NC's Brunswick Islands Coast
Custom Search
Sunset
Beach
Each time you cross over the bridge to Sunset Beach, you will be reminded to slow down and relax as you enter into a more laid-back atmosphere. Visitors often comment on the quality of the sand on Sunset Beach, which is a beautiful powdery-white. The island has a home-like feel and quiet surroundings, but there is still plenty to see and do. After the beach, plan a visit to Ingram Planetarium or an afternoon at one of the many local golf courses. Plan to take a walk on the beach at sunset and learn for yourself why it is called “Sunset Beach.” Due in part to the beach’s southern exposure, you will see some of the most beautiful and breath-taking sunrises and sunsets in the world. Sunset Beach is a unique and attractive place to host a wedding, family reunion or meeting. Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center is a full-service meeting facility with 70,000 square feet of meeting space. Sea Trail can serve a seated banquet of 720 to 1,100 people in a theater environment. One of Sunset Beach’s beautiful gems is Bird Island, an undeveloped and secluded island that can only be accessed by land by way of Sunset Beach.
Ocean Isle Beach
A true family destination, Ocean Isle Beach has much to offer every member of the family. The outdoor adventurous and sporting types will find a many activities to choose from - fishing charters, public tennis courts and, of course, a wealth of golf courses at your disposal. From its early fish camp days, Ocean Isle Beach has evolved into a special place to visit. Visitors will find a variety of stores where you can purchase the work of local artisans, as well as fine clothing and resort wear. A major attraction for Ocean Isle Beach is the Museum of Coastal Carolina, which features historical artifacts and natural history information about the region. Seven miles long, Ocean Isle Beach has a year-round population of 42 with a seasonal population of 25,000.
Holden Beach
Rated one of the best family beaches in the country by National Geographic Traveler magazine, Holden Beach was also listed in the 2004 AAA Beach Vacation Travel Journal as one of the top 30 beaches in the country. As reported by USA Today in 2005, Holden Beach was named as one of the top ten family beaches by Professor Stephen Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach). The Town of Holden Beach has officially received National Healthy Beach status through the National Healthy Beaches Campaign. Mostly residential, the island is home to some of the most spectacular homes in the area. With 900 permanent residents, there is something happening in this town all year-round. You may want to plan your trip around one of Hold Beach’s signature festivals - A Day at the Docks in April or Festival by the Sea in October. The festivals highlight the island-town’s rich history in boat building and shrimping.
Oak Island
The largest beach community in North Carolina with a population of 7,300, the Town of Oak Island was the result of a 1999 merger of two smaller towns on the island, Yaupon Beach and Long Beach. Oak Island features a larger commercial district than any other Brunswick County island. With more than 50 public beach accesses, Oak Island also offers several boat ramps, recreational areas and a skate park. The beaches of Oak Island are a focal point for the protection of sea turtle nesting and habitats, and the town has an active Sea Turtle Protection Program. The town’s Recreation Department also has an Ocean Education Center with a turtle display. For more information on the Turtle Watch Program, see the Sea Turtle Sanctuaries section on page 48.
Caswell Beach
On the eastern-most end of Oak Island is Caswell Beach, a quiet town of about 466 year-round residents. The town takes its name from Fort Caswell built in 1826 and seized by Confederate troops in 1861. Caswell Beach has a centralized commercial district and is home to the Oak Island lighthouse. The lighthouse boasts the brightest light in the United States and the second brightest light in the world. The light can be seen as far as 24 nautical miles offshore. Currently, visitors cannot tour the inside of the lighthouse, but you can get great views and pictures from the roadside.
Bald Head Island
Visitors can truly get away from it all on Bald Head Island. The island is only accessible by powerboat or a pedestrian ferry which will take you and your luggage on a short trip across the mouth of the Cape Fear River to the 12,000 acre escape. Visitors and residents get around the island by way of golf carts and bicycles. Bald Head Island is best-known for Old Baldy, the eight-sided brick lighthouse built in 1818. Visitors can take a tour of the lighthouse, which includes an optional climb up 108 wooden steps to the top of the structure. From the top of Old Baldy, guests will enjoy a panoramic view of the island, its stunning beaches and the championship golf course. Visitors can also get information about sea turtle nesting on the island.
Calabash
Known as “The Seafood Capital of the World,” Calabash has long been a favorite spot for seafood lovers. People travel from afar to eat here, where fresh catches are prepared Calabash-style, a low country style of cooking with a taste and personality all its own. Because of Calabash’s position of being the southernmost river town and its location near the Atlantic, it became the ideal site for the first Calabash restaurant, an oyster roast, which opens up the doors of its shed and its sawdust floor in 1935. Calabash has dozens of specialty stores and local art galleries, where merchants offer goods that cannot be found anywhere else in the area. Like so many of the towns in the Brunswick Islands, Calabash also offers choice golf courses for the discriminating duffer.
Carolina Shores
The nearby town of Carolina Shores is a planned community of 1,621 residents, mostly retirees, complete with an 18 hole golf course. The town has recently seen new merchants and restaurants added to its ranks.
