North Carolina Beaches, NC Outer Banks and Coast: Vacations:
 Accommodations: Oceanfront Hotels, Motels, Seaside Resorts, Inns, Villas, Condos - Beachfront Property

 
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NC Beach Getaways

There are over 320 miles of North Carolina Beaches. Most are located on the Barrier Islands. The sounds separate the islands from the mainland, they are north to south: Currituck, Albemarle, Roanoke, Croatan, Pamlico, Core and Bogue Sound.

This page lists the best beaches in North Carolina on the mainland and the NC Outer Banks. Find oceanfront hotels, cheap motels, resorts, villa rentals, condos and more beach accommodations at discount rates; oceanfront and on the beach. Whether you are planning a short romantic weekend getaways or an extended stay family vacation, we have a hotel to suit your budget.

North Carolina Coastal Mainland

Kure Beach, Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach are located on Pleasure Island near Wilmington.

Wrightsville Beach is about 10 miles from Wilmington.

Jacksonville NC is the location of the US Marine Corp base.

New Bern is noted for the Tryon Palace where the British appointed governor of North Carolina lived just prior to the American Revolution. Beaches are 35 miles away.

Top Sail Island is close to Sneads Ferry and Jacksonville on the mainland. There are many shipwrecks off the coast here. You can go scuba diving and search for sunken treasure. At low tide you can even see the tops of sunken ships from the beach.

 

NC Coast cities / towns

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North Carolina Outer banks Accomodations: Hotels/Motels

Travel North to South

Ferry service

see ncferry.org  for schedule (link opens in new window)

  • Cedar Island
  • Hatteras
  • Knotts Island
  • Ocracoke
  • Pamlico River
  • Swan Quarter

Atlantic Beach is on Bogue Sound and is close to Havelock, Pine Knoll Shores and Morehead City. It is the most southern point of the Outerbanks and known as the Crystal coast. Historic Landmarks near Atlantic Beach include Fort Macon, a Civil war fortress. Pine Knoll Shores once belonged to Theodore Roosevelt. The area has lots of interesting things to see and good seafood restaurants.

Corolla is the location of the Currituck Lighthouse. Kill Devil Hills is near Jockey Ridge Park where you can hand glide or fly kites. Kitty Hawk has a monument dedicated to the Wright Brothers who flew the first airplane (glider).

NC Lighthouses

8 total

  1. Bodie Island Lighthouse - built 1872 located North of Hatteras Island on the Oregon Inlet
  2. Bald Head Lighthouse - located on Smith Island, 1st in NC, Built 1795. rebuilt 1817 - guides ship around Cape Fear and Frying Pan Shoals.
  3. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - built 1870, covers the area around Cape Hateras and Diamond Shoals
  4. Currituck Lighthouse (Whalehead) - built 1875 located on the Currituck sound at Corolla, covers the coastline between Cape Henry Lighthouse VA and Bodie Island Lighthouse.
  5. Ocracoke Lighthouse - built 1823 on Ocacoke Island, one of the oldest lighthouses still operating in US,
  6. Oak Island Lighthouse - built 1950s, brightest lighthouse in US, near Southport NC
  7. Prices Creek Lighthouse - built 1848, no tours, 2 miles from Southport, covers the Cape Fear River area,  it has been inoperable since the second battle of Fort Fisher during the Civil War.
  8. Cape Lookout Lighthouse - built 1859 on the Core Banks, covers the Lookout Shoals area. take boat from Harkers Island, Morehead City or Beaufort.

There are lots of seafood festivals, events and fishing tournaments taking place all year round throughout the North Carolina Coastal Region

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Outer Banks  vacation rentals - We have been taking vacations for years to the Outer Banks and come to love it, as you do, or soon will