Croatan Beach
Croatan Beach is a beach in Croatan, Virginia Beach, best for surfing, escaping resort crowds, experienced swimmers.
Across Rudee Inlet from the Resort Strip, Croatan is Virginia Beach's surf beach: the Croatan Jetty is one of the city's two classic breaks, a left-hander locals prize for its unpredictability against 1st Street Jetty's more consistent right. The neighborhood behind it is quiet and residential, and limited public parking keeps the sand noticeably less crowded than the Boardwalk blocks a few hundred yards north. Summer dog hours are the friendlier non-resort rules. Camp Pendleton borders the beach to the south, so the shoreline dead-ends rather than running on for miles.
Amenities
- Croatan Jetty surf break
- Public beach access lot with seasonal restrooms
Know Before You Go
- Best for: surfing, escaping resort crowds, experienced swimmers
- Parking: A public beach lot off Vanderbilt Avenue serves the beach; it is small and fills early on summer weekends. Street parking in the neighborhood is limited and enforced.
- Accessibility: Access is via sand paths from the public lot; no boardwalk. Limited accessibility infrastructure compared with the Resort Beach.
- Dogs: allowed — Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, dogs are allowed on the sand south of Rudee Loop only before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., leashed or under voice control. Off-season, dogs are welcome anytime and may be off leash on the beach.
- Location: Atlantic Ocean beach south of Rudee Inlet, off Croatan Road / Vanderbilt Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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While You're in the Area
Atlantic Paradise — Croatan Oceanfront
A 4-bedroom, owner-direct oceanfront vacation home with a private pool on Croatan Beach, self-managed since 2002.
- Waterfront
- Family Friendly
Seth Broudy School of Surf
Surf camps and private lessons at the south end of Croatan Beach — gear included, Monday-Thursday camp schedule.
17th Street Surf Shop
Virginia Beach's original surf shop since 1970 — a Pacific Avenue retail store plus Seth Broudy School of Surf camp sessions from 1 to 4 days.
Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant
Beatles-themed pub a block off the beach at 22nd Street — 42 taps, live music, a dog-friendly patio, and a Monday military discount.
- Dog Friendly
- Live Music
- Outdoor Seating
- Military Discount
Adventure Parasail & Rudee Inlet Jet Ski
Virginia Beach's original watersports operator since 1985 — parasailing, jet ski and kayak/SUP rentals, and banana boat rides at Rudee Inlet.
Afishinado Fishing Charters
Capt. Kevin Perry's 31-foot Ocean Master out of Inlet Station Marina — inshore speckled trout and cobia trips, offshore game-fish runs, and seasonal dolphin/whale watching.
Upcoming Events Nearby
Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend
September 25, 2026 – September 27, 2026 · annual
Virginia Beach's signature festival closes out September with its 52nd Boardwalk Weekend, spreading across the Oceanfront between 1st and 35th Streets. The headline draw is Neptune's International Sandsculpting Championship — 22 large-scale works by sculptors from around the world — alongside an art and craft show with more than 200 artisans, twenty-plus musical acts across festival stages, the Grand Parade, Neptune's 8K, and a surfing competition at the jetty. Most of it is free to attend, and it reliably fills the resort area for one last big weekend of the season.
Virginia MOCA Boardwalk Art Show
October 9, 2026 – October 11, 2026 · annual
One of the longest-running outdoor art shows on the East Coast marks its 70th year along the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Produced by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the juried show brings artists from across the country to sell painting, sculpture, photography, glass, and fine craft directly to visitors with the Atlantic as the backdrop. Hours run 10am–6pm Friday, 10am–5pm Saturday, and 10am–4pm Sunday, and October's thinner crowds make it an easy, walkable browse.
Wicked 10K Weekend
October 30, 2026 – October 31, 2026 · annual
Coastal Virginia's largest Halloween race weekend starts at the Convention Center on 19th Street and finishes on the Boardwalk near 20th, with runners in costume covering the flat, fast oceanfront course for the 10K, a Wicked 5K, or the shorter Monster Mile. A costume contest and a post-race beach party with food and drink follow the finish line. Presented by Sentara and run by J&A Racing — the same organizer behind the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend — it's the Halloween counterpart to that spring race on the same stretch of Boardwalk.