Virginia Beach is best for the vacationing younger crowd and curious families. It has a hip neighborhood, a curious history, and a gorgeous beach stretch. Ocean City is for adventurous families. It boasts the best game-fishing scene and nature adventures.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, which is renowned for its magnificent beaches, is a paradise for summer visitors. It is perfect for families who come to swim in the water and enjoy the weather. It’s a terrific place to take a vacation or retreat because of the laid-back ambiance and slow pace.
The city is perfect for adventurous and ever-curious travelers. The community is home to a number of state parks and a sizable refuge with freshwater lakes and a variety of topography. Visit Virginia Beach to see its vibrant culture, historic sites, and peaceful parks.
What Makes Virginia Beach Unique?
ViBe Creative District
The vibrant and diverse seaside community serves as a hub for artists and other creatives. The cultural and artistic hub of Virginia Beach is called the ViBe Creative District. It offers a platform for these artists to express their hobbies. This stimulates curiosity in both Virginia Beach residents and tourists.
Small boutiques and coffee cafes may be found in the ViBe Creative District. The neighborhood is home to artisan stores, retro boutiques, art studios, and antique furniture stores. It also has culinary arts establishments and even the Chesapeake Bay Distillery.
The neighborhood is home to several vibrant, vivid murals created by local artists. The murals, which cover an area of one mile, are distinctive, fascinating, and great for photos. Recent visitors praised the district’s bustling streets and said that it is absolutely worthwhile getting out of the car even if you are only passing through the neighborhood. They also praised the stands from local artists.
The ViBe Creative District often hosts weekly and monthly events, so there’s always something going on. Every August, the city is host to the annual Mural Festival, which gathers ten artists to paint ten new murals over the course of ten days.
Visitors can also take part in the Art of Humanity festival. This takes place every April and includes live music, face painting, and lectures to encourage peace and nonviolence.
Virginia Beach Boardwalk
A marvel of 28 feet (8.5 m) in width, the Virginia Oceanfront Boardwalk spans 3 miles (4.8 km), from 2nd to 40th Street. It is situated on the seaside and offers a dedicated bike path, a number of maritime activities, museums, and an amusement park. The well-known boardwalk at Virginia Beach is made of concrete rather than regular wooden planks.
It’s a great idea to start the day by strolling down the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and taking in the sights. The three-mile avenue is surrounded by charming feats. You can marvel at streetlights in the Colonial style, and walking and bike pathways.
Throughout the year, the boardwalk also plays host to a number of events and festivals. However, most days you can see street performers amusing onlookers. Additionally, the boardwalk features a number of restaurants and hotels. And that’s in addition to a white-sand beach, just like other East Coast beach resorts.
If you enjoy art, you’ll notice that many of the side streets that lead to Atlantic Avenue are lined with maritime sculptures. A 24-foot (7.3 m), 12-ton bronze figure of King Neptune that stands guard at the entrance of Neptune Festival Park on 31st Street is a must-see. The King Neptune monument, one of the boardwalk’s most well-liked photo spots, is ideal for all of your Instagram posts and selfies.
First Landing State Park
The 2,888-acre (11.7 sq km) First Landing State Park, which is located near Cape Henry, is a park with a lot to offer. First Landing State Park gets its name from an important historical event. It refers to the location where English colonists made their first landfall in America more than 400 years ago.
The park is now a popular recreation area for both locals and tourists. You can choose to relax on the beach, go on a trek in the forest, or go kayaking. You can also discover the early history of the first settlers, camp by the seaside, or even rent a cottage in the woods.
1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) of open beach extend along the Chesapeake Bay. And behind it, tucked into the tangle of flora that lines the water’s edge, are campsites with ocean views. If you wish to go outside and engage in some water sports, the park offers rentals for jet skis, paddleboards, boats, and kayaks.
