Atlantic Beach



Atlantic Beach is a small town of 1,500 people (as of 2016) in the Crystal Coast region North Carolina. A popular seaside vacation town since the 1920s, Atlantic Beach is on Bogue Banks, part of the southern Outer Banks chain of barrier islands, between Bogue Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The nearby communities of Pine Knoll Shores and Salter Path are often considered to be part of Atlantic Beach.

Get in
The most direct way to reach Atlantic Beach, if you're coming from the direction of Raleigh, is down US-70 to Havelock. Atlantic Beach is on NC-58, which runs the length of Bogue Banks. It's only possible to cross to the island at two points: from Morehead City into Atlantic Beach on the eastern end, and from Cape Carteret to Emerald Isle on the western end. Both crossings are large bridges with pleasant scenic views.

Get around
The island of Bogue Banks is only 26 miles from one end to the other, but due to the reduced speed limit, you'll need about 45 minutes to travel the entire length. At some points, the island narrows to only a third of a mile wide, giving you excellent views of the ocean and the sound. Mile marker signposts are placed along Highway 58 every half-mile, and these are often used for giving directions.

There is no public transportation on the island, but you can hitch a lift with one of several reliable taxi companies.

Do

 * The heart of downtown is the Circle, the local name for the culmination of the Atlantic Beach Causeway in a traffic circle by the beach. The Circle is fringed with souvenir shops and a boardwalk along the beach; large groups of teens and young adults are often to be found playing volleyball, sunbathing or listening to music. The area is being renovated, with upscale retail shops and restaurants joining the touristy kitsch.
 * There are miles of beautiful beaches where you can take a stroll or sunbathe; they can be fairly busy during the day, unless you walk beyond the crowds (particularly around Fort Macon), but they're also quite pretty for moonlight strolls at night. There are beach access points up and down the coast; some are only available to residents of the adjacent hotel or condo, but there are several with large parking lots for public access.
 * By far the most popular dance with the Crystal Coast community is the amusingly-named shag, which some even claim was invented in Atlantic Beach. It's usually done to classic beach music. If you want to take shagging lessons (yes, we know), they're offered at Memories Beach and Shag Club, 128 E Fort Macon Road (mile marker 1.5), +1 252-240-7424.
 * Go for a hike along the Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail, off Highway 58, in a 31-acre maritime forest.
 * If you like sailing, there are plenty of opportunities for it on the Intracoastal Waterway of Bogue Sound, or in the Atlantic Ocean.
 * If you like sailing, there are plenty of opportunities for it on the Intracoastal Waterway of Bogue Sound, or in the Atlantic Ocean.


 * If you're more of a fisherman, you can take a stroll down one of the local piers. Because of damage by hurricanes Bertha, Fran and Bonnie in the 1990s, and real-estate developers afterwards, the piers in the area are dwindling. Out of eight that once existed on the island, there are only two left today, one of which is in Atlantic Beach:
 * If you're more of a fisherman, you can take a stroll down one of the local piers. Because of damage by hurricanes Bertha, Fran and Bonnie in the 1990s, and real-estate developers afterwards, the piers in the area are dwindling. Out of eight that once existed on the island, there are only two left today, one of which is in Atlantic Beach:

Buy
Beach shops are abundant, if you're desperately in need of a surfboard, beach towel, flip-flops, sunglasses, or a lucite dolphin sculpture. Two of the more prominent ones are listed below, but you'll see plenty of others in the nearby vicinity:


 * Wings, 101 W Fort Macon Road, +1 252-499-0473; and 200 W Fort Macon Road, +1 252-240-5363. The largest beach shop on the island, with beach apparel, souvenirs and accessories.

Otherwise, you mostly have the traditional beach gifts: seashells, things carved out of seashells, things made from seashells, things made from driftwood, salt-water taffy and nautical-themed items. A lot of it is tacky and cheap; some of it is really nice quality.

A couple of specialty shops that might come in handy for your seaside vacation needs:



Drink
If you want to mix your own drinks, there's an ABC store at 101 Cedar Lane, +1 252-726-3221, open M-Sa. Otherwise, you can check out one of the local nightspots:



Sleep
As with many coastal areas, visitors can choose between cheap motel or upscale hotel rooms rented by the night, or a beach cottage by the week. Prices are highly variable, usually running between $60 - $150 per night; prices naturally go up with the quality of the lodging establishment and, in particular, proximity to the beach.

Go next
The Crystal Coast area has a variety of other areas to visit:
 * Emerald Isle
 * Morehead City
 * Beaufort
 * Harkers Island
 * Swansboro

Further afield, there are some interesting destinations for daytrips:
 * Havelock, about 30 minutes north on US-70.
 * New Bern, about 1 hour north on US-70.
 * Jacksonville, about 1 hour west on US-24.
 * Bath, about 3 hours north.
 * Ocracoke Island, about 3 hours east.