City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Located along Virginia's Eastern Shore, between Newport News and Corolla, North Carolina, Virginia Beach features a sandy shoreline filled with all sorts of water and land-based activities. From watersports, dolphin and whale-watching tours and charter fishing trips to museums, aquariums and local attractions, there’s a little bit of something for everyone.
Photo: Neptune statue (Sandy Allen)
Walk, run or bicycle (or just sit and relax) along the three-mile-long boardwalk and its string of beachfront restaurants, hotels, parks and playgrounds. Check out the fishing pier and the famous Neptune statue or enjoy a horseback riding session (available seasonally). About a block off the beach, you’ll find all the t-shirt shops, souvenir stands, mini golf and ice cream shops you can handle.
Whether you’re boating in the Chesapeake Bay, surfing in the Atlantic or fishing in Little Neck Creek and Linkhorn Bay, you’re sure to find some activity to enjoy from a boat slip for rent. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a 17.6-mile-long bridge/tunnel that runs to the Eastern Shore, makes an impressive backdrop for anything you choose to do or see. Let’s take a look.
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Sciences Center
One of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Sciences Center offers a look at sea turtles, tropical fish, eagle rays, harbor seals, green turtles, sharks, Komodo dragons, owls, otters and many other Virginia and other marine creatures. Check out educational programs, boat tours and nature and sightseeing excursions. Another fun experience at the aquarium is the Adventure Park, which features climbing and ziplining along 17 treetop trails.
First Landing State Park
First Landing State Park is the site of the 1607 arrival of Jamestown colonists from England. These days, visitors arrive by car and go fishing, bicycling and picnicking in the 2,888-acre park. Swim and sunbathe along a Chesapeake Bay beach or hike through 19 miles of trails that include habitats such as cypress swamps, wetlands, dunes and salt marshes. There are camping and cabin rentals as well as a boat launch for those trailering a vessel from a private boat lift rental.
Ocean Breeze Waterpark
When the kids need to burn off some energy, a day at Ocean Breeze Waterpark will do the trick. Spend the day swooping down thrilling slides, jumping swells in the wave pool or drifting along the lazy river at this ocean-themed water park. There are cabanas if the parents prefer to rest while the kids go wild.
Virginia Beach Farmers’ Market
The Virginia Beach Farmers’ Market offers a wide array of local produce from area farms. Open year-round, you can find fruits and vegetables, fresh caught seafood, Virginia peanuts, jams, jellies and plants as well as seasonal Christmas trees, wreaths, woodwork and other handmade arts and crafts. Other vendors include a butchery, gourmet ice cream, a florist and a bakery. We think it’s an excellent way to whip up some new recipes in your boat’s galley at a private boat slip rental.
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum
Located right on the boardwalk at 24th street, the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum honors, preserves and shares the history of Virginia’s coastal communities, maritime heritage, the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the Atlantic Coast’s U.S. Coast Guard. The museum has a gift shop and several exhibits, including an 18th-century swivel gun from the HMS Liberty auxiliary British vessel. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and makes a cool spot to visit from a private boat dock for rent.
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is the place to visit for contemporary art in forms such as textiles, sculpture, photography, paintings and more. Special exhibits and events feature women in the arts and regional Virginia artists, as well as interactive artist talks and loaned exhibitions from the Chrysler Museum of Art.
Neptune Ghosts
Are you interested in the spooky side of history? Book a fun and engaging tour with Neptune Ghosts, part of the nationally known U.S. Ghost Adventures. Walking tours are led by knowledgeable local guides who dive into the city’s maritime tragedies, eerie legends and colonial-era mysteries through historical storytelling.
Listen to stories about shipwrecks, pirates (most notably, Blackbeard), the Witch of Pungo and other restless spirits that linger along the boardwalk. Highlights include the Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum, where visitors have reported sightings of apparitions and unexplained phenomena. Tours meet at the iconic King Neptune Statue on Atlantic Avenue.
We hope you’ve found a few new ideas - or remembered an old favorite - to visit the next time you’re boating in Virginia Beach. Let us know your favorites!
