Southern Living Rates Cape Charles ‘Best Little Beach Town’

By Cape Charles Wave Staff

June 27, 2012

Southern Living Magazine used this photo of the Town Harbor to showcase its selection of Cape Charles as one of the South’s five “Best Beach Towns.” (Photo by Scott Suchman)

It’s impossible to buy a copy locally of the June edition of Southern Living. That’s because the magazine includes a page on Cape Charles, rated among their “Best Little Beach Towns,” and local newsracks are sold out.

Only five beaches made the list: two from Florida, and one each from Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Cape Charles is described as “full of signature golf courses, clam chowder, and classic harbors.”

It’s also termed “The Comeback Town — This bustling Eastern Shore hub nearly dried up in the 1950s when a ferry terminal headed south to Kiptopeke. But fresh development has revived this charming town with a mix of marinas and golf courses, Victorian homes and oyster shacks,” writes Southern Living.

Under “What to Do,” the magazine recommended the golf courses and marina at Bay Creek, but added that “downtown’s seven square blocks, bordered by dunes and Bay Beach, remain the core.” And “the 1940s Historic Palace Theater keeps things current by bringing various musical acts to town,” the article reported.

With a space limitation of one page, the article was far from comprehensive. Where to Eat? Only three recommendations: Aqua (clam chowder and crab-and-Brie burgers); Kelly’s Gingernut Pub (Bell’s Oberon Ale draft); and the Shanty (“fresh-harvested, steamed clams and crab on a deck overlooking the bay”).

Lodging recommendations are equally abbreviated: “Rent a house or villa at Bay Creek Resort (from $250). Or, opt for Cape Charles House Bed and Breakfast or Fig Street Inn (both from $140).”

The four other “Best Little Beach Towns” according to Southern Living are:

• Tybee Island, Georgia
• Folly Beach, South Carolina (near Charleston)
• Alys Beach, Florida
• Cedar Key, Florida