Pleasure Island

Home to Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Historic Fort Fisher

Cross Snow's Cut Bridge onto Pleasure Island and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief. You're in paradise! Slip back to a simpler, safer place in time as you bask in the sun, swim along beautiful, unspoiled beaches... and immerse yourself in the small town friendliness of Pleasure Island, North Carolina Encompassing Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Fort Fisher, the island abounds with miles of vacation enjoyment. Take a stroll down the Carolina Beach boardwalk, ride the Fort Fisher - Southport ferry, or charter a boat for fishing or exploring our waterways. Just fifteen miles from Wilmington, NC (population 100,000), Pleasure Island is home to many year-round residents but remains a relaxing and peaceful vacation destination.

Carolina Beach

Every vacation pleasure you could hope for is waiting for you at Carolina Beach! Located at the north end of Pleasure Island, North Carolina, our town of about 5,600 friendly residents has a quaint vintage feel sure to transport you back to your childhood days at the beach. Yet we provide every modern convenience you could hope for and you'll be welcomed as one of our own! In addition to miles of wide, clean, beautiful beaches, Carolina Beach offers plenty of family fun and dining experiences for any occasion and budget. Grab one of our famous Britt's donuts and coffee, head for the boardwalk and watch the day come alive. Ranked one of the top 10 boardwalks in the country by Food & Wine magazine, a stroll on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk features classic seaside family fun with shops, restaurants and nightlife entertainment. During the summer months, the Boardwalk is bustling with the sound of music, laughter and the squeals of kids of all ages as they whoosh and whirl past on the assortment of rides at the seaside amusement park and at extraordinary events like the weekly fireworks and concert series. Annual off-season events that include Boardwalk activities are Christmas by the Sea and the Island of Lights Festival. One of the last remaining beach boardwalks on the East Coast, you can get your fill of famous homemade donuts, ice cream, and fudge, play in the arcade, see the ocean from the Ferris wheel, or dance the night away to live music. Credit pleasureislandnc.org and visitcarolinabeachnc.com.

Kure Beach

Kure (Cur-ee) Beach, North Carolina is Carolina Beach's beautiful, relaxed and friendly neighbor to the South. The town was established in 1870 with Hans Anderson's arrival from Denmark and we have around 1,800 year-round residents. The town is bordered on its west side by this forest that runs along the Cape Fear River. Along with a clean, expansive beach, we are surrounded by nature with vistas of the ocean and the river. Our wooden boardwalk, peppered with benches and oceanfront swings, spans over a third mile along the ocean front where you'll find lots of people relaxing and enjoying the beach. Kure Beach Fishing Pier, a 711-foot privately owned fishing pier is the oldest fishing pier on the East Coast, originally built in 1923. The pier draws fishermen from all over and gives our business area the feel of a quaint fishing village. The area is perfect for biking, kayaking, swimming, surfing, hiking, going for a walk or just lounging on the beach. Plus, our Town is compact enough that you are never further than a mile from the ocean. Credit pleasureislandnc.org and townofkurebeach.org.

Fort Fisher

Fort Fisher, NC, located at the southern expanse of Pleasure Island just beyond Kure Beach, allows you to step back in time with a trip to the Fort Fisher Civil War Museum and then discover the amazing world of the sea at the North Carolina Aquarium, all in one day. You'll also find the Fort Fisher State Recreation Site here, with four miles of undeveloped beach at your disposal. Fort Fisher, the third most visited historical site in North Carolina, was the largest sand and earth fortification of the Confederacy. Constructed in 1861, its job was to protect blockade runners en route to Wilmington, NC, just a few miles up the Cape Fear River, with supplies for the Confederacy and it was the fall of this Fort in 1865 that opened the way for the Union victory. Near the end of the war, this was the last port open to trade and the role of Fort Fisher in the war became crucial. Two battles were fought at Fort Fisher, in 1864 and 1865. It was during this second battle, in 1865, when the fort was captured. Only 3 months later, the Civil War was over. Credit pleasureislandnc.org.