The Crystal Coast is the beach cottage-for-a-week destination. It’s all about relaxation here. Beaches are not crowded. Family vacation traditions often include boating to the undeveloped islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore, where wild horses are the only inhabitants. Fishing, clamming, shrimping and crabbing are also popular. Beach cottages, hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts are all available here. If you’re looking to rent the same property at the same time, rent a year in advance.

 

Activities: Perfect for parasailing, kayaking, harbor tours, fishing, jet skiing, scuba diving and snorkeling. 

Bogue Banks, where most beach communities are located, is actually a continuous barrier island approximately 25.4 miles long. Public access to the Crystal Coast beautiful beaches can be found along NC Highway 58. Public Beach Access areas are marked with signs that feature blue letters and a sea gull flying in an orange circle. Some access areas have gates that are opened at dawn and closed at dusk; others allow driving on the beach with certain restrictions. Parking availability varies at these access points. Some access points offer restroom and shower facilities. 

Atlantic Beach: A haven of sunbathers, Atlantic Beach is home to wide beaches and plenty of sunshine. Part of the Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach is the oldest of five resort towns. Fort Macon State Park, the site of an historic Civil War skirmish, and not just a few tales of ghostly encounters with uniformed soldiers, is located at the tip of the island and is one of the links in the monumental Civil War Trails. Fort Macon is ideal for active vacationers who like to experience it all, from shore fishing and hiking to swimming and picnicking.

 

Pine Knoll Shores: Once owned by America’s own royal family, the descendents of Theodore Roosevelt, Pine Knoll Shores is known as a peaceful residential community with an eco-friendly focus. The area was designed with minimal disturbance to the native maritime forest and sand dunes and is one of the state’s most ecologically sensitive towns.

Indian Beach/Salter Path: These two small villages are located between Pine Knoll Shores and Emerald Isle on the Bogue Banks. All types of fish, shellfish, and oysters are offered at scores of local stands, sold by the men who caught it. The beach can be accessed by taking a walk down the long, winding boardwalk through forested dunes. 

 

Emerald Isle: Emerald Isle is known as the most prominent of the banks on the Crystal Coast. Named for the lush greenery that covers much of the area, Emerald Isle is located at the western end of the Bogue Banks. Accommodations dotting the coastline range from quaint beach cottages and condominiums to beach houses known locally as “sand castles.”  

Take an after dark stroll through the historic town of Beaufort. Hear chilling stories of murderous pirates, unexplained happenings, ghost ships and haunted houses.  See Blackbeard's House, a 300-year old cemetery and much more. Adults $12, kids $8. (252) 342-0715.

 

A 56-mile strand of silken beaches that make up the coastal islands of eastern North Carolina, one of the few remaining natural barrier island chains in the world, accessible only by boat. Those seeking the freedom to experience complete solitude and an opportunity to discover endangered animals in their natural habitats can also explore the beach to find a multitude of large unbroken conch shells. Frequently dotting the beaches and woven in between the sand dunes are families and shore fishermen camping with tents pitched -- fishing, hiking, and delving into all that mother-nature has to offer. History comes alive at the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters built in the mid-1800’s to warn passing ships of the dangerous coastal waters. Standing at 163 feet tall, the lighthouse was painted with a distinctive black and white diamond pattern in order to distinguish it from other North Carolina lighthouses and is open to visitors to climb a few weekends each year, with future enhancements allowing for year-round access.

 

Originally designed to guard Beaufort Inlet and Beaufort Harbor, Fort Macon has been the site of wartime tragedies and triumphs. During the Civil War the fort changed hands several times between Union and Confederate forces, eventually fell into disrepair and was finally restored as a part of the state park system in 1934. The fort was taken over by the federal government once again during World War II and used to protect a number of important nearby facilities. Now the state park is home to a protected beach, complete with seaside bathhouse, sunny nature trails, family friendly picnic facilities and a rich supply of fish. Visitors take spirited ghost tours highlighting the eccentric past the fort has experienced. The fort recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, restoring the 26 casemates, or vaulted rooms, used as shelter, kitchen space, and as prison cells for soldiers.

 

Visitors can view more than 3,000 specimens of North aquatic life at the aquarium, which is now three times larger than before. The “Living Shipwreck” features a life-sized replica of a German U-352 submarine and Blackbeard’s infamous ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge with a 60-foot viewing window. The aquarium itself resides in its own native North Carolina habitat, the 300-acre Roosevelt Maritime Forest.