Explore Like a Local: The Best of Virginia BeachImmerse yourself in Virginia Beach's local culture with oceanfront hotels, ViBe Creative District eats, and outdoor adventure at First Landing State Park. Catch waves at Atlantic Park or fish out of Rudee Inlet for a trip built around relaxation, culture, and local flavor.Authorskellyyhill
DestinationsVirginia BeachItinerary

Stay

The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, Autograph Collection
Perched on a hill above the Atlantic in Virginia Beach, this 1927 landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has welcomed guests for nearly a century. On site, it houses three restaurants (Becca, the Hunt Room, and the Raleigh Room), a full-service spa, and its own bourbon distillery, Tarnished Truth, alongside a semi-private beach club with an infinity pool. Each evening at 7:27, the hotel's doorman leads a traditional whiskey toast, sharing stories from the property's long history along the way.
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Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort
This hotel sits on the quiet north end of the Virginia Beach boardwalk with ocean views from every room. Its rooftop restaurant, Orion's Roof, serves Asian-fusion fare with a sushi bar and sweeping views, and Tulu Seaside Bar & Grill offers a more casual spot for locally sourced seafood. Guests also get semi-private beach access and, through the shared Cavalier Resort grounds, entry to the SeaHill Spa next door.
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Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront
This oceanfront hotel skips the front desk entirely: check-in happens at the bar, where every adult gets a poker chip for a free welcome drink. The lobby has a slide, arcade games, and a garage door that opens straight onto an oceanfront patio. Rooms are compact and minimalist, some with bunk beds for groups, and many come with private balconies and ocean views. Belvedere South handles breakfast and lunch, with the same water views.
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Arts & Culture

ViBe Creative District
Just a few blocks inland from the oceanfront, the ViBe Creative District has been Virginia Beach's arts hub since the city established it in 2015. More than 50 murals cover its buildings, alongside hundreds of smaller pieces on utility boxes and crosswalks. Independent coffee shops, restaurants, and boutiques line the streets, with regular events like the Old Beach Farmers Market and monthly First Friday celebrations.
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Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
Virginia MOCA's new 35,000-square-foot building on the Virginia Wesleyan University campus includes an interactive ARTLab space among its features. Rather than holding a permanent collection, the museum runs about 20 exhibitions a year across four galleries, spanning painting, sculpture, photography, glass, and video from both nationally known names and regional artists, with free admission throughout.
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Nature & Outdoor Activities

First Landing State Park
First Landing State Park spans 2,888 acres along the Chesapeake Bay, marking where English colonists first came ashore in 1607 before founding Jamestown. Its bald cypress swamps and maritime forest earn it National Natural Landmark status, and the park has 20 miles of trails, 1.5 miles of beach, and campsites, cabins, and yurts for overnight stays.
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Atlantic Park Surf
Atlantic Park Surf brings North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon to a district near the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The lagoon generates a steady stream of waves, from gentle rollers to hollow barrels, backed by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams. It's surrounded by a lagoon-side beach club, surf academy, and a mix of shops and restaurants.
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Cape Henry Lighthouse
Cape Henry Lighthouse, completed in 1792, was the federal government's first public works project and guided ships into the Chesapeake Bay for nearly a century. A taller black-and-white tower eventually took over after cracks appeared in the original. Both stand on active Fort Story and are National Historic Landmarks, with the old tower open to climb seasonally. Early morning visit recommended to beat the crowd.
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Chesapeake Beach
Chesapeake Beach sits on Maryland's western Chesapeake Bay shore, anchored by the waterfront Rod 'N' Reel Resort with its marina, dining, and gaming. Charter boats head out daily for rockfish and deep-water bay fishing, and the nearby Randle Cliffs give way to sandbars where beachcombers still find ancient shark teeth. Families also head to the seasonal water park or a stretch of sand at Breezy Point Beach & Campground just south of town.
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Rudee Inlet
Rudee Inlet marks the south end of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, where a working marina doubles as a launch point for jet skiing, parasailing, and fishing charters. Boats here run everything from deep-sea trips to dolphin-watching tours, and the inlet hosts the annual Rockfish Shootout each winter. Waterfront spots like Rudee's and Rockafeller's serve seafood with a view of the boats coming and going.
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Eat & Drink

