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When we picture our chosen safe havens, that list likely looks different to everyone.

For example, Puerto Vallarta has long been deemed one of Mexico's safest beach destinations, but things went topsy-turvy out of nowhere this week with a new security alert you've likely seen on every news station by now.

For the States, though, there are honestly too many to name. Generally, small town hideaways and beach resorts are quite literally your safest bet, no matter how you travel — not late nights in LA or Manhattan back alleys.

That said, we at Travel Off Path just discovered a new report detailing some surprising destinations as the safest in America.

As such, we don't need a crystal ball to know you've been dreaming of your next sunny escape all winter, so we put San Jose and Fort Worth aside and narrowed it down to one beautiful beach getaway that just so happens to be America's safest city for your Vitamin D fix.

Virginia Is For Beach Lovers

We've all seen the corny T-shirts and bumper stickers at one point or another, but Virginia is indeed far more than a cheesy romance line.

Then again, I never got many hits on Tinder…

The team of experts at Islands.com conducted a thorough study on “America's Safest Cities for 2026” and Virginia Beach topped out as the safest beach getaway.

While we're not surprised to hear this, given Virginia Beach's popular family-friendly attractions, many who visit an array of Florida's charming escapes, among other southern states, may be befuddled at best.

Of course, Virginia boasts far more than its vivid Atlantic seaside with staggering mountain ranges, trendy coastal towns, and deeply rooted history, too.

But Virginia Beach is undoubtedly the state's go-to for sun…and sand that you'll find days later wedged in your crevices (hey, it's just the sign of a great trip!).

Not only is Virginia Beach Virginia's most popular beach getaway, but it is also the least likely to find yourself a victim of a violent crime.

Island's study found visitors have ‘a one in 1,083 chance of being a victim of violent crime‘ compared to 1 in 459 for the rest of the state.

That means you can see the sights neck-ache free, as you won't have your head on a swivel. You can venture outside your oceanfront hotel room and visit such places as the 3-mile-long boardwalk, First Landing State Park, and the Virginia Aquarium (considered one of the best aquariums in the U.S.!)

Not to mention that Virginia Beach has also been crowned ‘America's Most Caring City'. All in all, this borderline hidden gem compared to other Southern shores delivers the full package without sacrificing safety.

Is Spring A Good Time To Visit?

I purposely inserted the top picture just for this very paragraph.

Feel free to scroll back up to take a peek and come back because that's a picture of summer crowds versus what you see down below, which is Virginia Beach's coastline during April.

Big difference, huh?

Spring is ‘last call' to beat the unavoidable summer crowds lined with umbrellas, beach loungers, and grouchy parents trying to keep their kiddos in check.

Yeah, like that's gonna happen…

That's why we encourage you pack your AirPods and not your hoodie past March.

March still sees mild weather, topping out at 60, while April and May touch the 70s, so you can pack lighter.

Wait, What About Los Angeles?

Hey, we're not here to reignite the East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry. Plus, nobody wants to hear me spit my mad flow, yo.

What we are here to do is proudly one-up Islands with our own study.

Now, if you're wondering where the ‘City of Angels' came into play for a Virginia article, I hear you. That just means you didn't read the Islands' study, and that's a-ok with us.

They also featured Los Angeles as a safe vacation destination, but we're here to question that…

In fact, our handy dandy new travel tool, the Traveler Safety Index, has already proven to be valuable for travelers researching trips to LA, beating out Miami in our own battle royale challenge.

So, given my own numerous unpleasant experiences as a California resident, along with our readers' real-time input, there's no way Los Angeles beats out Virginia Beach — and quite honestly doesn't belong in the conversation.

Sam Sears

Sam, our Senior Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 44 countries and written over 1500 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.