Keen to enjoy some of the best sunsets on the Chesapeake Bay? Eager to relax and soak in local ambience in a laid-back town? Look no farther than Cape Charles, VA.
Located near the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, Cape Charles stands near the eastern entrance to the Chesapeake Bay as the southernmost town on the Eastern Shore. While this makes it a great stopover for those transiting the Intracoastal Waterway or sailing on the Atlantic, what really distinguishes Cape Charles is the daily magnificence of the sun setting over the vast expanse of the Chesapeake Bay to the west.
First developed in the 1880s and a bustling railroad town through the 1950s, Cape Charles has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Its historic buildings now house restaurants, shops, and an old-fashioned soda fountain, among other attractions. Rocking chairs adorn the front porches of several stores, inviting a slower pace and conversation with locals and visitors alike. The sunsets, along with the town’s welcoming atmosphere and beautiful public beach, keep sailors returning to Cape Charles time and again.
Buddy and Dariene DeRyder regularly sail their Beneteau 423 Surfryder to Cape Charles from their home port of Hampton. For them, and for many on the western shore of the Southern Bay, Cape Charles beckons as a rewarding destination. Summer southerlies usually afford a pleasant reach to and from Cape Charles.
Phil Gurlik, who has spent more than a year sailing to as many towns as he can on the Chesapeake Bay on his O’Day 302 Cyan, includes Cape Charles as a logical stop for sailors on a tour of the lower Eastern Shore. He ranks its proximity to the ICW as a plus for southbound sailors.
Both the DeRyders and Gurlik note the ease of navigating the well-marked, dredged channel to Cape Charles. A range marks the entrance and first leg of the narrow channel. The Eastern Shore Railroad operates floats from Cape Charles Harbor to Little Creek, sometimes posing a challenge to recreational craft in the channel.
While there is no anchorage or mooring field, the town harbor marina maintains plenty of well-kept floating docks, a fuel dock, a pump-out facility, and the popular on-site seafood restaurant The Shanty. Nearby on Kings Creek, sailors can find more amenities at the Oyster Farm Marina at Kings Creek.
For DeRyder, a Cape Charles treat is renting a golf cart for touring the area including the old lighthouse, the Coast Guard station, and the old marina near the train tracks.
Sailors can find plenty of opportunities for another popular waterfront activity: fishing. The public pier offers a chance for simultaneously chatting, wetting a line, and viewing the sunset at the end of the day. The town maintains a saltwater fishing license for the pier, so individual licenses are not required. Supplies and support abound at the tackle store in town.
Cape Charles celebrates summertime with several parades and festivals. For the seafood-oriented, the Clam Slam takes place July 31 – August 2 and features plenty of clams, music, skiff races, and boat docking contests. For the sunset-oriented, impromptu celebrations take place every day while outdoor concerts occur once a month in the summer.
For the sailing oriented, several tall ships come to Cape Charles (and sometimes even race) every June, and the Leo Wardrup Memorial Cape Charles Cup takes place August 15-16.
Sunsets, serenity, seafood, and sand... just a few of the reasons the DeRyders keep returning and a few reasons for those who have never been there to put Cape Charles on a list of Bay places to visit.
by Tracy Leonard
