Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the shore, Your Virginia Beach vacation rental sits in a beautiful coastal city that provides everything you need for a great vacation. Along a three-mile-long boardwalk you find 59 blocks of historic statues, stages for entertainment, shops, restaurants, and idyllic ocean views. A bike path parallels the Boardwalk, letting you enjoy bikes, rollerblades, and skateboards with no worries about pedestrian traffic. Get your adrenaline pumping by flying in a vintage plane, a helicopter, or a vertical wind tunnel. To change the pace, eat dinner standing in water, ride a horse, or climb a lighthouse. See for yourself the amazing attractions available when you read this list of the top 10 things to do in Virginia Beach.
1. Climb the Historic Cape Henry Lighthouse
You need your walking shoes to climb the steep steps to the top of the 1792 Cape Henry lighthouse. Once you ascend the spiral staircase, you reach the lantern room, a small circular room that has glass windows all around. It’s a great way to learn a bit more about history and get a panoramic view of the coastline, Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Explore the Virginia Aquarium and Adventure Park
Venture beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to discover the underwater world of the Virginia Aquarium. Over 300 species of animals are displayed in beautiful and educational exhibits. From the touch tank where your family members handle and pet various sea creatures to enchanting tunnels that take you underwater, each exhibit delights and amazes visitors. After enjoying the aquarium, take the kids to experience nature from the tree tops in the Adventure Park. It’s a family-friendly zipline and aerial experience above Owls Creek.
3. Join a Guided Bicycle Tour
What a way to celebrate morning, when you embark on a guided Bike to Brunch tour. Your Beach Bike Tours guide is a local foodie, who leads you to some of the most iconic Virginia Beach eateries for food tastings to go along with your exploration of old Virginia Beach’s culture and history. You stop for fresh smoothies and sample old-fashioned oatmeal at the Green Cat. At Abbey Road Pub, there’s fresh fruit, coffee, and an interesting collection of Beatle memorabilia to peruse. At Baja Cantina, you get corn tortillas filled with cheese and scrambled eggs, potatoes on the side, and your choice of a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary.
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4. Set Sail on a Pirate Cruise
If yer little buccaneers argh ready for an adventure on the high seas, Captain Jack has a pirate cruise for that. The excitement begins when you climb aboard the Lost Pearl, a replica of a 65-foot Spanish galleon. From singing pirate shanties to watching a pirate show to doing the limbo, the pirate crew keeps each little matey entertained. The little pirates get water and soft drinks while the grownups enjoy a main brace from the bar, including beer, wine, and frozen drinks.
5. Ride a Horse on the Beach
A unique way to work on your tan is on horseback with Virginia Beach Horseback Rides. Your tour guide instructs you how to control your horse, making prior riding experience okay but not necessary. Your sightseeing beach ride along the surf and into the water lets you experience the cool breezes off the Atlantic Ocean. The trek runs from 3rd Street going south to the pier and back.
6. Take to the Skies in a Helicopter
The view from a helicopter shows you so much more than you can take in from the ground. Black Creek Aviation offers several tours that typically last about 45 minutes. The wild horses tour explores coastal Virginia and North Carolina, taking in the natural wildlife and the herd of wild horses on the Outer Banks. There’s a sunset tour and a city lights tour to showcase the beauty of the area after dark.
7. Pamper Yourself at A.R.E. Health Center & Spa
When you visit Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Education to tour the grounds, visit the library, and enjoy the meditation rooms, remember to visit the health center and spa. Treat yourself to a day of relaxation as you enjoy services that include massage therapy, hydrotherapy, and more. The staff members focus their skills on holistic healing of body, mind, and spirit.
8. Eat Dinner Standing in the Lynnhaven River
Wearing waders and boots, you stand knee-deep in the Lynnhaven River with a table set before you for your meal at Pleasure House Oyster Farm. Your three-to-four hour dining experience begins on the river with a boat ride to the farm. Your watch as the crew pulls your lunch or dinner of Lynnhaven Oysters out of the waters under you. As you dine, you are free to explore the farm and learn how to gather oysters. Your guide can explain how to get some of the oysters to enjoy later at your Virginia Beach vacation rental.
9. Get Your Wings at iFly
If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing skydiving without jumping out of an airplane, iFly indoor skydiving makes it happen. A favorite attraction among the locals, the vertical wind tunnel simulates actual free-fall conditions, lifting you up, up and away in a safe and controlled environment. Expert guides fly with you and the kids, ensuring a comfortable flight.
10. Fly Away From the Military Aviation Museum
The Military Aviation Museum packs a ton of attractions into one stop for your adventure-seeking family. During your tour of the museum, you get to see vintage planes taking off from a grass runway and visit a real World War II Operations Control Tower. If you’re in town during an air show, enjoy dining among the airplanes as part of the festivities. Whether you’re an airplane buff or an adventurer, experience the thrill of your life in a flight in a World War II aircraft, such as the 1941 Boeing Stearman open-cockpit plane. Back on the ground, take a stroll through Jerrassic Park, a collection of dinosaur sculptures on the museum property.
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