Published on : 04 Nov 2026
The East Coast of the United States offers no shortage of beach destinations, but two cities define the mid-Atlantic and Southeast beach vacation experience for millions of American families every summer: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. They are both large, well-developed, resort-oriented beach cities with long stretches of Atlantic Ocean sand, boardwalk infrastructure, family attractions, and the full apparatus of the American summer beach town — miniature golf, seafood restaurants, souvenir shops, and the particular pleasure of a wide sandy beach within walking distance of an affordable hotel. And yet they are fundamentally different places, shaped by different geographies, different histories, and different visions of what a beach destination should be.
Myrtle Beach is the unabashed resort — a 60-mile stretch of coastline called the Grand Strand that has been developed into one of the most concentrated tourist corridors in the American South, with more miniature golf courses per square mile than anywhere on Earth (over 100), more golf courses per capita than any city in the country (over 90 regulation courses), a Las Vegas-style strip of family entertainment that runs for miles, and a summer population that swells to 400,000 people on peak July weekends. It is loud, commercial, and unself-consciously dedicated to the proposition that more is more. Virginia Beach is a different proposition — a city of 460,000 permanent residents (the largest city by population in Virginia) where the oceanfront resort area coexists with a working military city (Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world, is 20 miles away), a substantial arts and culture scene, and a 35-mile stretch of coastline that includes not just the resort strip but the wild, windswept dunes of Sandbridge and the False Cape State Park, one of the most remote and pristine wilderness areas on the East Coast.
| Category | Myrtle Beach | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| State | South Carolina | Virginia |
| Coastline | 60-mile Grand Strand | 35 miles |
| Boardwalk length | 1.2 miles (SkyWheel area) | 3 miles |
| Population (metro) | ~500,000 | ~460,000 city proper |
| Annual visitors | ~20 million | ~6 million |
| Golf courses | 90+ regulation courses | 15–20 courses |
| Average hotel (summer) | $120–280/night | $150–320/night |
| Average dinner | $25–55/person | $30–60/person |
| Water temp (July–Aug) | 82–84°F | 76–80°F |
| Best for | Golf, family entertainment, budget, nightlife | Cleaner beaches, nature, military history, local culture |
| Nearest major airport | Myrtle Beach Intl (MYR) | Norfolk Intl (ORF), 30 min |
| Best season | May–September | June–September |
The Grand Strand — 60 continuous miles of Atlantic beach from Little River at the North Carolina border to Pawleys Island in the south — is the defining geographic feature of Myrtle Beach, and the central fact of its appeal. The sand is wide (100–300 feet at low tide in most areas), gently sloping, and excellent for swimming in summer (water temperatures reach 82–84°F in July–August, the warmest Atlantic beach water north of Florida). The beach is free and publicly accessible throughout, though parking requires either a hotel with beach access or a paid lot ($15–25/day in peak season).
The Grand Strand breaks into distinct communities from north to south: North Myrtle Beach (quieter, slightly more family-oriented, the Barefoot Landing shopping/entertainment complex, the most popular destination for the Carolina Shag dance culture — the SOS (Society of Stranders) dance festivals in May and September are the finest Shag dance events in the world), Myrtle Beach proper (the most developed stretch — the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade runs 1.2 miles along the oceanfront from 2nd to 14th Avenue North, the SkyWheel observation wheel 187 feet high $17/adult is the most visible landmark on the Grand Strand, the Pavilion Nostalgia Park amusement rides, Broadway at the Beach (the most visited entertainment complex in Myrtle Beach — 350 acres of restaurants, shops, nightclubs, and attractions including Ripley’s Aquarium $33/adult and the Palace Theatre live shows)), Surfside Beach (the self-proclaimed “Family Beach,” quieter and more residential, the finest stretch for families with young children), Murrells Inlet (15 miles south of Myrtle Beach proper — the finest seafood destination on the Grand Strand: the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk is a 0.5-mile boardwalk along the saltmarsh estuary lined with the finest seafood restaurants in the region, the Hot Fish Club established 1903 (the oldest restaurant in Murrells Inlet), Dead Dog Saloon, Lee’s Inlet Kitchen (the most beloved traditional seafood restaurant on the Grand Strand, the flounder and the She-crab soup the benchmark dishes, the cheapest prices for fresh local seafood on the whole 60-mile stretch)), Pawleys Island (the most beautiful and least developed part of the Grand Strand — a 4-mile barrier island with no commercial development by design, the finest escape from the Myrtle Beach resort apparatus, wide natural beach, the Litchfield Beach and the Huntington Beach State Park).