In addition to miles of hiking and beach routes, the park is home to freshwater ponds, beaches, dunes, woodlands, a tidal marsh, and a cypress swamp. The maritime forest community, one of the most threatened ecosystem types in the world, can be found in Virginia’s most popular state park.
You can find camping cabins and a vast network of trails winding through towering pine and cypress trees. There are also sand dunes along Broad Bay’s shoreline on the inland section of Shore Drive. Every trail presents a different view.
The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab
A trip to Virginia Beach wouldn’t be complete without dining at one of the region’s crab shacks that specialize in Chesapeake Bay blue crab. This delicious sweet meat is served in a variety of fine dining restaurants and neighborhood crab shacks.
A word of caution, though: These crabs can be challenging to dissect and consume because they are smaller than other crabs, such as king-size ones. Napkins should be prepared because they can get messy.
There are hundreds of millions of blue crabs in the bay. Thousands of people hit the lake to catch some of these species from early spring through much of fall. Due to their sweet meat, blue crabs are unique.
Blue crabs can be prepared in a variety of ways. While some prefer to create crab soup, others enjoy grilling them. However, steaming is the regional cooking method that is most prevalent.
Ocean City
Ocean City is one of the US’ best fishing destinations, it has even been backed by a former US president. With all of its intriguing and distinctly appealing charms, it shouldn’t be as undervalued as it is. Ocean City is well-liked since it draws a variety of tourists.
Everyone will be able to find something to keep them engaged here. It is ideal for families looking for some sun and surf, young crowds looking to party all night, or laid-back adults. Some of the most popular watersports in Ocean City include surfing, fishing, and kayaking. You can also enjoy exploring the sandy Atlantic shoreline.
What Makes Ocean City Unique?
White Marlin Capital of the World
Fishing is one of Ocean City’s most productive ways of living and is essentially an integral part of its culture. This is mostly thanks to the wealth of marine life in the Atlantic Ocean. And with this, big game and deep-sea fishing have been the city’s go-to activities in the city. While the city does have opportunities for plenty of catches, the White Marlin is the most well-known of them all.
The city isn’t known as the “White Marlin Capital of the World” due to its frequent white marlin catches, though. Franklin Roosevelt, the late former US president, served as the catalyst for its reputation. Roosevelt enjoyed a successful day of white marlin fishing in the city’s Inlet in 1939. He subsequently gave Ocean City the honor of being known as the “White Marlin Capital of the World” as a result of this.
Ocean City is home to the White Marlin Open, the biggest billfish competition in the world. According to Roosevelt himself, it would be perfect to hold the competition in a location where the best white marlin may be caught.
The White Marlin Open has been contested since 1974 by more than 110,000 fishermen aboard more than 15,000 registered boats. Additionally, the competition has given out over 86 million dollars in prizes to the lucky winners.
The Boardwalk
Many people consider the boardwalk at Ocean City to be among the best in the country. It has been welcoming guests since 1902 and was formerly known as Atlantic Avenue, given the water it fronts. Even if you’re only traveling through, the boardwalk in Ocean City is a destination you should not miss.
You can find soft sand and the blue waters of the Atlantic on one side, and a range of hotel options, restaurants, souvenir shops, taverns, and amusement facilities on the other. These quirky charms line this 4.8-kilometer-long (3 mi) pedestrian promenade. The Boardwalk is notable for the fun blend of culture and history it showcases, thanks to the many establishments.
For the physically active, strolling, jogging, or riding a bike is ideal along the Ocean City boardwalk. The stretch extends along the coast, giving you both the right distance as well as a lovely vista.
Enjoy the views of the sea while keeping an eye on the street performers. Explore the amusement parks and arcade games located along the wooden boardwalk’s length. Or, you can browse the shops for trinkets and surfing equipment.
The majority of the region’s well-known attractions are museums and entertainment centers. This strip is also home to Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum. It also houses other popular features such as the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum and Trimper’s Rides and Amusements.
