Best Beaches in Virginia For Families
Planning a trip to Virginia? Have you planned what beaches you want to see? We’ve researched for you and have the perfect list of things to take you and your family.
The coastline of Virginia is 7,213 miles. Two bodies of water cover the coastline, the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay.
The research has been done for you. You can plan your trip from the list down below. Let’s get into it!
Virginia Beach
Virginia beach is 14 miles long with a 3-mile boardwalk. Along the boardwalk is lined with hotels and restaurants. Walking along the boardwalk you will see a few statues like the small fish statues that are scattered and the King Neptune statue, just to name a couple.
A few other, mostly free, things that you will find to do in Virginia Beach are:
- Playgrounds
- Farmers Market (May15-September 25)
- Museums and Historic Homes
- Virginia Legends walk
- Cape Henry Lighthouse and Memorial Park
If you have little ones, there are two great parks. One is the Grommet Island Park and the other is the Playground at 31st Street. Grommet Island Park is a handicapped-accessible park, their sign says “this beach park and playground is for everyBODY”.
The Farmers Market only runs from May 15th through September 25th. The Farmer’s Market has been going on for over 30 years. Providing locals and visitors with fresh produce. Entry is free and the product is responsibly priced.
Museums, Historic Homes, Virginia Legends Walk and Cape Henry Lighthouse and Memorial Park are all filled with history and admissions are $10 or lower for adults.
Some of the museums that you can check out are:
- Military Aviation Museum
- Old Coast Guard Station Museum
- The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art Museum
Virginia Legends Walk is a beautiful landscaped self-guiding walkway that honors many Virginians that made a huge impact in our country. Some of those people are Edgar Alan Poe, President Washington, Patsy Cline, and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s also within walking distance from the boardwalk.
The Cape Henry Lighthouse is the oldest government-built lighthouse, being built in 1791. You can climb up to the top and see the beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. Seeing the same view that lighthouse keepers saw over 200 years ago!
Virginia Beach has many great festivals throughout the spring and summer.
Cape Charles
Cape Charles is an area with a ton of history, being one of the earliest colonized areas in North America. In the 1880s Cape Charles consisted of wetlands and farmlands. Until the construction of the Bay Coast Railroad.
When Cape Charles became the focus for the economy of Northampton County. You can learn all about the history of Cape Charles at the Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center.
With the population of full-time residents being 1,239 (in 2019) this historic town is a quaint, quiet place to vacation. You can go from Cape Charles to Norfolk through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is about 17.6 miles of bridge and tunnel that goes through the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The tunnel goes about 95 feet below the water in some places and as shallow as 4 feet in others.
There are a few coastal parks in Virginia. One of them is in Cape Charles, which is called Kiptopeke State Park. For vacations, they have two and three-bedroom cabins for rent. You and your family can rent kayaks, and fish off the pier.
This small little town has a lot of history and is a quiet place to getaway.
Colonial Beach
Colonial Beach is nestled by the Potomac River. With a population of 3,619.
Colonial Beach Virginia is the birthplace of U.S. Presidents George Washington and James Monroe. You can visit their homes. George Washington’s house is set up as a working plantation now and is representative of how a wealthy planter would have lived back in the 1770s.
James Monroe’s home went under construction to build a replica in 2016. The community built a memorial walk through the property with placards highlighting Monroe’s career.
If you love boats the town of Colonial Beach is surrounded by water on three sides with a variety of marinas. Don’t have a boat? No problem you can take a charter fishing or a dinner cruise.
You and your family can also check out the races at the Colonial Beach Dragway. Then you can walk along the boardwalk and look through all the cute small shops or eat at one of the 25 restaurants.
Sandbridge
Sandbridge is a hideaway beach with beautiful dunes. Perfect for a quiet getaway to unplug and unwind.
If you are feeling adventurous you can go to The Adventure Park. The park has 17 treetop trails, 258 platforms, and 27 ziplines. For adventures over the water, you can try parasailing. Sandbridge offers two types of parasailing. You can bring a buddy or enjoy the view by yourself.
Norfolk
Norfolk has 7.3 miles of open public beaches. Allowing shoreline sunbathing and fishing options. There are 3 beaches along this coast.
- Community Beach
- Sarah Constant Beach
- Ocean View Beach
Ocean View Beach Park hosts concerts during the summertime. All three beaches offer kayaking, floating, and swimming. Another great option for the family.
Coastal Parks in Virginia
Along with all the great stretches of beaches in Virginia, there are also so many great coastal parks in Virginia.
Don’t know exactly what coastal parks are? They are conserved pieces of the beach. All of them offer
- Kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Picnic areas with grills and tables
- Entertainment throughout the summer
- Hiking trails
And much more. Great areas to unplug and unwind.
First Landing State Park
This park is the first established elective government in English America. The historic park has 2,888 acres that front the Chesapeake Bay. With 19 miles of hiking trails covered in protected marsh habitat, dunes, freshwater ponds, and a beach.
First Landing State Park is the most visited park in Virginia.
False Cape State Park
The park is nestled between Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. As a former home to Native Americans, this park is one of the last undeveloped parks along the Atlantic Coast. The trails and the Wash Woods honor the souls that survived on the sea.
False Cape State Park, like many of the other coastal parks in Virginia, offers trails for hiking and biking. The park also offers a tram ride through the wildlife refuge.
Buckroe Beach and Park
Buckroe Beach and Park is a Bayfront park. With a ¾ mile of beach, you can kayak and paddleboard. There are also playgrounds and picnic areas with tables and grills. This park is only open from May 15th through September 15th.
There is also a Farmers Market that goes on from May 1st through October 30th, on Saturdays. They have themed days throughout these months also on May 22nd for Fitness Day, September 25th for Pet Day, and October 23rd for Vintage Market.
On Sunday evenings during the summer the beach offers Groovin’ by the Bay. This is an event that you’ll enjoy with live music and dancing.
Virginia is for Lovers- How you can keep it clean
Beaches and coastal parks in Virginia are pristine and historical land. With many historical museums, homes, and walkways to see your family is sure to have a good time. With many fun events, places to eat, shopping there will never be a dull moment.
Keeping the oceans clean is how we will be able to visit them for generations to come. While walking along the beaches or in the parks pick up any trash you may see and become a Ocean Blue Sea Savior #Oceanblueseasavior Enter to win prizes from sponsors when you hashtag your photos to #OceanBlueProject
Want to give back to our local beaches by giving a helping hand? Become a beach cleanup crew leader with Ocean Blue Project and help remove 1 million pounds of plastic and trash with a Ocean Cleanup nonprofit.
Making sure that you throw away all of your trash and leave your area as clean as you found it.
Get to planning your next family trip and have fun in all the history.
Author Bio: Karah is a writer out of Las Vegas, Nevada. A single mother of 3, who loves to travel and create memories with her kids.