Huntington Beach State Park (3 miles south of Murrells Inlet — the finest state park beach on the Grand Strand: 2,500 acres, 3 miles of pristine undeveloped beach, the Atalaya Castle (1931 Moorish Revival estate of philanthropist Archer Huntington, free tour), excellent birding (350+ species), $8/vehicle, campground, the most beautiful natural beach experience within the Myrtle Beach area).
Virginia Beach’s oceanfront runs 3 miles from Rudee Inlet at the southern end to 42nd Street at the northern end, with the Virginia Beach Boardwalk extending the full 3 miles — the longest oceanfront boardwalk on the East Coast at 28 feet wide, designed for cycling (rentals $15–25/half-day), rollerblading, and walking, lined with hotels, restaurants, and the 24th Street Park stage for free summer concerts. The ocean at Virginia Beach is slightly cooler than Myrtle Beach in summer (76–80°F in July–August) but still excellent for swimming, and the beach is wide (200–400 feet at low tide in peak season). The sand quality is comparable to Myrtle Beach — Atlantic coast fine sand, brown-gold in color, clean and well-maintained.
The Virginia Beach Resort Area runs from the oceanfront to the Chesapeake Bay side: The Strip (Atlantic Avenue, the central resort corridor, the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier at 15th Street (the most popular fishing structure in Virginia, $14/day fishing, $5 to walk, fresh flounder, red drum, and Spanish mackerel in summer)), the Neptune Festival (last full weekend of September — the finest sand sculpting competition on the East Coast, free, draws 400,000 visitors). Sandbridge Beach (12 miles south of the resort strip — the finest beach experience in Virginia Beach: a 7-mile barrier island with no hotels, no commercial strip, only vacation rentals and beach houses, the broadest and cleanest beach in the area, the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (9,250 acres, the finest birding on the Atlantic Coast between Cape Hatteras and Chincoteague, free, closes October 1 to private vehicles for waterfowl management)). First Landing State Park (north end of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay side — the finest state park in Virginia: 2,888 acres, 19 miles of trails through the northernmost bald cypress swamp forest in the US, the Bald Cypress Trail 1.5-mile loop is the finest easy nature walk in Virginia Beach, campground, kayak rentals, $7/vehicle). False Cape State Park (the most remote state park on the East Coast accessible to the public — only by hiking 4–6 miles through the Back Bay NWR or by boat, no road access, primitive camping only, one of the most pristine barrier island beaches on the East Coast).
The verdict on beaches: Virginia Beach wins on natural beach quality — the Sandbridge stretch, First Landing State Park, and Back Bay NWR together offer the finest combination of clean Atlantic beach and undeveloped natural coastal wilderness within any major East Coast beach city. Myrtle Beach wins on water temperature, the breadth of the Grand Strand (60 miles gives visitors enormous variety), and the energy and entertainment of the resort strip — if the beach itself is the whole point and you want warm water and a lively scene, Myrtle Beach delivers.
Myrtle Beach is the undisputed golf capital of the American East Coast — with over 90 regulation courses on the Grand Strand, it has more golf per square mile than any destination east of the Mississippi, and the combination of warm weather (the season runs year-round, with the finest golf weather in March–May and September–November), affordable green fees, and the sheer variety of course designs has made it the most popular domestic golf destination in the United States.