The boardwalk is the city’s most jam-packed center. If you want to ride a roller coaster, see a shrunken head, eat the famous Maryland blue crabs, or party all night, this is the place to go.
The Ocean City Beach
With its gorgeous, more than 9-miles-long (15+ km) sandy beach, Ocean City is a paradise for beach bums and sun chasers. You can enjoy a full day of swimming, sunning, and surfing on the warm sands. With such a length, Ocean City Beach is divided into three areas, Midtown Beach, Downtown Beach, and North Ocean City.
The entire stretch of the beach is accessible to everyone and is free to use. You can enjoy many kinds of beach activities. However, there are some limitations on sporting events and frisbee use during the busy summer months. There is also fishing, kayaking, and canoeing if you’re looking for an adrenaline-fueled aquatic adventure.
You can take a relaxing nap on the sand and have a refreshing dip in the Atlantic, you can rent or bring a beach umbrella. Many previous travelers advise going early in the morning or late in the day if you don’t want to share the sand with many other tourists.
Assateague Island National Seashore
This island park, located just 13 kilometers (8 mi) south of crowded Ocean City, is an outlandish marvel of beaches and marshes. Assateague Island, located off the coast of Maryland, is a protected area. It is recognized for its wild, natural beauty making it a wonderful tourist attraction.
Its best defining draw has to be the large herds of wild horses freely roaming around. They are believed to have taken over the island after surviving a Spanish shipwreck centuries ago. However, interaction with wild horses is prohibited. You could see them near the coasts.
However, if you really want to ride a horse on the sand, you can opt for the horses kept in the stables nearby. Tourist-friendly and accommodating, these centers offer rides to tourists and owning tamed horses.
Assateague is a popular trekking destination. It boasts breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Sinepuxent Bay. Plus, there are places where you may go camping, hiking, riding a motorcycle, crabbing, and hunting.
A portion of the island is a state park with amenities like food shops, kayak and bicycle rentals, a marina, and hot showers. However, the area of the island covered by the national park system has comparatively basic services.
Which Is Better – Ocean City or Virginia Beach?
When it comes to which is the better destination, you can’t actually go wrong with either of the two. Ocean City and Virginia Beach have the same caliber of draws and their vibe are almost the same. Not to mention the costs, which slightly differ with Ocean City being the cheaper one.
They both offer almost the same excitement and charms. But, your choice of vacation location is more influenced by certain things you’re looking for. This includes your interests in entertainment, nightlife, and beach accessibility.
You’ll like Virginia Beach all summer long if you want the true beach vibe of sand and sun. The biggest negative with Virginia Beach is how far you have to go from the beach to get things like food and sundries.
Ocean City is the beach you go to if you want excitement, entertainment, and activities. The boardwalk evokes memories of bygone seaside entertainment parks. There are things to do, food sellers, nightclubs and bars, gift shops, and the like right there on the boardwalk. The distance between Ocean City and a sizable airport is one disadvantage to take into account.
FAQ
Is Virginia Beach or Ocean City Cheaper?
Both Virginia Beach and Ocean City are affordable places to visit, however, there is a slight difference in costs. Ocean City is the cheaper option, but only because of the affordability of accommodations.
Which Beach Is Better – Ocean City or Virginia Beach?
Both beaches of Ocean City and Virginia Beach are gorgeous and are packed with activities for all ages. However, Ocean City’s beach stretch is more easily accessible than Virginia Beach’s.
Virginia Beach Boardwalk and Ocean City Boardwalk
When it comes to boardwalks, no place in the US Atlantic front does it like Ocean City. It is basically the heart of the town. It is also one of the oldest in the state. It has everything that Virginia Beach has and more.
Virginia Beach to Ocean City
You can go to Ocean City from Virginia Beach in one of three ways. You can take a bus or a plane, or you can also drive. Both flying and taking a bus are the most common and cheapest ways to travel between them.
Ocean City to Virginia Beach by Boat
There are no boats that can take you between Ocean City and Virginia Beach.
