Beaches

At Sunny Days. We have options.

Beach scene with a pier extending over the ocean, a beach house on stilts, and beachgoers relaxing on the sand, viewed through a fence and tall grass.

Wrightsville

Just east of Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach is a popular coastal destination known for its crystal-clear waters, clean beaches, and active outdoor lifestyle. With easy access to both the ocean and the sound, it's ideal for surfing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and boating, all wrapped in a lively yet laid-back atmosphere with a walkable village center full of local shops, seafood restaurants, and waterfront bars. The beach has earned serious national recognition, landing on MSN's list of Best Beaches in the U.S. and earning a nod from National Geographic Traveler as one of the World's 20 Best Surf Towns. Locals and visitors alike love the Loop, a 2.5-mile walking and running path that circles the island, and the iconic Johnnie Mercer's Pier — North Carolina's only concrete fishing pier, stretching over 1,200 feet with stunning ocean views and an on-site grill and tackle shop. Whether you're chasing waves, fresh seafood, or a lively sunset, Wrightsville Beach delivers.

A lively street scene at a shopping or entertainment district with storefronts, streetlights, and people walking, under a blue sky with clouds.

Carolina

Carolina Beach is the life-of-the-party beach of the Cape Fear coast, anchored by one of the most iconic boardwalks in the country. Ranked one of the top 10 boardwalks in the country by Food and Wine magazine, the Carolina Beach Boardwalk features classic seaside family fun with shops, restaurants, and entertainment — a pedestrian-only district with a raised wooden walkway offering spectacular views of the Atlantic. Throughout the summer, the Boardwalk comes alive with free concerts, weekly Thursday night fireworks, seasonal festivals, and family-friendly entertainment. Don't miss Britt's Donut Shop, an iconic establishment that has been serving its famous glazed donuts since 1939 — a true Carolina Beach institution. Beyond the boardwalk, the beach itself is wide, welcoming, and full of energy, making Carolina Beach the perfect destination for families and anyone looking to soak up classic coastal fun.

A beach view framed by twisted trees, with a walkway leading to the sandy shore and ocean beyond. A person is visible walking in the distance on the beach.

Fort Fisher

For those who want their beach with a side of history, Fort Fisher Beach is unlike anything else on the Carolina coast. Clean, uncluttered beaches combine with remarkable local history to make Fort Fisher one of coastal North Carolina's most treasured barrier island destinations, featuring gorgeous stretches of shoreline, nature trails winding through live oaks, and the original site of Fort Fisher — an instrumental turning point during the Civil War. Fort Fisher kept North Carolina's port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying Confederate armies, and when the fort fell after a massive amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy. Today the site is a National Historic Landmark with free admission, and the surrounding Fort Fisher State Recreation Area offers miles of pristine, undeveloped shoreline that feels worlds away from the crowds. It's also home to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, featuring alligators, sharks, stingrays, moray eels, sea turtles, and colorful reef creatures, with live animal presentations, touch pools, and divers in a large ocean tank

Bird's-eye view of a sandy beach with people swimming, sunbathing, and under umbrellas, adjacent to a row of houses and a pier extending into the ocean.

Kure

Kure Beach (pronounced "Cure-ee") is the quiet gem of Pleasure Island — a laid-back, uncrowded escape that feels like a step back in time. North Carolina's small wonder delights vacationers with its uncrowded beach, unpretentious small-town atmosphere, charm, and serenity. The convergence of the Cape Fear River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean makes fishing near Kure Beach among the best around, with opportunities for surf fishing, bottom fishing, shellfishing, and deep-sea fishing. At low tide, a rare 12,000-year-old coquina rock formation emerges from the surf — a mossy hard rock outcrop cemented together by ancient seashells and coral, visible only when the water recedes. And for divers, the waters surrounding Kure Beach hold the remains of more than 200 shipwrecks, including The Condor, a Civil War-era blockade runner and North Carolina's first designated Heritage Dive Site. Whether you're fishing off the pier, exploring tide pools, or simply watching the waves roll in, Kure Beach is pure coastal Carolina at its most peaceful.

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