Commune
Commune in the ViBe Creative District runs a scratch kitchen with a menu that shifts daily based on what's fresh, sourcing most ingredients from local farms. Brunch is the main draw, especially the blackberry whipped cream waffles, served at communal tables in a bright, plant-filled space.
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Prosperity Kitchen and Pantry
Prosperity Kitchen & Pantry started as an overflow bakery for Commune before opening to the public, run on a "baker's choice" model rather than a fixed menu. Slow-fermented sourdough, croissants, and Roman-style pizza by the slice are the mainstays. A pantry section sells take-home items like pickles, soups, and local cheeses.
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The Pink Dinghy
The Pink Dinghy packs personality into a tiny cinder-block building in the ViBe Creative District, with a bright pink entrance and a playful, retro-Miami look. The kitchen serves Latin American fusion, from empanadas and pupusas to rotisserie chicken, alongside natural wines and tropical cocktails. Seating is limited, so expect a wait during peak hours.
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Esoteric
Housed in a restored 1920s building on the Virginia Beach Historical Registry, Esoteric runs a rotating Modern American menu featuring duck tacos, pork chops, and fresh seafood. A rare craft beer list and well-made cocktails round out the drinks, and a shared garden with neighboring Commune supplies some of the produce and herbs used in the kitchen.
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Hearth Wood Fired Cuisine & Craft Beer
Wood-fired pizzas and Southern-leaning New American plates come out of an open kitchen at this ViBe Creative District spot, alongside fried deviled eggs, cauliflower buffalo bites, and desserts like ube bread pudding. It got its start as a Virginia Beach food truck before settling into a permanent home here.
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Becca Restaurant & Garden
Becca sits inside the Historic Cavalier, plating a menu that shifts with the seasons using produce from its own garden and local farms. Take your pick of the sunny sunroom, the formal dining room, or the terrace, with weekend brunch running Saturday and Sunday mornings. Save room for the seasonal desserts, and don't skip the sommelier-picked wine list.
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Three Ships Coffee Roasters
Three Ships Coffee started in 2013, roasted out of a garage and sold from a vintage trailer at the Old Beach Farmers Market. A permanent café followed in the ViBe Creative District in 2016. Beans are roasted weekly in small batches, and the cafés serve scratch-made biscuits and pastries alongside the coffee.
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Hunt Room
Tucked in the lower level of the Cavalier, the Hunt Room leans into its 1920s hunting-lodge roots with taxidermy, a grand fireplace, and dim lighting. A window looks straight into the neighboring Tarnished Truth Distilling Company, and the bar pours more than 50 whiskeys and bourbons made right next door. The kitchen serves wild game like venison, duck, and quail, with live music Friday and Saturday.
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Experiences

Jet Ski Rental
Virginia Beach Watersports runs jet ski rentals through Sandbridge's Back Bay on Yamaha Waverunners, with room for a driver and one passenger per ski. A safety briefing covers the basics before you head out, whether you're new to riding or looking to open it up. Sessions run 40 minutes, and riders need to be 18 or older.
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Alexandria Ghosts Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl
A lantern-carrying guide leads this Old Town Alexandria pub crawl through four stops mixing craft bars and haunted history, including Gadsby's Tavern and its "female stranger" legend. Drinks aren't included in the $29 price, and the tour runs about an hour and 45 minutes.
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Virginia Beach Boardwalk History Tour
This hour-long walking tour covers Virginia Beach's rise as a tourist destination, from the early hotel boom to the boardwalk culture that took shape in the early 1900s. A professional historian leads the way past landmarks like the Cavalier Hotel, the Neptune Statue, and Galilee Church, with a few historic cottages along the route.
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