounding area.
Chincoteague Island, Assateague Beach
Head across the 17.6 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to the Eastern Shore. While there are many other beautiful beaches along the bay, we suggest heading to Chincoteague and from there to Assateague Island. Here visitors can enjoy the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge with its extensive public beach or bird watch along the marshland. If you can plan your trip in July, the annual Chincoteague PonySwim and Auction is a must. Wild ponies are rounded up, then swim across a channel from Assateague to Chincoteague. The best place to see the Ponyswim is from the water, if you enjoy boating.
Photo Credit – Hampton.org
Buckroe Beach
Located in the city of Hampton, Buckroe Beach is one of the oldest recreational areas in the state of Virginia. In addition to beautiful beaches, children will enjoy spending time on the playground and families can watch performances at the pavilion near the waterfront. This beach is a great choice if you’re planning to spend some time exploring Colonial Williamsburg or other historical sites in Virginia.
While it was difficult to just pick 5 beaches in Virginia, the coastal state has countless beaches just waiting to be explored. When mapping out your road trip, you can’t go wrong adding a visit to any of the beaches along Virginia’s waterfront. The state has so many bays, inlets and islands, that you are sure to find a new favorite each time you visit.
Have you taken a road trip through Virginia? Did you stop to visit any of our beaches?
I used to live in NC, and I’m well aware of the beauty of the Virginia coastline. I’ve never traveled in that area myself, but I would love to plan a roadtrip down there. Thanks for sharing these spots, and thanks for the heads up on the Pennzoil rollback, too! #client
NC has great beaches. An even better road trip idea would be to visit some of the beaches in NC as well as my suggestions for VA.