The finest courses: TPC Myrtle Beach (Murrells Inlet, the finest course on the Grand Strand, Tom Fazio design, $120–185/round, Bermuda fairways, the closing stretch along the Intracoastal Waterway the finest finishing holes in the region), Caledonia Golf & Fish Club (Pawleys Island, the most beautiful course on the Grand Strand, Mike Strantz design, $115–165/round, the oak allée entrance the most photographed approach in Grand Strand golf), True Blue Golf (Pawleys Island, the finest value course in the Pawleys Island area, Mike Strantz design, $90–140/round), Dunes Golf and Beach Club (Myrtle Beach proper, the most historic club on the Grand Strand, the Robert Trent Jones Sr. 1948 design, $130–180/round, the Ocean Course holes the finest ocean views in Grand Strand golf), Man O’ War Golf (Myrtle Beach, Tom Fazio design, among the most playable courses for mid-handicap golfers, $65–105/round), Barefoot Resort Golf (North Myrtle Beach, four distinct courses by four Hall of Fame designers — Love, Dye, Norman, Fazio — on a single property, $75–130/round, the finest multi-course resort value in the region).
Golf packages are the finest value in Myrtle Beach travel — 3-night/3-round packages routinely run $350–550/person at mid-range courses, all-inclusive, in spring and fall. The Myrtle Beach Golf Authority (myrtlebeachgolf.com) coordinates packages across all 90+ courses.
Virginia Beach has 15–20 courses, primarily municipal and resort courses, competent but not remarkable: Hell’s Point Golf Club (the finest course in Virginia Beach, Rees Jones design, the marsh views on the back nine genuine, $50–75/round), Bow Creek Golf Course (municipal, $30–45/round, the best value golf in the city), Virginia Beach National Golf Club ($65–95/round, the most resort-oriented course in the area).
The verdict on golf: Myrtle Beach wins decisively and comprehensively — it is simply the finest golf destination on the East Coast, and the primary reason most adult visitors choose the Grand Strand over other beach destinations.
Myrtle Beach is the most family-entertainment-dense destination on the East Coast — a city that has built its entire economy around the proposition that families with children need more than a beach, and has delivered accordingly.
Broadway at the Beach (US-17 at 21st Ave N — the most visited entertainment complex in South Carolina: 350 acres with 100+ shops, 20+ restaurants, miniature golf, Ripley’s Aquarium ($33/adult, $22/child — one of the finest aquariums in the Southeast, the shark tunnel walkway the finest single attraction, the touch-a-ray tank popular with young children), WonderWorks ($29/adult, an upside-down science house), Hollywood Wax Museum ($26), Myrtle Waves Water Park ($40/adult in season), nightclubs including Revolutions, nightly fountain shows). Family Kingdom Amusement Park (oceanfront at 9th Ave S — the finest traditional beachfront amusement park on the East Coast, the Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster the most beloved ride, $33/unlimited rides, the ocean view from the coaster the finest single theme park moment on the Grand Strand). Myrtle Beach SkyWheel (1110 N Ocean Blvd — 187 feet tall, climate-controlled gondolas, $17/adult, $12/child, the finest single overview of the Grand Strand from above, runs until midnight in summer). The Track Family Recreation Center (3400 N Kings Hwy and multiple locations — go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, the finest family go-kart complex in the Myrtle Beach area, the SuperTrack the most popular attraction, $10–25/activity). Miniature golf — Myrtle Beach has over 100 miniature golf courses, more per square mile than anywhere on Earth: the finest are Hawaiian Rumble (the most popular, the volcano erupts every 20 minutes, $14/round), Dragon’s Lair ($12/round), and Molten Mountain ($10/round).
