Lighthouses & Ferries

Brunswick Islands Beaches

Five islands, six beaches, three mainland towns and more than 35 golf courses sums up the Brunswick Islands, but it doesn’t end there. History, attractions, shopping and antiquing abound and we haven’t even mentioned boating, fishing and great restaurants.

See the sun rise and set on the south-facing beaches of the Brunswick Islands.

The 45-miles of south-facing Brunswick Islands, the southern most of all of the North Carolina beaches, have one thing in common: You can watch the sunrise and the sunset over the water, but that’s where the similarities end. Each island is different, each beach unique. Find whole sand dollars on the broad expanse of Sunset Beach or watch ships enter the Cape Fear River from Caswell Beach. Oak Island with its parks, canoe and kayak-friendly areas and recreation trails is an ideal haven for active nature lovers, while Holden Beach has long been known as a fisherman’s paradise.

Serene Bald Head Island renowned as a safe haven for wildlife, water fowl and loggerhead turtles, can be reached only by private passenger ferry with no cars allowed. Ocean Isle Beach offers marinas, shopping and the wonders of the Museum of Coastal Carolina and in October, plays host to the North Carolina Oyster Festival.

On the mainland, Shallotte is the commercial and shopping hub for the area while Southport offers antiques shops, historic homes and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. Calabash, the “Seafood Capital of the World,” has more than a dozen restaurants featuring local seafood delivered fresh off the fishing boats.

So start planning your Brunswick Islands vacation.

By Pam Watson

added: December 18, 2008

updated: March 8, 2013