Sports & Recreation

A year-round playing.

​Golf courses are plentiful in Virginia Beach.

There are 10 top-rated courses designed by such world-famous course architects as Fred Couples, Arnold Palmer, and the legendary Pete Dye. These courses, including the prestigious Virginia Beach National, are sure to intrigue beginners and challenge the pros.

There are many ways to get on the water.

The intersection of the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and a variety of freshwater waterways, Virginia Beach offers up a uniquely diverse range of fish and fishing destinations.

From world-class off-shore action to a bounty of coastal species and a fantastic mix of inland, and freshwater adventures, it’s no wonder Virginia Beach is considered an angler’s paradise and is known as the "Striped Bass Capital of the World."

Several fishing pears are appealing to fishermen year-round because of the ample catches during its peak season. Summer catches include mackerel, bluefish, croakers, red drum, flounder, and many others.

Explore more ways to get in the water.

There is always a good time to explore our great outdoors!

Virginia Beach is home to 265 city parks and facilities, adventurous trails, breathtaking scenic routes, wildlife refuges, and miles of beaches.

The parks and recreation systems in Virginia Beach are made up of over 7,000 acres of fields, forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and beach shorelines. The system of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities is very diverse serving residents with parks right in their own neighborhoods as well as providing community parks and natural open spaces with trails. There are seven recreation centers that provide year-round programming and recreational opportunities for all ages and many special-use facilities such as boat launches, fishing piers, athletic field complexes, golf courses, and skate parks.​

Learn more about our recreational activities and amenities in the Virginia Beach Outdoors Plan​ - A Master Plan for the Parks and Recreation System.​

The nation’s first fully accessible beach-front park and playground, JT’s Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground provide 15,​000 square feet of ramps and decking, a shaded play area, bench seating, and areas to picnic. The park is accessible to everyone including disabled children and adults.

The City of Virginia Beach has invested in various recreation facilities. The Princess Anne Athletic Complex, located in the heart of Princess Anne Commons, includes eight lighted tournament-quality softball fields and seven multi-purpose playing fields. Across town, the Owl Creek Municipal Tennis Center provides twelve lighted hard courts and two climate-controlled indoor hard courts for many tournaments and round robins. ​

Virginia Beach also offers 188​ tennis courts throughout the City. In addition, the City's seven community recreation centers offer nearly 500,000 square feet of indoor fitness and recreation space including indoor pools, gymnasiums, cardio and free-weight exercise equipment, group fitness areas, and community-use rooms.

In addition, the City boasts two state parks and ​a national wildlife refuge.

• The 2,888-acre First Landing State Park offers boating, swimming, hiking, biking, picnicking, and 19 miles of trails
• The 4,321-acre False Cape State Park boasts six miles of unspoiled beaches and nine miles of hiking/biking trails.
• The Back Bay Wildlife Refuge encompasses 10,000 acres and has a wild assortment of wildlife, including threatened and endangered species such as loggerhead sea turtles, piping plovers, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles.​​​​​