With 5,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay shoreline, Virginia has a variety of beaches. These beaches range from the popular, well-known Virginia Beach to the quieter beaches along the rivers in the Northern Neck region of Virginia.
Virginia Beach is the largest and busiest of Virginia's beaches. There is a three-mile Boardwalk along the ocean and lifeguards are on duty from the middle of May through the middle of September.
Virginia's Eastern Shore is connected to the mainland by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. There are several beaches on the Eastern Shore: Kiptopeke State Park, Cape Charles Beach and the two islands named Assateague and Chincoteague.
The Ocean View Beach in Norfolk runs along eight miles of the Chesapeake Bay. It is located 15 miles west of Virginia Beach.
The Buckroe Beach in Hampton is also located on the Chesapeake Bay. There are eight acres of sandy beach area at Buckroe Beach and Park.
Virginia has beaches located along the rivers that feed the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Chippokes Plantation State Park is on the James River. There are also public beaches in the Northern Neck between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, including Westmoreland State Park, Colonial Beach and George Washington's Birthplace.
