Virginia Beach Oceanfront (Resort Beach)
Virginia Beach Oceanfront (Resort Beach) is a beach in Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, best for first-time visitors, families who want amenities close, boardwalk biking, people-watching.
The Resort Beach is the Virginia Beach most visitors picture: three miles of wide Atlantic sand fronting the concrete Boardwalk, with hotels, restaurants, amusement rides, and the King Neptune statue at 31st Street a few steps from the water. It is the busiest stretch of shoreline in the city — lifeguarded in season, lined with amenities, and loudest between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The separate bike path paralleling the Boardwalk keeps cyclists and surrey riders out of the pedestrian flow. If you want restaurants, restrooms, and rental chairs within a two-minute walk of your towel, this is the beach; if you want quiet, head to the North End or Sandbridge instead.
- Family Friendly
- Free
- Restrooms Available
Amenities
- 3-mile Boardwalk with separate bike path
- Seasonal lifeguards
- Public restrooms along the Boardwalk
- Beach equipment rentals in season
- Oceanfront parks and playgrounds (Neptune's Park, Grommet Island)
Know Before You Go
- Best for: first-time visitors, families who want amenities close, boardwalk biking, people-watching
- Parking: Paid parking throughout the Resort Area — municipal garages at 9th and 31st Streets, surface lots, and metered street spaces. Fills on summer weekends; arrive early or expect a walk.
- Accessibility: Boardwalk is flat and wheelchair accessible along its full length, with ramps at street ends. The city provides beach access matting at some blocks; JT's Grommet Island Park at 2nd Street is a fully accessible beach park.
- Dogs: not allowed — Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, dogs are prohibited on the sand and in the water between Rudee Loop and 42nd Street at all times; leashed dogs are allowed on the Boardwalk 6 a.m.–7 p.m. Off-season (after Labor Day, before Memorial Day) dogs are welcome on the beach and may be off leash on the sand.
- Location: Atlantic Ocean beach along the Boardwalk, roughly Rudee Loop to 42nd Street, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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While You're in the Area
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.
- Surfing
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.
- Fishing
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.
- Family Friendly
- Fishing
Angie's Guest Cottage Bed & Breakfast
An early-1900s former Coast Guard surfmen's boarding house two blocks from the Boardwalk, run under the same family lore that gave it its name.
- Hidden Gem
AquaMan Sportfishing Charters
Two-boat Rudee Inlet charter operation — The Flat Line and The Game On — running inshore, nearshore, and offshore deep-sea trips around the clock.
Upcoming Events Nearby
Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships
August 23, 2026 – August 30, 2026 · annual
The world's oldest continuously running surfing competition returns for its 64th year, turning the south end of the Oceanfront — from the 1st Street Jetty up to 10th Street — into a week-long surf carnival. More than 850 competitors surf pro and amateur divisions, including a WSL qualifying event, while the beach fills out with skate and BMX demos, live music, and tournament games. It's the anchor event of late summer at the beach and the best week of the year to watch serious surfing at the 1st Street break.
Virginia Beach Funk Fest Beach Party
August 28, 2026 – August 29, 2026 · annual
A free two-day beach party on the Oceanfront closing out August with funk, R&B, and soul acts on the sand. Part of the official Beach Events season, Funk Fest draws a big, dance-heavy crowd to the resort beach for one of the last major music weekends before Labor Day — no ticket needed, just claim a patch of sand.
American Music Festival
September 4, 2026 – September 6, 2026 · annual
Beach Events' Labor Day weekend concert series bills itself as the largest outdoor music festival on the East Coast, spreading national, regional, and local acts across a 60-foot stage at 5th Street plus free park stages at 17th, 24th, and 31st Streets along the boardwalk. Past headliners have included Sheryl Crow, the Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, and Zac Brown Band, with tickets sold per show, as a three-day Passport Pin, or as VIP packages, while the park stages stay free. It's the Oceanfront's last big blowout of the summer season, timed to send visitors off before the crowds thin out after Labor Day.