78th Street

Overview

Located in the coastal city of Virginia Beach in southeastern Virginia, 78th Street Beach is a beach with light brown sand.  This beach is a part of a larger beach area named the North End Beaches.

Amenities

78th Street Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so please plan accordingly.  Dogs on leash are allowed on 78th Street Beach before 10 am and after 6 pm between the Friday before Memorial Day and the Labor Day weekend.  Dogs on leash are allowed on 78th Street Beach at any time for the rest of the year.

Activities

78th Street Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, windsurfing, parasailing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, wakeboarding, boating, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching.  

If you are planning to swim, surf, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard near 78th Street Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have unpredictable rip currents and dangerous waves.  In addition, surfers should also note that surfing near 78th Street Beach is occasionally restricted between Fridays and Sundays and during holidays in summer months – you need to check the signboards posted at this beach to know more about the seasonal surfing restrictions.

If you are planning to launch your kayak, canoe, surf-ski, or any other boat from 78th Street Beach, please visit the city of Virginia Beach’s website for more information on the local seasonal boat launching and landing restrictions. 

78th Street Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience because this beach sees fewer visitors as compared to other Virginia Beach beaches.

Disability Access

78th Street Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Parking

Getting to 78th Street Beach is easy – this beach is located near the eastern end of 78th Street, near its intersection with United States Route 60.  There are a few free street parking spaces near the beach entrance.

Fun Fact

If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, 78th Street Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and the northern Virginia Beach shoreline.

Attractions

There are many attractions near 78th Street Beach.  Cape Henry Lighthouses are a pair of historic lighthouses that were built in 1792 and 1881.  These lighthouses offer an interesting insight into Virginia Beach’s history – in addition, one of the lighthouses is also open to the public and offers amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean.  Neptune’s Park is an oceanfront park that is adjacent to a statue of Neptune, who is the Roman god of seas.  This park also hosts many fun concerts and events during summers, one of them being a summer concert series.  First Landing State Park is a coastal state park that has two beaches named First Landing Beach and The Narrows Beach and it has many amazing habitats including maritime forests, wetlands, and lagoons.  This state park was also the site where English colonists who founded the colony of Jamestown landed in 1607 – Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in the Americas.  First Landing State Park also has the Chesapeake Bay Center with interesting exhibitions, a campground, a few historic buildings, and a gift shop. 

Pleasure House Point Natural Area is a 118-acre recreational area that has many kinds of habitats including tidal marshes and maritime forests and it offers many fun activities including boating, wildlife watching, hiking, canoeing, and kayaking.  You can see many animal species here including many migrant and resident birds, turtles, crabs, oysters, and amphibians.  If you are looking for another attraction near 78th Street Beach, Virginia Beach Boardwalk is a popular oceanfront boardwalk that offers an amazing waterfront hiking, biking, and roller skating experience.  In addition, this boardwalk is also located near some of Virginia Beach’s most popular shops, attractions, and restaurants – there are multiple stages near this boardwalk that offer live concerts in summers. 

Restaurants

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near 78th Street Beach.  Lager Heads is a restaurant and bar that offers many delicious dishes for breakfast and lunch including burgers, sandwiches, flatbread, pastas, and seafood – this restaurant also serves amazing cocktails and also offers live music performances.  Il Giardino Ristorante is an Italian restaurant that offers amazing dishes including Italian-style pork chops, pasta, chicken Tuscany, frutti di mare, and veal chops.  Waterman’s Surfside Grille is known for serving amazing seafood – this restaurant also serves many other excellent dishes for lunch and dinner including fries, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and pastas, along with delicious cold beverages.   Shorebreak Pizza & Taphouse offers excellent pizzas, along with a variety of other dishes including burgers, salads, chicken wings, tacos, and sandwiches – this restaurant also offers excellent beer.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near 78th Street Beach,  Doc Taylor’s Restaurant is set in a beautiful pink building and offers amazing dishes for breakfast and lunch including pancakes, French toasts, eggs, wraps, salads, sandwiches, and burgers – it also serves many refreshing beverages including mimosas and coffee. 

Hotels

If you are looking for a hotel near 78th Street Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront offers many amenities including multiple pools (including an infinity pool), fitness center, and a restaurant.  The 4-Star Cavalier Virginia Beach, Autograph Collection is another historic hotel that offers many amenities including a beach club, a spa, a bourbon distillery, a pool, multiple restaurants, a hot tub, gift shop, bike rental facilities, and a fitness center.  Another great upscale hotel is the 3.5-Star Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront that offers many amenities including multiple pools, a fitness center, a spa, bike rental facilities, a convenience store, multiple restaurants, and an ice cream shop.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn & Suites Virginia Beach – North Beach that offers many amenities including three restaurants, a fitness center, a movie theater, a seasonal kids’ camp, multiple pools, a gym, three restaurants (including a seasonal restaurant), and a market.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near 78th Street Beach, the 3-Star Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, a bar, a gift shop, and a restaurant.