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Cape Fear & Brunswick Islands
Discover 31 miles of island beaches in Cape Fear & the Brunswick Islands
Tuesday, Mar 20, 2007 - 02:22 PM Updated: 04:19 PM
Children play on the beach.
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Save This PageAlong Cape Fear, the tagline says it all: an ocean, a historic riverfront town and the stories they tell. There are 31 miles of island beaches near Wilmington, which has a 230-plus block National Register Historic District. Father south, it’s still an old-fashioned, family-oriented beach vacation. The area offers beaches, nature, history and it’s the bed-and-breakfast capital of the North Carolina coast. Wilmington is in the book “The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America.” And Brunswick County offers 35 golf courses.
The beach serves up a multitude of water sport possibilities: motorboats, skiffs, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, fishing on charter boats and off town piers, swimming, sunbathing and more.
Other activities: horse-drawn carriage tours in Wilmington, climbing the lighthouse at Bald Head Island, watching the second-brightest lighthouse beam in the world from the Oak Island Lighthouse; mini-golf, water slides and much more.
Brunswick Island beaches face south, which means the sun sets over the water at certain times of the year (in winter, not summer).
Cape Fear:
Carolina Beach:
Carolina Beach is located on Pleasure Island, the larger of two barrier islands on the Cape Fear Coast. Carolina offers marinas, a boardwalk, a pier, a gazebo, arcade, and shops. It features an active charter boat basin, offering nightly party cruises and offshore fishing excursions.
Carolina Beach is located on Pleasure Island, the larger of two barrier islands on the Cape Fear Coast. Carolina offers marinas, a boardwalk, a pier, a gazebo, arcade, and shops. It features an active charter boat basin, offering nightly party cruises and offshore fishing excursions.
Kure Beach:
Situated at the southern tip of Pleasure Island is the small, family-oriented community of Kure Beach. It offers scenic views of the Cape Fear River, the Atlantic Ocean, and Zeke’s Island estuarine complex. Uncrowded beaches, casual restaurants and comfortable accommodations combine to make Kure Beach a favorite for many vacationers.
The 711-foot long Kure Beach Fishing Pier is a great place to cast a line; while history buffs will enjoy touring the remains of Fort Fisher, the last major stronghold of the Confederacy and the largest earthen fortress of its kind in the South.
Wrightsville Beach:
Wrightsville Beach is one of the two barrier islands on the Cape Fear Coast. Established in 1899, the island was once accessible only by water. Today Wrightsville Beach is a destination for weekend getaways and summer family vacations. A five-mile stretch of white sand offers beachcombing, swimming, sunbathing, surfing, and more.
Brunswick Islands:
Brunswick Islands:
Tucked away along North Carolina’s southernmost stretch of coastline, the Brunswick Islands claim over 45 miles of tranquil sand and surf for their own.
Bald Head Island:
Bald Head is accessible only by a private passenger ferry departing from Southport. Once on the island, transportation is limited to golf cart, bicycle, or foot. A renowned safe haven for wildlife, water fowl, and loggerhead turtles, this island resort setting features natural beauty, 14 miles of unspoiled beaches, a maritime forest, and world-class golf, all overlooked by the weathered sentinel "Old Baldy," one of the Atlantic's most striking lighthouses.
Calabash:
The southernmost point in the Brunswick Islands, Calabash has earned itself the nickname “The Seafood Capital of the World.” Over a dozen seafood restaurants, built along the docks of this fishing village, feature local seafood delivered fresh off the fishing boats. The area's method of cooking has become known far and wide as "Calabash-style." Calabash also has several golf courses.
Caswell Beach:
Originally founded as Fort Caswell in several wars, Caswell Beach is now a south-facing beach situated at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The cylindrical Oak Island Lighthouse, the brightest lighthouse in the United States, identifies this quiet, 4-mile-long family beach.
Holden Beach:
Holden Beach is still known for its offshore fishing and features a full-service fishing pier for both casual and serious anglers. Fishing season is celebrated with both a spring and a fall festival. Until recently, the island was accessible only by ferry, but now a two-lane, elevated bridge connects it to the mainland. Visitors can enjoy 11 miles of beach, shops, restaurants and more.