Virginia Beach’s family entertainment is more modest in scale but higher in quality-to-price ratio: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (717 General Booth Blvd — the finest aquarium in Virginia, the best value on the oceanfront at $24/adult, $19/child, the Norfolk Canyon exhibit with the shark tunnel the most impressive room, the touch tank and the otter exhibit the most popular with young children, the Marsh Pavilion boardwalk through a live salt marsh unique among US aquariums). Ocean Breeze Waterpark ($43/adult in peak season, 23 water attractions, the finest waterpark experience within Virginia Beach). Mount Trashmore Park (the most creatively named park in Virginia — a 165-acre park built on a capped landfill with the finest kite-flying hill in the city, two lakes, skateboard park, free). Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium (zip lines and aerial obstacle courses through the maritime forest adjacent to the aquarium, $25–65/person). Cape Henry Lighthouse (at Fort Story, the oldest government-built lighthouse in the US (1792), free with military ID, $5/civilian, the site of the first English landing in America in 1607).
The verdict on family entertainment: Myrtle Beach wins on volume and variety — Broadway at the Beach, Family Kingdom, 100+ miniature golf courses, and the SkyWheel together represent the most concentrated family entertainment infrastructure on the East Coast. Virginia Beach wins on quality and value — the Virginia Aquarium is excellent, the boardwalk is better designed, and the absence of the relentless commercial pressure makes it a more relaxed family experience.
Myrtle Beach’s food scene is dominated by seafood — specifically the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, the most distinctive and most debated restaurant format on the Grand Strand: massive buffet restaurants serving peel-and-eat shrimp, crab legs, fried flounder, hush puppies, macaroni and cheese, and banana pudding for $35–55/adult. The finest (and the most defended by Grand Strand loyalists): Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant (the original Grand Strand seafood buffet, $52/adult at dinner, 170+ items, the crab legs the best reason to go), The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood ($48/adult), Damon’s Grill (the best value buffet on the strip).
Beyond the buffets: The Boathouse at Barefoot Landing (North Myrtle Beach, fresh local seafood in a proper sit-down setting, the grouper sandwich $22, the fried shrimp basket $24, the finest mid-range seafood restaurant on the northern Grand Strand), Dead Dog Saloon (Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, the finest fish tacos on the Grand Strand, the view over the marsh the best in the Murrells Inlet strip, $15–28), Lee’s Inlet Kitchen (see Beaches section — the finest traditional lowcountry seafood value on the Grand Strand, the flounder plate $24, the She-crab soup $9, the most beloved restaurant of local Grand Strand families), New York Prime (405 28th Ave N, the finest steakhouse in Myrtle Beach, the bone-in ribeye $72, the most sophisticated dining on the Grand Strand outside Pawleys Island), Collector’s Café (7726 N Kings Hwy, the most artistically decorated restaurant in Myrtle Beach — the gallery walls covered floor to ceiling with original paintings by the owner, the American food reliable and good at $35–55/person).
Virginia Beach’s food scene benefits from the Chesapeake Bay proximity — the finest oysters, blue crabs, and local fish in the region come from Bay-adjacent waters, and the city’s permanent resident population (460,000) has supported a more sophisticated restaurant scene than pure resort towns typically develop.
The definitive Virginia Beach food experiences: Catch 31 (3001 Atlantic Ave, in the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront — the finest oceanfront dining in Virginia Beach, wood-fired fish, the oysters Rockefeller $22, the whole fish $45, the view from the terrace the finest restaurant view in the city), Terrapin (3102 Holly Rd — the most ambitious restaurant in Virginia Beach, mid-Atlantic farm-to-table, the sea scallops with local corn $44, the duck $52, the finest non-seafood cooking in the city, $70–90/person), Waterman’s Surfside Grille (415 Atlantic Ave — the finest casual oceanfront restaurant in Virginia Beach, the fish tacos $18, the crab cake sandwich $24, the rooftop bar the most popular happy hour spot on the boardwalk), Jewish Mother (3108 Pacific Ave — the most beloved deli in Virginia Beach, enormous sandwiches, live music every night, the pastrami on rye $18, the most authentic non-resort restaurant experience in the city, open since 1975), Bay Local Oyster Company (Chesapeake Bay side — the finest raw bar in Virginia Beach, local Lynnhaven oysters (the most celebrated oyster in Virginia history, served to President Washington in 1789) $3.50–4.50/each, the view over the Bay at sunset the finest dining view in the city).
