Welcome to North Carolina's Brunswick Islands

North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands:
Small Town Charm, Bird's Eye-view, Golf Coast, Food Fights, Kindred Spirits and Pedaling Through the Past

In the southernmost corner of North Carolina, stretching from the Cape Fear River to the South Carolina border, lies North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands. Five barrier islands provide secluded spots on six pristine beaches for families and nature-lovers. Quaint island and mainland towns beckon with friendly faces and family-owned B&Bs, restaurants and shops. Forts, lighthouses, historic architecture as well as boating, fishing and 30 golf courses offer plenty to do and see. Reminiscent of yesteryear’s beach vacation, thousands of families fall so in love with the area that they return year after year, generation after generation.

Small Town Charm Lands Southport, NC on the Big Screen
Strolling the streets of Southport, NC, if the waterfront locale, historic Victorian homes or turn-of-the-19th-century cemetery look familiar, it may be because you've seen them before...on the big and small screens. Discover what Hollywood has already known - there's nothing like the small town charm of Southport! Founded in 1792, this maritime village is a star in its own right with its picturesque scenery appearing in A-list flicks including "Nights in Rodanthe" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and 2012's breakout new TV show, "Revenge." While Southport looks great on the big screen, it's even better when enjoyed close-up. Pedestrian and peddle-power friendly, visitors are invited to explore maritime history, shopping, historic homes and waterfront dining while leaving the car and their cares behind.

Climb a ship's ladder 158 feet for a bird's eye-view.
Oak Island Lighthouse is one of only a handful in the country that use a series of ship's ladders, instead of the typical spiral staircase, to access the top. Those who climb the 131 steps are rewarded with a 360 degree view of the Cape Fear River and surrounding barrier islands. Oak Island Lighthouse and Bald Head Island Lighthouse, "Old Baldy," are both open to the public. When Oak Island Lighthouse was activated in 1958, it was the brightest lighthouse in America and the second brightest in the world. The paint colors are mixed into the concrete so the bands of grey, white and black will never need to be repainted. www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6y6bR3ITS0&feature=related

North Carolina's Golf Coast
Just a chip shot across the NC/SC border from more well-known and well traveled golf destinations, North Carolina's Golf Coast quietly features more than 30 championship courses boasting all the pedigree but none of the crowds. Designed by Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Fred Couples, Dan Maples, Tim Cate and other golf greats, courses with magnificent coastal scenery and challenging play come with easy availability of tee-times, great deals and packages for groups of every size. Accommodations range from inns, hotels and condos to resort settings.

Kindred Spirits Mailbox Personifies Laid-back, Intimate Vibe of NC Brunswick Islands
Walking down a deserted beach in 1981, a mysterious lady had a mysterious vision: a shimmering mailbox near the tide line. Realizing it was a mirage, the Brunswick Islands resident decided to “plant” a mailbox near the spot and placed notebook and pencils inside. What started as a plea to help save Bird Island from development has morphed as residents and visitors from the U.S. and overseas convey fond memories, tales of love won and unrequited, letters of encouragement to lost souls, and other reflections. A 30-minute walk from the last public access on Sunset Beach gives writers time to reconnect with self and spirit.

Adventure Beyond the Beach
Grab a Paddle: Eco-friendly Kayaking and kayak fishing allow access to areas impassible by larger craft for close encounters without disturbing wildlife. Experienced local guides offer different trips daily. Visitors can enjoy a sunset or full moon paddle, explore tidal pools on barrier islands, glide down blackwater rivers past 400-1,000 year old Cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss, or on inland waterways and out to sea. www.theadventurecompany.net

Pedal Through the Past
Explored by the French and Spanish in the 1500s, the picturesque and historic small southern town of Southport commands dramatic views of the Cape Fear River, two lighthouses and an island wildlife refuge, not to mention ships sailing up to Wilmington or out to the Atlantic. One of the best ways to see this town is by bike. Southport has been a fishing village and military settlement since 1792, ensuring a variety of architectural styles including typical fishermen’s cottages and elegant, elaborate homes once owned by ship captains and Civil War blockade runners. See them, along with the remains of Fort Johnston, occupied by the British and subsequently destroyed by the N. C. militia; the movie location of “Crimes of the Heart,” and the 400-800 year-old Indian Trail Tree, curiously gnarled to point the way to Native American hunting and fishing areas. Tour participants enjoy the slow yet zippy pace that covers much ground. www.theadventurecompany.net/biketour.htm

The Original Food Fight: Birthplace of the Calabash Seafood Platter
Calabash started building its reputation of “Seafood Capital of the World” in the 1940s, when local captains brought their shrimp, clams, fish and oysters to the docks to be flash-fried in a unique light cornmeal-flour batter. Word spread, lines grew, and the town’s signature Calabash seafood preparation transformed North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands into a summer tourist destination. It seems that everyone in Calabash is kin to either a High or a Coleman or a Beck, and the families have been serving up their specialties ever since. The descendants of those who broke away and started the feud still proclaim theirs is the original version. Visitors sample them all to determine their personal favorites. http://www.youtube.com/user/NCBrunswickIslands#p/u/8/nbrUbbTc9M8

Revolutionary/Civil War Sites
Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson, a North Carolina state historic site, is a working archaeological dig with a treasure trove of Indian, Colonial and Civil War artifacts. Here, colonialists revolted against British taxes eight years before the Boston Tea Party. Brunswick was attacked by the Spanish in 1748 and razed by the British in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was built on the ruins to defend the Cape Fear River, falling to the Union in 1865. From March to mid May that year, Fort Anderson became a refugee camp for freed slaves who had followed General Sherman’s army from Georgia and South Carolina. This site is also featured on the NC Birding Trail. http://www.nchistoricsites.org/brunswic/main.htm