Top 5 Lesser-Known Beaches of Hampton Roads Virginia You Won’t Want to Miss

We all know and adore the sun-kissed Virginia Beach, but guess what? A whole other world of sandy treasures lurks just around the corner! This is why I am sharing the top 5 lesser-known beaches of Hampton Roads, Virginia, that you won’t want to miss!

Get ready to ditch the crowds and dive into some hidden gems in Hampton Roads. Put on your explorer hat (or, in this case, beach hat 👒), sprinkle on that shimmering sunscreen, and grab your funky flip-flops because we’re about to embark on a lesser-known beach-venture!

You’ve got the “vacay-mode” on, but need some offbeat shores to explore? Say no more, beach-lovin’ buddy! 🙌 We’ve tied our hammocks, tested the waters (literally! 🌊), and now we come bearing sunlit secrets of the top 5 lesser-known beaches in Hampton Roads that will send your heart aflutter! 💓 Get ready for a sprinkle of secluded scenic sights and a dash of hidden Hampton delights! 💦🌺

So wave ‘bye-bye’ to the jam-packed tourist traps and ‘hello’ to the tranquil, serene sands that dreams are made of! Ready to uncover these sun-drenched secrets? Thought so! Let’s dive right in…

• 1) First View Beach, Norfolk
• 2) Buckroe Beach, Hampton
• 3) Grandview Natural Preserve Beach – Hampton
• 4) Fort Story Jetty, Virginia Beach
• 5) Yorktown Beach

Hey, my travel-savvy buddy! 🌴✨ Before I spill the beans on all this incredible free info, I’ve got a little favor to ask! 🙏🤩 How about using my affiliate links below to book your trip? It costs you absolutely nothing, and it gives my blog a little ✨boost✨ to keep the adventure train chugging along! 🚂 So, why not help a friend out, have an incredible trip, and keep the good vibes flowing?💃 Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

1) First View Beach, Norfolk

This beach has many memories for me from when I was stationed at Norfolk Naval Station and living off Granby St. What I loved about this beach is that you have all the incredible views of an extensive beach without all the people. Most of the beach lovers you’ll find here are all locals who live along the beach line. Perfect place to relax, not deal with as wrong as parking fees and struggles as going to Virginia Beach while being able to lay out alone, with a friend, or bring the kids down and make a day of it!

2) Buckroe Beach, Hampton

Buckroe Beach is slightly more extensive and more populated, but you still aren’t dealing with a fraction of the foot traffic as you are in comparison to VA Beach. This beach is on the Hampton side of the HRBT (Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel), so getting there, you don’t have to deal with as much traffic. If you move away from the “main” beach area and park on the street, you can basically enjoy an empty beach with a beautiful view and warm waters! This beach also has lifeguards patrolling up and down the beach daily, and flags will indicate when lifeguards aren’t on duty anymore.

3) Grandview Natural Preserve Beach – Hampton

Grandview is a SUPER hidden beach; you have to hike to get out there, and this is a beach you have to “know someone” to know about. So, it is not populated, dog-friendly, and on natural preservation land, so you know that the state works are out making sure that the land is kept up and trash cleaned up, and if you want a slice of solace while visiting Virginia…this is the beach to visit!

4) Fort Story Jetty, Virginia Beach

This is one of the beaches I visited a lot while living in Virginia. I visited here because of the historic lighthouse that sits on the shore behind where this photo was taken. I LOVE this beach! Most military families use this beach because it is located on Fort Story/Little Creek Base, but the gate closest to the lighthouse is very tourist-friendly because of the Lighthouse and its historical value to travelers. Here, you can sit all day and plan a perfectly romantic evening watching the sunset on white sand beaches.

5) Yorktown Beach

If you couldn’t tell, I lived close to many beaches when I lived in VA. At one point, I lived up the hill within walking distance from this beach, so I tended to take many pictures here and spend a lot of time just letting my soul soak in the view.

Another smaller beach that the Yorktown locals mostly frequently visit, it can get a little crowded on weekends, especially in the hype of summer, but if you look hard enough, there is always a little nook away from the crowds that you can set up camp at with your loved one, alone or with your family. There is also great places to eat on the other side of the street from the beach that you shouldn’t miss out on! One is a sandwich shop, and the other is more like a tavern, all family-friendly, and the food is fantastic!

Whichever beach you visit, know that there is no wrong choice. Living here for several years and now returning with a toddler to travel with, I can understand and appreciate when you can visit a beach that isn’t an hour away (without traffic – depending on where you’re staying in VA) and have family-friendly locations to visit or if you just need a little alone time on the beach with a beautiful view!