Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach is a beach town just south of Wilmington, North Carolina. The eastern side of the town is an ordinary built-up beach community, a popular summer destination for students and other beachgoers. But just to the west of town is something more unique: a state park where you can see rare Venus flytraps in the wild.

Visitor information

 * Visiting Carolina Beach
 * Town of Carolina Beach

Get in
Carolina Beach is located on an island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Fear River, just south of Wilmington. The best way to get to Carolina Beach is by traveling south on NC-421 from Wilmington. Of course, there is also the option of approaching the town by water, provided you have a boat and a place to dock it.

Wave Transit also offers bus service from Wilmington.

Get around
Because of limited parking, the best way to get around Carolina Beach is on foot or by bicycle. Several vendors rent bicycles and pedal-powered vehicles that can hold up to six people (4 adults and two small children). Most of the "touristy" stuff is concentrated in a small area around the boardwalk.

Do
Jump into the nice Atlantic waters. Just splash around or go surfing. The town has several restaurants, particularly Italian. One thing to note is parking. There are free 2 hr parking spots available beside the road, so don't waste too much time in finding a parking. The best time to visit to avoid crowds is early September. The water is still warm (in the 80s °F/high 20s °C) but since school has started, most of the tourists are gone.


 * Birdwatching – see white ibises, blue herons, sandpipers, cardinals, ducks, geese, and many others.

Sleep

 * Camping is possible at Carolina Beach State Park.
 * Camping is possible at Carolina Beach State Park.
 * Camping is possible at Carolina Beach State Park.

Connect
Cell phone reception is inconsistent.

Go next

 * Kure Beach
 * Wilmington