The verdict on food: Virginia Beach wins on dining quality and local authenticity — the oyster culture, the farm-to-table scene, and the permanent-resident restaurant diversity are superior. Myrtle Beach wins on value and the specific, irreplaceable experience of the all-you-can-eat Grand Strand seafood buffet, which is a genuine regional culinary tradition worth experiencing once.
Myrtle Beach’s nightlife is the most developed of any beach town on the East Coast south of Miami Beach — the combination of a 20 million annual visitor count (the highest of any beach destination on the East Coast outside of Florida), a legal drinking age culture that has been carefully marketed to college spring breakers and adult vacationers alike, and the sheer infrastructure of Broadway at the Beach has produced a nightlife scene that runs year-round and peaks July 4th weekend with an intensity that few American beach towns match.
The finest nightlife: Freaky Tiki Tropical Bar (the most popular tiki bar on the Grand Strand, the rum drinks and the ocean view the draw, $12–18/cocktail), Sandcastles Oceanfront Night Club (the most popular oceanfront nightclub on the strip, DJ sets and live music, $10–20 cover), Suck Bang Blow (Murrells Inlet — the finest biker bar on the Grand Strand, the most reliably entertaining live music venue in the Murrells Inlet area, free, $6–8 beers), Boathouse Raw Bar & Grill (the finest sunset cocktail spot in North Myrtle Beach), The Carolina Opry (8901-A N Kings Hwy — the most established live performance theater on the Grand Strand, country music, comedy, and variety shows $45–65/ticket, the finest family-appropriate evening entertainment in Myrtle Beach), Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament ($67/adult, the most theatrical dining experience on the Grand Strand). The Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex runs until midnight in summer with the fountain shows, nightclub strip, and full restaurant corridor.
Virginia Beach’s nightlife is more subdued but more locally authentic: Chanticleer Lounge at the Cavalier Hotel (the most beautiful hotel bar in Virginia Beach — the Cavalier Virginia Beach (1927, the grandest historic hotel on the East Coast south of The Breakers in Palm Beach, $350–600/night, the ocean view rooms the finest in Virginia Beach) has the most storied bar in the city, $18–24/cocktail, live jazz on weekends), Chix Seafood & Raw Bar (3002 Atlantic Ave — the finest rooftop bar on the Virginia Beach boardwalk, the sunset views north along the oceanfront the finest bar view in the city), Peabody’s (209 21st St — the most legendary music venue in Virginia Beach, open since 1967, the founding venue of the Hampton Roads live music scene, local bands and regional touring acts, $5–15 cover), Mahi Mah’s Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Lounge (the most sophisticated bar program on the Virginia Beach boardwalk, the sushi a genuine surprise in a beach town, $14–20/cocktail).
The verdict on nightlife: Myrtle Beach wins on scale and energy — the Grand Strand nightlife scene is the most developed of any East Coast beach town. Virginia Beach wins on quality and authenticity — the Cavalier’s Chanticleer Lounge, Peabody’s local music heritage, and the rooftop bar scene are more sophisticated than anything Myrtle Beach offers.
