Virginia Beach Travel Tips: How To Explore Beyond The Sand
This post contains affiliate links to trusted partners. If you purchase through these links, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
By Michele Herrmann
Looking for Virginia Beach travel tips that take you beyond the sand? Get ready for an entire guide showcasing lesser-known experiences. Situated along the southern tip of Chesapeake Bay and meeting the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach makes for a nice sand and surf vacation. However, this coastal city is more than beaches. It has seven distinct districts, a growing arts scene and restaurants showcasing a farm-to-fork focus. Plus it’s gotten a big push through Something In The Water, a music festival created by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams that made its debut in April 2019. Ready to explore the best of Virginia Beach beyond the actual beach? Keep reading.PSST, DON’T FORGET TO PIN THIS POST FOR LATER!
Where To Stay In Virginia Beach: The Cavalier, an Autograph Collection Hotel
Along with being a foodie destination — as you’ll learn below — this opulent Virginia Beach hotel dating back to 1927 has hosted 10 presidents and is full of history. Not only that, but its location perched on Virginia Beach’s highest hills means impressive views. Enjoy their onsite bourbon distillery, three delicious restaurants, sumptuous spa, relaxing pool, and private beach access. If you’re planning a trip to Virginia, you won’t be disappointed with this property!Virginia Beach Travel Tips & Tourism Guide
1. Feast On The Farms Of Pungo
A rural farming community within the southern part of Virginia Beach, Pungo gives a small taste of country living. And you can eat what is grown from here, too. A favorite in Pungo is The Bee & The Biscuit, a charming breakfast and lunch spot inside a circa 1919 cottage with an emphasis on Southern cuisine. Warning: The biscuits here are big. Really big. Daily flavors are paired nicely with homemade preserves and local honey butter, or enjoy a bunch in what’s called the Bee Biscuit Basket.Virginia Beach’s The Bee & The Biscuit shakes up this classic Southern dish. Photo by Michele Herrmann
Take a tour of the over 50 public art murals within Virginia Beach’s Creative ViBe District. / Photo by Michele Herrmann
2. Get Good Vibes From The ViBe Creative District In Virginia Beach
Along with being Virginia Beach’s source for street art, the ViBe Creative District is an inspiring hub for all types – from artists to small business owners. This Virginia Beach district near the ocean was founded by residents and entrepreneurs who wanted to see the city’s Old Beach District become revitalized. Their efforts still flourish. [socialpug_tweet tweet=”The artsy ViBe Creative District in #VirginiaBeach is worth the trip in itself! #VirginiaIsForLovers” display_tweet=”The artsy ViBe Creative District in #VirginiaBeach is worth the trip in itself! #VirginiaIsForLovers”] First Fridays is an ongoing series of Friday night happenings, where businesses host pop-up events and artist presentations. See art for yourself by following along a self-guided, one-mile walking route of more than 50 public art murals just as colorful and different as what’s found in the district. Artist galleries and design studios are located here, as well. There is also the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), which holds rotating exhibits regularly, with works by Virginian, national and international artists.Referred to as MOCA, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art rotates exhibits regularly. Photo by Michele Herrmann
Explore Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach by foot or on wheels. Photo by Michele Herrmann
3. Explore Outdoor Activities In Virginia Beach
Sure, this resort city is home to many beaches, as well as the three-mile oceanfront Virginia Beach Boardwalk. And it also holds the current Guinness World Record as the world’s longest stretch of pleasure beach — with 35 miles of beach. The truth, though, is Virginia Beach’s outdoorsy scene is versatile. Here is where to start: At Cape Henry, on the north end of Virginia Beach and at Fort Story at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first U.S. federally-funded works program commissioned by President George Washington. In 1881, a newer black and white-striped lighthouse was constructed near the original one, but the first one has been preserved. You can go inside the elder lighthouse and walk up to its observation platform.See two versions of Virginia Beach’s Cape Henry Lighthouse; this black and white striped one was built in 1881. Photo by Michele Herrmann
4. Order Some Of The Best Seafood In Virginia Beach
You can’t explore Virginia Beach tourism without trying the seafood. Luckily, many seafood restaurants in Virginia Beach focus on what can be fished in the local waters — though don’t worry if you can’t have the daily catch, as most have a wide selection of land fare, too. The Atlantic on Pacific, a raw bar and cocktail venue, brings East Coast and West Coast seafood to one setting while also supporting local and regional fishermen, crabbers, oystermen, farmers and producers. Start off with their Roasted Virginia Asparagus, an appetizer adorned with a brown butter hollandaise, almonds, blue crab, and pickled ramps. Another recommendation: Originally a small country store and tackle shop in Virginia Beach’s Sandbridge community, Margie & Ray’s Crab House & Raw Bar is a local gathering spot with daily seafood specials. The family-owned business serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with everything from crab legs to clam strips — or for more carnivores, pork chops, and meatloaf — to order. On your way out, pick up a t-shirt from the souvenir shop to commemorate your visit.5. Become Acquainted With Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was a 20th-century clairvoyant who would give public readings while he was in a sleep-like state. Cayce is also tied to Virginia Beach, in that he settled and built a hospital here in the late 1920s. Today, this campus is the headquarters for Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), which is open to the public. Its visitor center houses a gift shop and bookstore stocked with candles, crystals, self-improvement titles, and jewelry. Outside, do some personal reflection along a stone labyrinth in front of the A.R.E. Health Center and Spa or within a meditation garden.Lounge over cocktails in the Raleigh Room at The Cavalier, an Autograph Collection. Photo by Michele Herrmann