Ocean City Beach is a long stretch of beautiful white sand on an offshore spit called Fenwick Island in the state of Maryland. Its wide expanse of soft sand and the clear blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean offer abundant opportunities for waters sports and other activities. The resort city of Ocean Beach and the surrounding towns are full of shops, spas, museums, amusement parks, and other attractions for the whole family to enjoy. Here are some of the top locations for vacation rentals around Ocean City Beach, Maryland.
1. Ocean City Beach, Maryland
The strip of Ocean City directly along the beach offers easy access to 10 miles of glistening soft sand where you can swim, sunbathe, and build sand castles. Popular activities on the water include kayaking, canoeing, surfing, and paddle boarding. If you enjoy thrilling experiences, you can go jet skiing or parasailing. Fishing enthusiasts can surf fish from shore or charter a boat and head out onto the open ocean for marlin, mako shark, and tuna.
2. North Ocean City, Maryland
The north end of Ocean City has a number of lovely parks where you can relax and enjoy recreational activities. Northside Park has walking paths, picnic areas, playgrounds, a fishing lagoon, and sports facilities. Fiesta Park features nature trails through enchanting woods. North Surf Park has an open space with scattered trees that is ideal for picnicking. If you enjoy mystery, intrigue, and solving puzzles, the north side of Ocean City has an enigmatic Escape Room.
3. Central Ocean City, Maryland
Midtown Ocean City hosts the main complex of the vast Jolly Roger Amusement Park, which features a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, and other rides. The facility also has mini-golf courses and a large water park called Splash Mountain. Old Pro Golf offers mini-golf courses with elaborate themes. Another Midtown attraction is Planet Maze, Lasertron, and Lost Galaxy Golf, which includes a children’s climbing maze, laser tag, mini-golf, and an arcade.
4. South Ocean City, Maryland
The southern end of Ocean City is home to the Ocean City Skate Bowl Park, a large area where skateboarders and roller skaters of all levels can test their skill on ramps, an obstacle course, and a skate pool bowl with both deep and shallow ends. It’s located at the Downtown Recreational Complex, which also has tennis courts, ball fields, and other sports facilities. The Ninth Street Fishing Pier is a convenient place to drop a line on the Isle of Wight Bay side of town.
5. Ocean City Boardwalk, Maryland
The famous Ocean City wooden boardwalk lies at the far southern tip of Fenwick Island. You can stroll along the boardwalk, check out the shops, and enjoy delicious edibles. Jolly Roger at the Pier is a southern extension of the Midtown amusement park with numerous rides and other attractions. Trimper’s Rides is a large historic amusement park with various rides for kids of all ages. Ripley’s Believe it or Not features an unusual collection of curiosities and interactive displays. The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum highlights the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, the precursor of the Coast Guard.
6. West Ocean City, Maryland
West Ocean City is on the mainland across a bridge from south Ocean City. White Marlin Mall and Tanger Outlet mall create great shopping opportunities. West Ocean City is home to marinas where you can charter boats for fishing. It also hosts Baja Amusements and Grand Prix Family Amusements, which have bumper boats, a climbing wall, an arcade, and go karts for various age levels.
7. Ocean Pines, Maryland
The town of Ocean Pines lies west of Ocean City on Isle of Wight Bay. This beautiful resort has multiple swimming pools, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and other sports facilities. Its boat ramps and marinas set you on course for fishing in the bay or open ocean. The town also has numerous parks and trails where you can stroll, play, and have picnics. Nearby is the Isle of Wight Wilderness Management Area, a lovely protected site where you can view great blue herons, green herons, geese, swans, and other birds.
8. Downtown Berlin, Maryland
The town of Berlin is a few miles southwest of Ocean City. Its Main Street has almost 50 buildings built in the 1800s that are on the National Historic Register. It’s a great place to stroll, shop for antiques and local handicrafts, and satisfy your hunger and thirst at the coffee houses, bakeries, sweet shops, and restaurants. The Taylor House Museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the area.
9. South Berlin, Maryland
At the southern end of Berlin are two major golf courses, the Ocean City Golf Club and the Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links. There’s also Frontier Town Amusements, a western theme park with a water park, mini-golf, zip-line rides, and Wild West shows. Over a causeway is Assateague State Park on Assateague Island, which has pristine beaches, a historic lighthouse, and herds of wild horses.
10. Fenwick Island, Delaware
The town of Fenwick Island is adjacent to the northern side of Ocean City at the Delaware border. It’s home to the Viking Amusements and Thunder Lagoon Water Park, which has water slides, an activity pool, a Lazy River ride, an 18-hole mini-golf course, and a go-kart track. Along the shore is Fenwick Island State Park, a long stretch of beach and sand dunes that’s perfect for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and surf fishing.
11. South Bethany, Delaware
South Bethany lies on the northern side of Fenwick Island State Park. It’s known as a clean, quiet resort town where you can relax on the beach and enjoy water sports. Along with its beachfront promenade, you can stroll, cycle, skateboard, or rollerblade. The west side of the town has five miles of canals and a beautiful small bay that’s perfect for kayaking, canoeing, and sailing. At Assawoman Wildlife Refuge you can watch for deer, herons, eagles, osprey, and other wildlife.
12. Bethany Beach, Delaware
The town of Bethany Beach, just north of South Bethany, has wide sandy beaches and a pleasant boardwalk where you can stroll and shop. Its nature center is a family-friendly facility with exhibits and hands-on activities for children. Nearby is Delaware Seashore State Park, a popular place for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, windsurfing, and sailing.