This is a category Virginia Beach wins without contest. Naval Station Norfolk (20 miles from Virginia Beach via the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel — the largest naval base in the world, 75,000 military personnel, tours available through Norfolk Naval Station Tours $15/adult, the most remarkable military facility open to civilian visit in the US). USS Wisconsin (Nauticus museum, Norfolk — a Iowa-class battleship moored permanently as a museum, free to walk on the main deck, the finest battleship museum experience on the East Coast, $20/adult for the full museum). Military Aviation Museum (1341 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach — the finest collection of WWI and WWII military aircraft in the US, 70+ airworthy vintage aircraft, $20/adult, the aircraft in flying condition are demonstrated at airshows, the most extraordinary single attraction in Virginia Beach for history enthusiasts). Cape Henry Memorial (the site of the first English landing in America, April 26, 1607 — 15 days before the founding of Jamestown, the Cape Henry Lighthouse 1792 the oldest government-constructed lighthouse in the US, $5/civilian, free with military ID, within the Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story active military installation). Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum (1113 Atlantic Ave, free, in the de Witt Cottage (1895, the oldest building on the oceanfront), Chesapeake Bay waterfowl decoy art the finest collection of its kind in the region).
Myrtle Beach has the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum (free, 3100 S Ocean Blvd, the finest art museum on the Grand Strand) and the Myrtle Beach State Park (4401 S Kings Hwy, the finest natural experience within the Myrtle Beach resort area, 312 acres, 1-mile nature trail, $8/vehicle), but nothing approaching the military history concentration of the Virginia Beach/Norfolk metro.
Myrtle Beach is the most affordable major beach destination on the East Coast — the high volume of visitors (20 million annually) and the competitive resort economy have driven down prices for hotels, food, and entertainment to levels that make a Grand Strand vacation accessible to nearly every American family.
Hotels: Oceanfront hotels in peak summer (June–August) run $120–280/night for a standard room; the finest oceanfront properties (Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort, Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation) run $250–420/night. Off-season (October–April) prices drop 50–70%: a standard oceanfront room for $60–120/night is routine. Condo/vacation rentals are the finest value in Myrtle Beach — a 2-bedroom oceanfront condo through VRBO or similar runs $150–350/night in peak season and can accommodate 4–6 people, cutting per-person accommodation cost sharply. Dining: A family of four can eat well (a seafood buffet dinner, a deli lunch) for $80–130. Activities: Miniature golf $10–14/round, go-karts $10–20, the SkyWheel $17/adult — Myrtle Beach activities are priced for family budgets. Flights: Myrtle Beach International (MYR) has direct flights from most East Coast cities ($100–300 RT), and the drive from Charlotte (3 hours), Raleigh (3.5 hours), and Washington DC (8 hours) makes it accessible by car for a large regional population.
Virginia Beach is moderately priced for an East Coast beach destination — more expensive than Myrtle Beach but significantly more affordable than the Jersey Shore, the Hamptons, or Cape Cod. Hotels: Oceanfront hotels in peak summer run $150–320/night; the Cavalier Virginia Beach ($350–600/night) is the finest and most expensive hotel on the oceanfront. Dining: Mid-range dinner for two with wine $80–120 at the finest restaurants; casual seafood meals $30–50/person. Activities: The Virginia Aquarium $24/adult is the finest value attraction; the boardwalk, First Landing State Park, and Sandbridge beach are free. Flights: Norfolk International (ORF) has direct flights from major East Coast hubs ($120–350 RT); the drive from Richmond (2.5 hours), Washington DC (4 hours), and Charlotte (5 hours) is competitive with Myrtle Beach for the same regional population.
The verdict on cost: Myrtle Beach wins — it is the most affordable full-service beach resort on the East Coast, and the vacation rental economy makes it particularly good value for families. Virginia Beach is a close second with comparable hotel pricing but fewer budget dining options on the oceanfront strip.
Choose Myrtle Beach if:
Choose Virginia Beach if:
The honest answer: Myrtle Beach is the finest family beach resort deal in the American South — affordable, entertaining, and reliably sunny, with the best East Coast golf attached. Virginia Beach is the more complete destination for adult travelers who want a beach trip that includes good food, genuine nature, and an absence of the most commercial excesses of the resort economy. Both are worth visiting; most visitors to one have never been to the other, and both would be served by trying both.
Posted By : Vinay
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