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Finding the words to describe a Brunswick Islands visit is a tough task. Sure, bright blue water, warm sand and lush coastal forests are accurate, but even those adjectives don’t fully represent what vacations are like here. It’s much easier to show.
Ocean Piers
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Ocean Piers
On, under or in the background, piers make your pictures quintessentially beachy. Choose from five, including 893-foot Ocean Crest Pier – complete with a tackle shop where special orders are available – and 905-foot Sunset Beach Pier, which stands over the remains of Vesta, a Civil War-era blockade runner. Bring or rent some tackle for a chance to capture the catch of the day – including silver-sided mackerel, red and black drum, and bluefish – in your photo.
Kindred Spirit Mailbox
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Kindred Spirit Mailbox
Nestled among Bird Island’s sand dunes stands Kindred Spirit Mailbox. It’s filled with written wishes, secrets and whatever else was on the minds of its thousands of visitors. Read these notes and add your own by leaving the Sunset Beach 40th Street access, keeping the pier behind you and heading west about 1.5 miles. A picture here is worth more than a thousand words if you’re a fan of Nicholas Sparks, whose novel “Every Breath” references the mailbox, one of many local sites he’s described in his books or that have starred in other movies and TV shows.
Lighthouses
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Lighthouses
NC’s Brunswick Islands is home to North Carolina’s oldest-standing and newest lighthouses. Hop on the ferry at Southport to nature-filled and car-free Bald Head Island, where panoramic photo ops star at the top of 200-year-old Old Baldy, 108 spiral steps up. Across the Cape Fear River, you’ll need a reservation to scale Oak Island Lighthouse's steep ship ladders, though equally impressive pictures can be taken from Caswell Beach. While you’re there, get closeups of seashells, including the rare Giant Tun, which is white or light brown in color and up to 7 inches long.
Calabash Waterfront
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Calabash Waterfront
The nets, lines and masts of shrimp and charter boats docked along the Calabash River in the self-proclaimed "Seafood Capital of the World" make beautiful photo subjects. But the charm doesn’t stop there. Twisted branches of long-lived oaks and about 40 brightly colored shops restaurants make this fishing town even more picturesque. Try Calabash Creamery's fun homemade ice cream flavors; they’re on a rotating schedule and always make a perfect vacation stop.
Southport Yacht Basin
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Southport Yacht Basin
Capture the islands’ connections to their natural roots at the Southport Yacht Basin, where the Intracoastal Waterway, Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean meet. Take a boat or street cart tour to see more Southport sights and to learn interesting tidbits about Southport’s history. And there’s more wildlife to photograph, from wading birds to skittering fiddler crabs, while strolling the 1/8-mile Marsh Walk. Save some phone battery for the views from the waterside gazebo at the wooden boardwalk’s end.
Waterfront Dining
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Waterfront Dining
You won’t be able to resist sharing photos of your delicious meals at local restaurants. Frame big portions of lightly breaded and perfectly fried shrimp, clams, fish and oysters at Calabash Waterfront Seafood Shack, and admire riverfront views from Fishy Fishy Café while enjoying bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp and blackened salmon. Seafood and homemade desserts will capture your focus at The Frying Pan, named for the nearby shoal – and you can learn more about those shipwrecks at North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.
Holden Beach Waterway
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Holden Beach Waterway
Action shots are the game at waterfront Holden Beach Pavilion and fishing pier. It rocks with summer concerts and festivals, including Days at the Dock (cardboard box paddle races kick off the warm-weather season) and NC Festival by the Sea (live music and arts and crafts winds things down). There are more pictures to take at Bridgeview Park's playground, bocce ball courts and kayak launch, along with a stretching view of Holden Beach Bridge, which arcs across the sky, creating clearance for big boats sailing the Intracoastal Waterway below.
Beautiful Beaches
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Beautiful Beaches
It wouldn’t be a beach trip without sand and surf shots – and the Brunswick Islands offers plenty of chances with 45 miles of pristine beaches. If you visit during fall through winter, the islands' south-facing beaches provide the unique opportunity to capture the sun rising and setting over the Atlantic Ocean. And with a little luck and no camera flash, you can catch the islands’ rarest summer sights: adult sea turtles making nests, or their hatchlings returning to the ocean by moonlight.
This article was produced in partnership with NC's Brunswick Islands.
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