North Carolina beaches

[Anonymous]

Anyone have insights on any of these beaches in North Carolina?
Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach, Emerald island, Carolina Beach. What's the difference between those?
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Of those listed, I’ve been to Emerald Isle only.
It would say it’s a quiet town with houses on the beach - not a ton to do if you like more like boardwalk etc but my family is fine with the sleepy beach towns.

[Anonymous]

Grew up going to Emerald Isle and I lived in Wilmington for a few years so I am familiar with Wrightsville Beach althought it has been 10-15 years.

Wrightsville is fun- there are lots of shops and hotels. It was more locals compared to tourists (especially in certain areas along the beach) but that may have changed. Traffic in Wilmington is a nightmare. It a Southern college town with a beach vibe. There are piers, shops, restaurants but if you go you need to visit the hot dog trolley. We used to skip school to go to the beach and got hot dogs for lunch so I have some love for that little hole in the wall.

Emerald Isle is IMO heaven on earth. 50 years ago there wasnt even a bridge to get to Emerald Isle, you needed to take a boat- I think it opened in the early 70s. It is more developed in recent years but if you want to go to the beach and actually go to the beach (not the boardwalk/shopping/etc) then this is your spot. You can make day trips to the aquarium and other points of interest like Atlantic City but keep in mind there is a two lane road with sound on one side and beach on the other side. Its relaxing and quiet for the most part. There are lots of families and a lot of the homes are owned/used by the owners. Cant speak to the condos or high-rises. You'll need to cook most of your food although there are good seafood places and pizza places that deliver. Recently, a few nicer restaurants opened but it is still a beach town. There are two water parks and a movie theater near the bridge- but I think we went once or twice in the 15 summers I spent there. One thing you will need to watch out for is sea lice. I never got it swimming in Wrightsville/Rehoboth/Ocean City but would get it every few years in Emerald Isle and in Florida- I think it has something to do with where the current is compared to the shoreline. Sea lice are little jellyfish eggs- just wash out your swimsuits and dont stay in them all day. If you do get them, just use calamine lotion. Some doctors dont know what they are but dont think its bed bugs or anything else- they will be where the swimsuit is because they get caught in the mesh lining.

Cant speak to Topsail or Carolina.

[Anonymous]

I love Topsail. A number of good-sized houses and duplexes right on the water.

Some wild horses walking around, people fishing on some parts of the beach, locals and visitors are very friendly.

It's close enough to restaurants and groceries, but still a sleepyish beach town.

[Anonymous]

Wrightsville beach is probably most upscale, there are restaurants etc and it’s not too far from Wilmington which is a small city with some cute places. Topsail is very quiet, not much around. We really liked going to Carolina beach- there’s a really small boardwalk and some nice restaurants but much quieter and more of a family vibe than Ocean city. Emerald Isle kind of similar to Topsail, very quiet.

We used to live in NC and have been to all of these but it was 10-15 years ago so they may have changed.

[Anonymous]

Topsail is nice but one end (north?) has substantial erosion so be aware. Had a really good time at lower end. There is a turtle rehab place that is fun to visit with kids.

Haven't been to Emerald Isle in years but second what PP above had to say.

Wrightsville is nice---it has erosion issues as well though.

If you are okay with quiet but really nice beach and uncrowded---look at Holden or Sunset. They are also not far from Wilmington. We really like Holden.

[Anonymous]

I've been to all. Wrightsville and Carolina are very close to each other. Much more crowded than Topsail or Emerald Isle. Wrightsville caters to more young adult crowds. Lots of restaurants and bars and a young vibe. Carolina Beach leans a bit more toward families. There is a small boardwalk. Of the four you mentioned, these two would have the most options for dining out. These are towns at the beach rather than a beach town. You will have a lot of year round residents to compete with for space here. There is a nice aquarium in Fort Fisher for a nice day trip and Wilmington has a great kids museum, the battleship and a very cute downtown area.

Of the ones you listed, Topsail will be the most isolated. Truly a beach area and not as many choices for dining out and not a lot of day trips for kids.

Emerald Isle/Atlantic Beach and Pine Knoll Shores are all on the same island. I would go to any of those towns interchangeably. Beach towns with mostly rentals. Lots of shops on the main road through the island and some decent choices for dining out, especially towards the Atlantic Beach side. Amos Mosquitos is great! More options for outings here-Fort Macon is great if you like history and Beaufort is a cute little town with a free Maritime museum. There are also some islands you can take a ferry to to see wild ponies and swim in the calm water. There is also a great aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores.

You can't go wrong with any. I think it boils down to deciding if you want options other than a beach.

[Anonymous]

We like Oak Island. The water is warm, not too many people on the beach. There is a large grocery store on the way to the island and a smaller one on the island. Southport is nice- there are a few good family friendly restaurants and some great seafood. You can take the ferry to Fort Fisher Aquarium one day. You can drive to Myrtle beach another day and do a couple of putt-putts and Dirty Dan's. You can go into Wilmington if you need another day trip. If there is a golfer, they can check out the courses in St. James.

[Anonymous]

The last couple of times we went to Carolina beach there was a lot of erosion. No beach at all at high tide (where we were staying, anyway).

Really enjoyed Topsail last summer but I’m not sure what the hurricane did to it. I saw pictures from near our rental and there was a lot of damage. Lots of shark teeth if you enjoy searching/collecting.

Just went to Ocean Isle Beach this year and enjoyed it. It use to be very isolated but now has convenient shopping and a couple good restaurants that were not there before. Nice beach (though all NC beaches are shelly and you will want closed water shoes).

[Anonymous]

Wrightsville is not a good destination beach - as mentioned, it’s mostly a day trip/local spot. Also it is not “upscale” by any stretch.

Emerald Isle is nice, we like Ocean Isle as someone else mentioned. Oak island and Bald Head are also great relaxing spots . Bald head is private and no cars allowed...great resort w rental options.

[Anonymous]

Figure Eight Island is nice.

[Anonymous]

I love EI. It is so quiet and laid back. It is like what Corolla used to be 20 years ago before it became Connecticut South

[Anonymous]

Wrightsville and Carolina are not upscale. They have more of an arcade and junky tourist trap feel by comparison.
We would go there for the day in college.

Britt's doughnuts would be the only draw to that area for me.

Emerald Isle and Topsail are a lot nicer and cleaner. Better restaurant and lodging options definitely.

[Anonymous]

We love Topsail. It’s very low-key and relaxing - there’s not a ton of activities, and we rarely do much beyond the beach and pool. Lots of walking on the beach looking for sharks teeth. We like Sears Landing (sit outside) for breakfast or dinner, and getting a steamer bucket from Topsail Steamer is fun too. I take my son with me to pick out fresh seafood at Surf City Crab and he gets a kick out of walking near the docks and seeing the baby alligators in the shallows. We still haven’t been to the turtle sanctuary, but planning to do that this year.

[Anonymous]

How are all those beaches listed compare to Myrtle Beach?