The City of Virginia Beach is located in the southeastern tip of Virginia on the Mid-Atlantic Coast of the United States. It covers nearly 500 square miles and hosts a population of almost a half million people. Virginia Beach is most well-known as a summer vacation destination, but has many visitors at its resort hotels year-round. There are many different types of activities available, depending on the time of year and the preferences of the visitors.

Surf and Sand

The resort city’s 35 miles of beaches are without a doubt its biggest draw. Tourists can stay at one of the Virginia Beach hotels and walk down to the water to go sun bathing, swimming or boogie boarding. Certain areas of beach are designated for surfing, crabbing and fishing. The most popular area for visitors is the three mile stretch of beach known as "The Strip." It stretches from Rudee Inlet north, past Virginia Beach waterfront hotels, restaurants and businesses until it reaches a mostly residential area without a boardwalk or bike path. The prime beach season is from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with festivals marking the two long weekends. In the summer, the water temperatures are usually in the mid 70s to upper 60s in Fahrenheit degrees. Summertime air temperatures range from the upper 90s to lower 80s. July and August are the hottest, most humid months of the year, when visitors frequently use the water to cool down as they laze on the beach.

Entertainment

Virginia Beach has a number of different types of entertainment to keep visitors engaged during both the off-season and summer season. The Strip has several restaurants and nightclubs, as well as miniature golf, shopping and video arcades. Many venues feature outdoor seating and prime scenery and people watching posts. There is also a 20,000-seat amphitheater located about 20 minutes from the Oceanfront area which hosts a variety of bands from springtime to autumn. Some recent bands and entertainers include Jimmy Buffet, Billy Idol, Kenny Chesney and Coldplay.

Sports

For the athletic-minded, Virginia Beach has a soccer complex which hosts many traveling youth teams and features a few large tournaments every year. For boaters, jet skiing, parasailing and water skiing are available. At Rudee Inlet on the south end of the resort area, charter boats are abundant with trips focused on sightseeing, whale watching, dolphin excursions and deep sea fishing. The City’s parks offer scenic hiking and biking trails, picnicking and Frisbee golf. There are also several private businesses in the resort city that offer golf, camping, bowling, paintball, laser tag and rental bikes.