Experience the best of Ocean City

Ocean City occupies a narrow barrier island on Maryland's Atlantic coast, with the ocean on one side and shallow coastal bays on the other. About 16 kilometres of beach face the Atlantic, and a boardwalk of wooden planks runs beside the sand, lined with arcades, rides, food stands and shops. At the southern end, the inlet is a busy harbour for the fishing fleet.

Assateague Island, just south across the inlet, is a national seashore where wild horses roam the dunes, and Assateague State Park has quiet beaches. The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, near the inlet, recalls the rescue crews who once watched this coast. Berlin, a small historic town, lies inland, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware is about 40 kilometres north, and Chincoteague in Virginia lies to the south.

Boardwalk fries doused with vinegar, steamed crabs, crab cakes, soft ice cream and saltwater taffy are the tastes of the town, and fishing boats head out for white marlin in summer. The beaches are busiest between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the sea is warmest in August and September, and the town is quiet in winter.