Virginia's Gorgeous Coastal Town Is Perfect For A Quiet Getaway

We take vacations to try and get away from everyday stress, but people often visit cities that are just as frantic as what they left behind. If real relaxation is the goal of your time off work, small towns are a better choice. The pace is slower, the activities are more leisurely, and if you can also get some time in the great outdoors to touch grass — and focus your eyes on the horizon rather than a phone screen — it's even more restorative. If that sounds like exactly what you're looking for, you may want to plan a trip to Cape Charles, Virginia. On a peninsula northeast of the vibrant coastal city of Newport News, across Chesapeake Bay in eastern Virginia, this quiet town of around 1,000 full-time residents has great restaurants, shopping, and relaxation. You can rent golf carts to get around, or spend some time lounging at the beaches in the area. Check out the art studios, visit Kiptopeke State Park, or simply take a picnic to Central Park in the middle of town and enjoy the scenery. 

You'll need a car to get to Cape Charles, but it's worth having one to visit the parks in the area. The town is about 40 miles from Norfolk International Airport, so it's not that far from touchdown to vacation. Summer is a great time to visit, with highs in the 80s Fahrenheit from June through August, though spring and fall are temperate as well.

When in Cape Charles, you're by the water, so seafood is a must. One great spot to try is The Shanty for New England clam chowder; crab cakes; and fry baskets of oysters, shrimp, flounder, and chicken tenders. If you're visiting from spring through fall, you can hit the Sunset Beach Bar and Grille on the water for some seafood and burgers. For a cool treat, visit Brown Dog Ice Cream on Mason Avenue, which has been around for over a decade. With flavors like lemon streusel, Spotted Roxie (a gluten-free butterscotch flavor with chocolate chips), and Brown Dog Milk Chocolate, you're sure to find a favorite.

There is a great art scene in Cape Charles, and one place you can check it out is Lemon Tree Gallery and Studio. It has great paintings, jewelry, sculpture, and more for sale, with free live entertainment and a cash bar on Fridays. You can even watch live art being created. Another must-see stop is the co-op gallery Local-ISH Art, which won Coastal Virginia Magazine's Best of the Eastern Shore Award in 2025. There you can find work from local artists in the form of pottery, jewelry, paintings, photography, and more. You can also hit Peach Street Books for new and used books. Once you pick your next read, visit the shop's cafe for some coffee, lattes, or hot chocolate. Make sure you visit Central Park and enjoy some time watching the world go by on the benches, relaxing by the fountain, or picnicking on the grass. Just make sure you pack some of the foods that are said to keep bugs away like basil (great with tomatoes and mozzarella), cucumbers, and orange peel.

With Cape Charles on a peninsula, it's the perfect place to enjoy some shoreline activities. Cape Charles Town Beach is easily accessible from the end of each block on Bay Avenue. If you have kids with you, this is an ideal spot with shallow water for around 100 yards out. You can also take a picture with the town's "LOVEwork" sculpture off Bay Avenue near the fishing pier. This is the only public beach on the eastern shore of Virginia that has free entry and parking. 

You can also hit the two beaches at Kiptopeke State Park, less than 10 miles from town, though note that there are no lifeguards. If you're a birder, observe the area's migratory bird habitats. Campers in the state park can choose from lodges that sleep up to 16 people if you're having a family reunion, as well as cabins, yurts, a bunkhouse, and sites for both RVs and tents. Fishing in the park is a dream with a lighted pier to attract your dinner, though you can also take a boat out to a group of concrete off-shore ship remains from WWII. You can also do some hiking and biking on over 5 miles of trails, or take a kayak out from the southern beach or kayak launch. You can rent kayaks or book a kayak tour via Southeast Expeditions in town. Kiptopeke's parking fee is $7 as of this writing, and the fishing pier fee is $5 for those aged 13 and up and $3 for those 6 to 12. Finally, Cape Charles is only around 36 miles from First Landing State Park, the most visited park in the state. If you have a car, and you're looking for more hiking trails or camping spots, it's absolutely worth the trip.