Chincoteague

Just south of the Maryland-Virginia line, a few miles east of U.S. 13, the Virginia Eastern Shore's island resort town of Chincoteague (pronounced shin-coh-teeg), which means "large stream or inlet"—also known as Chinoteague Island—exudes a pleasant aura of seclusion. Small, but bustling, with affordable eateries and myriad shops, it is eminently walkable. Within a few minutes' drive or an easy bike ride, relatively uncrowded beaches stretch northward for miles. Small inns and B&Bs abound.