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Virginia Beach & Chincoteague Island

Virginia Beach

Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is the perfect destination for a family beach holiday. Just a few hours’ drives from the Nation’s Capital, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay meet, Virginia Beach promises visitors a unique chance to “Live the Life.” Nature at its finest, just-caught and just-picked local food, and toes-in-the-sand relaxation combine for a soul-satisfying experience.

A world-renowned boardwalk, energetic downtown, abundant parks and waterways, and mild weather give rise to an active lifestyle and flourishing local culture. Shoreline may be the defining element of any beach destination, but it’s the uniquely varied coastal culture that truly sets Virginia Beach apart.

So whether you seek adventure or simply want to relax, Virginia Beach offers a multi-dimensional holiday experience with an abundance of things to do, places to explore and flavours to sample. Everything that gives locals such an intense love for the beach life is yours to experience – all you have to do is immerse yourself.

Virginia Beach Activities

An excellent starting place: the vibrant Resort Beach. Famous for its iconic three-mile boardwalk, this is where you’ll find restaurants, bustling nightlife, live entertainment, and year-round events. To the South, not far from the Resort Beach, Sandbridge Beach exudes island-like charm, nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The sand dunes house stunning beachfront rental homes, beach comb, paddleboard or feast on freshly caught blue crabs. Heading North to the bay, you’ll find a laid-back Chesapeake Bay Beach, known as waterman’s paradise with the off-the-radar, dockside restaurants and bars locals prefer. Watch the sunset over the water while savouring fresh seafood, embark on an Oyster Farm Boat Tour on the Lynnhaven River. Hike the winding trails of First Landing State Park or climb to the top of the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Chincoteague Island

Chincoteague Island, sitting at the northeastern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, is known worldwide for the wild ponies Marguerite Henry wrote about in the novel, “Misty of Chincoteague”. The famous Chincoteague ponies live in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, easily reached by bike or car from town.

The Chincoteague Refuge is Virginia’s entrance to an undeveloped 37-mile-long beach. Spring and fall bird migrations are popular events but the biggest event for the area is held each July when the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s Pony Swim and Auction brings scores of spectators to the island town. Saltwater cowboys have been rounding up ponies and swimming them across the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island for auction since 1926.

Visitors to Chincoteague love to dig clams, watch oystermen and compete in saltwater fishing tournaments. “Patriot Oysters,” so named when Abe Lincoln sent a Union ship to protect the island’s seafood trade, are a must when dining on the island. Water lovers enjoy kayaking, charter fishing and nature cruising. Next door on Wallops Island you can see rockets launched into space from the NASA Wallops Visitors Center.

Find LOVE, this time in the form of giant Adirondack chairs on Chincoteague Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Four chairs, each 10 feet tall and weighing more than 500 pounds, spell the word LOVE.

Chincoteague is about as family-friendly as it gets, there are activities like mini-golf, bike rentals and bowling to keep the kids active.

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