Next Page Back to Top
Each time you cross over the bridge to Sunset Beach, you will be reminded to slow down and relax as you enter into a more laid-back atmosphere. Visitors often comment on the quality of the sand on Sunset Beach, which is a beautiful powdery-white. The island has a home-like feel and quiet surroundings, but there is still plenty to see and do. After the beach, plan a visit to Ingram Planetarium or an afternoon at one of the many local golf courses. Plan to take a walk on the beach at sunset and learn for yourself why it is called “Sunset Beach.” Due in part to the beach’s southern exposure, you will see some of the most beautiful and breath-taking sunrises and sunsets in the world. Sunset Beach is a unique and attractive place to host a wedding, family reunion or meeting. Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center is a full-service meeting facility with 70,000 square feet of meeting space. Sea Trail can serve a seated banquet of 720 to 1,100 people in a theater environment. One of Sunset Beach’s beautiful gems is Bird Island, an undeveloped and secluded island that can only be accessed by land by way of Sunset Beach.
Ocean Isle Beach
A true family destination, Ocean Isle Beach has much to offer every member of the family. The outdoor adventurous and sporting types will find a many activities to choose from - fishing charters, public tennis courts and, of course, a wealth of golf courses at your disposal. From its early fish camp days, Ocean Isle Beach has evolved into a special place to visit. Visitors will find a variety of stores where you can purchase the work of local artisans, as well as fine clothing and resort wear. A major attraction for Ocean Isle Beach is the Museum of Coastal Carolina, which features historical artifacts and natural history information about the region. Seven miles long, Ocean Isle Beach has a year-round population of 42 with a seasonal population of 25,000.
Holden Beach
Rated one of the best family beaches in the country by National Geographic Traveler magazine, Holden Beach was also listed in the 2004 AAA Beach Vacation Travel Journal as one of the top 30 beaches in the country. As reported by USA Today in 2005, Holden Beach was named as one of the top ten family beaches by Professor Stephen Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach). The Town of Holden Beach has officially received National Healthy Beach status through the National Healthy Beaches Campaign. Mostly residential, the island is home to some of the most spectacular homes in the area. With 900 permanent residents, there is something happening in this town all year-round. You may want to plan your trip around one of Hold Beach’s signature festivals - A Day at the Docks in April or Festival by the Sea in October. The festivals highlight the island-town’s rich history in boat building and shrimping.
Oak Island
The largest beach community in North Carolina with a population of 7,300, the Town of Oak Island was the result of a 1999 merger of two smaller towns on the island, Yaupon Beach and Long Beach. Oak Island features a larger commercial district than any other Brunswick County island. With more than 50 public beach accesses, Oak Island also offers several boat ramps, recreational areas and a skate park. The beaches of Oak Island are a focal point for the protection of sea turtle nesting and habitats, and the town has an active Sea Turtle Protection Program. The town’s Recreation Department also has an Ocean Education Center with a turtle display. For more information on the Turtle Watch Program, see the Sea Turtle Sanctuaries section on page 48.
Caswell Beach
On the eastern-most end of Oak Island is Caswell Beach, a quiet town of about 466 year-round residents. The town takes its name from Fort Caswell built in 1826 and seized by Confederate troops in 1861. Caswell Beach has a centralized commercial district and is home to the Oak Island lighthouse. The lighthouse boasts the brightest light in the United States and the second brightest light in the world. The light can be seen as far as 24 nautical miles offshore. Currently, visitors cannot tour the inside of the lighthouse, but you can get great views and pictures from the roadside.
Bald Head Island
Visitors can truly get away from it all on Bald Head Island. The island is only accessible by powerboat or a pedestrian ferry which will take you and your luggage on a short trip across the mouth of the Cape Fear River to the 12,000 acre escape. Visitors and residents get around the island by way of golf carts and bicycles. Bald Head Island is best-known for Old Baldy, the eight-sided brick lighthouse built in 1818. Visitors can take a tour of the lighthouse, which includes an optional climb up 108 wooden steps to the top of the structure. From the top of Old Baldy, guests will enjoy a panoramic view of the island, its stunning beaches and the championship golf course. Visitors can also get information about sea turtle nesting on the island.
Calabash
Known as “The Seafood Capital of the World,” Calabash has long been a favorite spot for seafood lovers. People travel from afar to eat here, where fresh catches are prepared Calabash-style, a low country style of cooking with a taste and personality all its own. Because of Calabash’s position of being the southernmost river town and its location near the Atlantic, it became the ideal site for the first Calabash restaurant, an oyster roast, which opens up the doors of its shed and its sawdust floor in 1935. Calabash has dozens of specialty stores and local art galleries, where merchants offer goods that cannot be found anywhere else in the area. Like so many of the towns in the Brunswick Islands, Calabash also offers choice golf courses for the discriminating duffer.
Carolina Shores
The nearby town of Carolina Shores is a planned community of 1,621 residents, mostly retirees, complete with an 18 hole golf course. The town has recently seen new merchants and restaurants added to its ranks.
Next Page Back to Top
Direct: 910.393.9423 Toll-Free: 888.882.1930 Fax: 888.317.2850
