Our Area
Urbanna
We are right in the middle of “downtown” Urbanna — a quaint teeny tiny town, located in picturesque and wonderfully rural Middlesex County. With just 500 residents, Urbanna is unique in its walkability and proximity to water – nestled between the Rappahannock River and the Urbanna Creek, water is never far away and fishing, crabbing and just meditating are always available.
The town boasts eight restaurants within the town limits, and several others just outside of town, as well as a range of adorable boutiques, three marinas and one of the cutest parks you’ll ever see. Our eateries range from riverside seafood and raw bar, to a stylish café and sandwich shop, to a local favorite BBQ hangout, to an ice cream parlor next to a mini-golf course, to a family-friendly Mexican restaurant. And if you’re an antiques fan, you’ll love our antiques mall and the local shops.
And all of that is just steps away from the Inn, so it is easy to park your car for the weekend, and walk or use one of our bicycles or surreys to explore our tiny town.
Although Urbanna is tiny, it has a big heart — and an active social life! Urbanna teems with live music — at its restaurants and its events. Once a month, the town puts on a live music show with food trucks, craft booths and more (Second Saturdays). Urbanna’s Farmers Market is monthly every second Saturday from May through October. And if you’re looking for some old fashioned fun, the town’s trolley, The Pearl, makes multiple stops throughout the town all summer, even visiting the miniature golf course and ice cream store located just outside of town.
As a colonial port town, Urbanna offers visitors a variety of ways to explore its history. The town’s walking tour is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, and a kayaking tour of historical sites and nature is coming shortly. As an Inn guest, you’re welcome to use our kayaks without charge, but if you’re meeting friends kayaks are also available to rent at the Town Marina.
The town’s museum – the Urbanna Museum and Welcome Center – is the last surviving Scottish Factor Store on the continent (built c. 1766) and boasts a First Edition John Mitchell Map. The Map, published in 1755, was used to define the borders of the new United States of American after the Revolutionary War.
Urbanna is also the home of two major festivals – Arts in the Middle takes place immediately outside of town at Hewick Plantation the first weekend in June, while the Urbanna Oyster Festival takes over the town the first weekend in November.
surrounding area
A wide range of delicious foods and entertaining activities are just minutes away outside of town.
Topping, just ten minutes from Urbanna, boasts a nationally recognized oyster restaurant located right on the Rappahannock River, Merroir, and an air field where you can take scenic flights of the area. Bay Aviation offers flight instruction, scenic flights and you can even step back in time and ride a beautifully restored Fairchild PT-19 or an airplane built for advanced training for the U.S. Navy in 1969.
Deltaville is just a little further down the road from Topping. The minor league baseball team the Deltaville Deltas play in the Deltaville Ballpark, and the Maritime Museum & Holly Point Nature Park is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. Deltaville also offers live music monthly and several art and seafood festivals.
Mathews, about half an hour from Urbanna, offers monthly farmers markets, cute antique shops and summer blueberry picking. It also has a number of terrific kayaking trails and the best hidden beach in the area.
Also nearby is the Virginia Motor Speedway and the Piankatank River Golf Club where the front nine holes are tree lined with gentle rolling hills giving you a mountain course feel. On the back nine, the course flattens out with three holes along the magnificent Piankatank River. And for something a little different, the Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club in Hartfield offers eight world class croquet courts with clinics and lessons year round; its courts even have lights for nighttime play.
And if you love antiques or thrift store shopping, the middle penninsula is filled with antiques markets and shops where deals can always been found scattered throughout the area. Ask us and we’d be happy to share our favorites!
Just across the Rappahannock River you’ll find White Stone, Kilmarnock and Irvington, all great towns to explore. The Compass Entertainment Complex in Irvington is a great destination on a rainy day – kids and grownups alike will love the range of activities they offer – everything from movies to go-karts to batting cages and even a climbing wall.
oysters & seafood
Urbanna is famous for oysters, so it’s not surprising that fresh oysters are everywhere around here. Merroir is owned and operated by the Rappahnnock Oyster Company and offers guests a high end oyster experience consistent with the company’s other restaurants in Washington D.C., Richmond and Los Angeles (but the oysters are even fresher!). For a more laidback oyster and seafood experience, the Urbanna Seafood Market and Raw Bar offers amazing fresh seafood, including oysters, in a casual restaurant right on the water. And if you’d like to catch your own fish, we can help you find a local boat you rent. A number of local captains are also available to take guests out fishing or just to explore the local waterways.
For more information about Urbanna and our surrounding area, check out Urbanna.com, Virginia's River Realm website and the Virginia Oyster Trail.