Ocean Isle:
Ocean Isle offers 7 miles of quiet beaches. Visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina for an in-depth look at island life. You’ll also find shops, as well as marinas, deep-sea fishing, and canals with backyard crabbing and fishing. At certain times of the year, you can watch the sun both rise and set over water.
Oak Island:
The most populous town in the Brunswick Islands, Oak Island offers public beach accesses (most with parking), public boat ramps, canoe and kayak-friendly areas, as well as parks, playgrounds, extensive sidewalks, and pedestrian and recreation trails.
Southport:
Stroll along 200-year-old tree-lined streets and avenues lined with Victorian homes, restaurants, and over a dozen antique shops and historic sites, including the North Carolina Maritime Museum of Southport. Southport's naturally sheltered harbor makes it a good spot for sailing and offshore fishing.
Sunset Beach:
The smallest of the Brunswick Islands is reached by driving across the only remaining pontoon bridge on the East Coast. Sunset Beach has snow-white beaches, dune ridges, and marsh areas, with a very natural and secluded feeling. Large pastel cottages set back behind the dunes make this island a popular vacation spot for family gatherings. Sunset Beach offers sunsets worthy of its name, due to the east-west alignment of the island.
Attractions:
Airlie Gardens
Public garden in Wilmington featuring formal gardens, wildlife, historic structures, walking trails, sculptures, views of Bradley Creek, 10-acres of freshwater lakes, and a 462-year-old Airlie Oak. The Gardens are known for a collection of over 100,000 azaleas and countless camellia cultivars, which bloom throughout the winter and early spring. Displays around the Airlie Oak, Pergola Garden, and other areas bloom with continuous color year-round, as the displays are changed seasonally. Adults $5, Children $3 (6-12 years) 300 Airlie Rd., Wilmington, (910) 798-7700, www.airliegardens.org
Ingram Planetarium
See the night sky at the Ingram Planetarium. Dome shows include The Sky Above Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (for kids 3-7), solar system tours (ages 8 and up), telescope viewing and more. Sunset Beach, The Village at Sunset Beach, (910) 575-0033
Battleship North Carolina: World War II Memorial
Located across the river from downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina is open to the public and offers a window into the world that soldiers faced during World War II aboard the boat’s decks. Exhibits on board include oral histories, uniforms, artifacts and more. Eagles Island, (910) 251-5797, www.battleshipnc.com
Venus Flytrap Trail:
Historic Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast are the only places in the world where you can see the Venus flytrap in its native environment. There’s many places throughout the area where you can see the sticky “animal-eating” plant up-close-and-personal, including the Airlie Gardens, the Green Swamp Nature Preserve, Herbert Bluethenthal Memorial Wildflower Preserve and more. If you want a guided tour, try Carolina Coastal Adventures (910-458-9111 or www.carolinacoastaladventures.com) or the N.C. Audobon Society (910-798-8376). Prime viewing time runs from the end of May through August.
The Children’s Museum of Wilmington:
The Children’s Museum is a great place to take kids on a rainy day. The museum offers several hands-on exhibits with opportunities for children to use their imaginations to explore and learn. Current exhibits include Ahoy Wilmington where kids can hop aboard a full-scale model ship, Imagination Circus, Animal Adventures and more. 116 Orange St., Wilmington, $8 per person, free for kids 12 and under. www.playwilmington.org
Cape Fear Serpentarium:
Indoor reptile park housing over 100 species of reptiles including crocodiles, pythons, cobras, lizards, black vipers, rattlers and much more. Orange Street, Wilmington, $8. (910) 762-1669 or www.capefearserpentarium.com.
Screen Gems Studio/Dawson’s Creek TV tour:
If Cape Fear looks familiar to first-timers, that might be because the locale is so pretty, Cape Fear often appears in the movies and on TV. The WB program, Dawson’s Creek, was shot in historic Wilmington, as well as island beaches. One Tree Hill also often shoots in the area. Visitors can even take a Dawson’s Creek walking tour of the town. For more information, contact Screen Gems Studio Tours at (910) 343-3433.
Sources: Richmond Times-Dispatch, www.cape-fear.nc.us and www.ncbrunswick.com
