If you live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., or any other nearby states, chances are you know about Ocean City, MD. And if you’ve never been to OC, you might be wondering “Is Ocean City, MD really a good vacation spot? Is it worth spending money to vacation there?”
Today, we’ll answer those questions for you- and spoiler alert: the answer is YES! OC has over 8 Million annual visitors…… so we must be doing something right!
Ocean City has been improving its reputation as a sought-after vacation destination for years now, and with all of the special events that have been brought to our town, we think we’re continuing to move in the right direction!
Overview of Ocean City, Maryland
If you’re not already aware, Ocean City is on the east coast of Maryland and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Maryland. Our town has a large number of restaurants, vacation rentals, different attractions such as amusement parks, mini-golf, go-kart tracks, the list goes on and on!
OC is also just a few hours away from a lot of major cities on the east coast. Baltimore and Philadelphia are both in the ballpark of 2.5 hours away and Washington D.C. is about 3 hours away. This is one of the main reasons Ocean City, MD is so popular!
Our favorite part about Ocean City is how much appeal it has for any budget and any type of vacationer! OC is a great place for every member of your family. We truly believe that anyone can have fun here.
If you haven’t already, go check out our blog about the different types of areas in Ocean City and how much a vacation rental costs in each area!
Beach and Water Activities
Beach Quality
One of the things that Ocean City prides itself on is the cleanliness of our beaches. The town of Ocean City sends out tractors that sweep and clean the beaches every single night in the summertime. With about 10 miles of shoreline, we’re not sure how they do it, but they get it done!
Yes, a clean beach is GREAT… but what’s even better? A clean AND SAFE beach! During the summer months, there is a lifeguard station every couple of blocks right by the Ocean. OC has a ton of lifeguards on staff that are there to not only keep you safe, but to keep the beach peaceful too!
Water Sports and Activities
If there’s one thing Ocean City doesn’t have a shortage of, it’s water sports and activities (and food, of course). If you’re someone who loves boating, fishing, or both, then you’ll love Ocean City, MD!
We’re sure you’ve seen the Sea Rocket speeding along the shoreline while you’re relaxing on the beach. The Sea Rocket is a speed boat that leaves out of the inlet in West Ocean City. It’s great activity for the whole family! If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to see some dolphins on your ride! Check out our YouTube video to see what a trip on the Sea Rocket is like!
If you’re someone who likes to drive a boat more than you like to ride in one, there are also a number of businesses where you can rent Jet Skis and Pontoon boats!
Last, but certainly not least, if you’re a fisherman, there are a ton of different fishing charters you can go on with family and/or friends! You can also bring your own rod along and go fishing at the beach (after 5:00PM), or off of the Rt. 50 bridge!
Attractions and Entertainment
Amusement Parks
If you’re bringing kiddos along with you for your trip to Ocean City, we highly recommend you take a trip to Jolly Roger, or Trimper Rides! Both are amazing amusement parks great for family fun and have a large number of rides for children of any age.
P.S. check out Jolly Roger’s splash mountain water park, and don’t miss Trimper Rides Ferris wheel for a great view of OC!
Boardwalk and Nightlife
The boardwalk in Ocean City, MD has SO MUCH to offer. There are a countless number of vacation rentals, stores, arcades, restaurants, the list goes on and on! The OCMD boardwalk is one of the main attractions in all of Ocean City and brings us countless visitors every year. To learn a bit more about great places to stay and things to do on the Ocean City, MD boardwalk, check out this blog!
If you get a chance to go out for a few drinks while you’re in town, Ocean City has more places than we could name to do just that. A few of the most popular places to go out in OC are Seacrets and Fagers. One of the things we love most about them both is that you can go there and enjoy have any experience you’d like! Both have areas where you can sit and chat with friends, areas to dance, and areas with live music!
Additionally, Ocean City has been having an increased amount of large music festivals and events recently. Head on over to ococean.com to view some events coming up!
Want a tour of the OC Boardwalk? Watch this YouTube video!
Family-Friendly Environment
Ocean City is a wonderful place for a family vacation. As we mentioned before, the beaches are clean and safe, and the town of Ocean City does a great job keeping the rest of the city safe as well.
Not only that, but there are also TONS of activities for kids! We already mentioned a few main amusement parks, but there are also a ton of mini-golf courses, arcades, go-kart tracks, and even restaurants with kids play areas such as Dead Freddies and Saltwater 75!
Check out this blog all about fun family activities in OC!
Accommodation Options
Another reason Ocean City, MD is a great place to vacation is the wide variety of accommodations. For example, at the moment of writing this blog, we have almost 400 different Ocean City, MD vacation rentals for you to choose from! We have just about any type of property you could want to stay in from smaller efficiency units to large 4–5-bedroom penthouses. If we’ve already sold you on the idea of an OC vacation, book with us to ensure your first trip to OC is a good one!
Restaurants & Great Food
Last, but CERTAINLY not least, one of the reasons Ocean City, MD is a great place to vacation is because of our food. We could sit here and list dozens of restaurants you absolutely have to try when you come to Ocean City, but we’ll leave you with a few of our favorites.
Breakfast: Read this to learn what our top 5 breakfast spots in Ocean City, MD are!
Lunch: Longboard Cafe, Devito’s Deli, Mione’s Pizza
Dinner: 45th Street Taphouse, Tail Chasers, Hooked
For Special Occasions: Read this blog all about some of the best places to eat in Ocean City for special occasions!
So, Is Ocean City, MD a Good Place to Vacation?
Well, we did already spoil the answer for you at the beginning of this blog, but we hope we convinced you to take your first vacation to OC! We love our beach town, and we hope you and your family do to!
If you want to learn all about vacationing in Ocean City, check out our YouTube Channel!
If you’re ready to book your summer vacation to Ocean City, MD, visit our website at centraloc.com! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at info@centraloc.com or give us a call at 410-723-4111! We’d be happy to help!
Thanks for reading!
The Team at Central Reservations
Ocean City’s Vacation Rental Leaders
See you at the beach soon!