East Coast Beach Vacations
East coast beach vacations include all beaches from Maine to Key West, but many of the most popular east coast beaches are North Carolina beaches.
North Carolina Beaches
The entire North Carolina coast is one beach after another, which is great news for beach lovers because you can pretty much find any kind of beach in North Carolina you want with so many to choose from.
Outer Banks (OBX)
North Carolina’s Outer Banks — also known as OBX — are without a doubt the most popular beach destinations in North Carolina.
One of the first things you’ll realize about the Outer Banks (OBX) is how diverse the beaches are. There are over 100 miles of shoreline connected by a coastal two-lane highway, NC 12. Depending on your personal preferences, you can find public beach accesses with ample paved parking, modern bath houses and nearby beach convenience shops, or you can immerse yourself in the more natural beaches of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Outer Banks (OBX) beach destinations include:
- Duck
- Southern Shores
- Kitty Hawk
- Kill Devil Hills
- Nags Head
- Rodanthe
- Waves
- Salvo
- Avon
- Buxton
- Frisco
- Hatteras
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Crystal Coast Beaches
Often referred to as NC’s Southern Outer Banks (OBX), Crystal Coast’s beaches include Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Crystal Coast beach destinations include:
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Atlantic Beach
- Pine Knoll Shores
- Indian Beach
- Emerald Isle
You may be thinking, “Atlantic Beach is in Florida.” You would be right. There is an Atlantic Beach, FL as well as an Atlantic Beach, NC.
Topsail Area Beaches
The Topsail Region is located on the Atlantic Coast between Jacksonville, NC and Wilmington, NC.
Topsail beach destinations include:
- North Topsail Beach
- Surf City
- Topsail Beach
Wilmington Area Beaches
North Carolina’s most accessible coastal destinations are the beaches in the Wilmington, NC area.
Wilmington area beach destinations include:
- Carolina Beach
- Kure Beach
- Wrightsville Beach
Brunswick Islands Beaches
Brunswick Islands beaches are spread out over five barrier islands and six different communities.
Brunswick Islands beach destinations include:
- Bald Head Island
- Holden Beach
- Leland
- Oak Island
- Ocean Isle Beach
- Sunset Beach
Outer Banks (OBX) Rentals
An interesting thing you’ll find about North Carolina beach destinations is that there are far more home and condo rentals available here than hotels. Good sources of rentals are local real estate agents and online rental companies.
Some of the more well-known online sites for vacation rentals are:
On a related note, if you’re planning a trip to Alabama beaches, there are also far more vacation rentals there than hotels.
To many joyful beach experiences!
— Lisa Dworkin
