Aug 30, 2024 - Culture

Axios Richmond readers voted Corolla and Carova as Virginia's favorite beach

Richmond, you've spoken, and Corolla/Carova in the Outer Banks is the champion of our weeklong "best beach near Virginia" bracket.

They won with 53% of the vote in the final round. Sorry, Nags Head.
Corolla and Carova also happen to be physically the closest beaches to Virginia that aren't actually in Virginia.

Zoom in: Beyond proximity, there's a lot to love about the 13-mile Corolla and 11-mile, only accessible by four-wheel drive Carova.

Pristine beaches, newer houses (the entire area was gated-off until 1984), those wild horses and a small-town feel, are a few of them.

Fun fact: The year-round population for Corolla and Carova is around 800 between the two, but those numbers swell to 50,000 a week in season.

We have no doubt most of those vacationers are Richmonders.
In fact, a former RVAer moved there this summer to open OBX's answer to Sidewalk Cafe.

What's next: Richmonders really don't like Virginia's beaches. All four in the bracket were voted out early. We should explore our self-loathing.

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