North Carolina offers tourists 300 miles of powder white sand, sunny skies and Southern hospitality that make their beaches some of the best in the world. Spring breakers and condo owners alike flock to places like Wrightsville, Carolina Beach, Hatteras Island, the Crystal Coast and the Outer Banks for fun in the sun.
You may be wondering why so many people feel the best beaches are in North Carolina. Compared to the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic is a lighter blue and a little bit warmer. Like Florida beaches, you can expect the softest powder to caress your feet as you walk down the beach. Despite destructive hurricane activity over the years, 40 percent of the North Carolina coast remains protected by law, enabling the pristine beaches you see today. The favorable winds make the North Carolina coast the ideal place for sailing, kiteboarding and surfing.
Best North Carolina Beaches in the East
North Carolina's iconic coastline attracts visitors worldwide. The east coast offers the largest sand dunes stretching over 3,375 miles long. Here divers will find "the Graveyard of the Atlantic," with over 600 shipwrecks dating back to the 16th century. Historians like David Stick, author of "Graveyard of the Atlantic: Shipwrecks of the North Carolina Coast," credit the shifting sandbars, fluctuating water temperatures and tumultuous underwater currents with the wrecks. Today visitors can see seven lighthouses constructed to protect local ships and celebrate marina history. The most famous is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which dates back to 1870 and stands at 208 feet, making it the tallest lighthouse in America.
Best North Carolina Beaches in the South
Some of the most-visited North Carolina beaches are along the Southern shore from Holden Beach and Wilmington to the Outer Banks. Museums, wildlife refuges, restaurants and outdoor recreation outfitters are concentrated along these tourist areas. Windsurfing, scuba diving, hang gliding, swimming and golfing are popular activities along the southern seashores. Carolina Beach, Holden Beach, Kure Beach, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle and Oak Island are some of the popular hangouts here.
Best North Carolina Beaches in the North
The northern beaches of North Carolina begin at Emerald Isle and end at the Outer Banks. High winds make kite-boarding, surfing and fishing ideal sports among these vacation home lined beaches. Frommers named Wrightsville beach one of North Carolina's best with its beige sands, plush resorts and countless year-round activities. This beach tends to get crowded with swimmers and picnickers by mid-day, but you can alleviate that concern by heading out in a kayak or a boat.
When To Visit & What To Do
The best North Carolina beaches await all year round. Summers are warm with humid highs of 90°F along the coastline in July and August. Generally, travelers from cooler climates might prefer visiting in the months of September or October, when the temperature ranges from the mid-sixties to the mid-eighties. May and June also see similar temperatures when the waters are just beginning to warm up for swimming. The peak hurricane months are August, September and October, so you may want to avoid these months if your vacation dates aren't flexible. While you're visiting the best North Carolina beaches, you can hike, dive, fish, boat, surf, swim and soak up the sun.
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