The best, but sometimes hardest part of any trip is building out your itinerary. Luckily, we have a few ideas! Here is our list of the ten top things you absolutely must see and do during your trip in NC’s Brunswick Islands.
Must Sees:
Catch Sunrises and Sunsets Over the Ocean
Unlike most of North Carolina’s coastline, the southern-facing island beaches of NC’s Brunswick Islands run in an east to west direction. Meaning, from fall through early spring, you can witness the sun rise and set over the ocean. Weather.com named this unique natural phenomenon one of the “10 Incredible Phenomena You Have to See in the Fall,” and we couldn’t agree more. Catching beautiful views from dusk to dawn without having to move our beach chair? Sign us up!
Look Out From North Carolina’s Oldest and Newest Lighthouses
NC’s Brunswick Islands is home to the state’s oldest and youngest standing lighthouses. Built in 1817, Old Baldy is the affectionate nickname for the state’s oldest. While no longer an active lighthouse, Old Baldy still welcomes visitors to climb its 108 steps to the top. At a height of 110 feet, visitors are greeted by unobstructed 360-degree views of Bald Head Island. Tickets for the lighthouse, adjacent Smith Island Museum of History, and a guided tour of Bald Head Island are available for purchase at The Old Baldy Foundation’s website. (Please note that Old Baldy is open seasonally from March through December.)
Just across the Cape Fear River in Caswell Beach sits the Oak Island Lighthouse. Construction on the lighthouse finished in 1958, making it the youngest lighthouse in North Carolina. Unlike most lighthouses with spiral staircases to the top, the Oak Island Lighthouse uses a series of ship ladder steps and landings. Officially its light sits 169 feet above the ocean, and the light is still used today by the U.S. Coast Guard to aid in navigation. Volunteers from The Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse manage the property and offer tours to the top year-round. Appointments (made at least two weeks in advance) to climb to the lighthouse’s top outer balcony can be made on their website.
Watch as Sea Turtle Hatchlings Head to the Ocean
Sea turtle season in North Carolina runs from May through October, and our shores are a favorite for these majestic creatures. During the nest laying season, many of our local sea turtle organizations host free “Turtle Talk” seminars to educate both locals and visitors on the importance of protecting these incredible animals. For more information on scheduled “Turtle Talks” please visit our Events page.
Come hatching season, which can begin as early as July, you may also stumble upon groups of these dedicated volunteers monitoring marked nests. Days after a nest hatches, members of the public are often invited to attend nest “inventories” where it is quite common for volunteers to find straggler hatchlings and for onlookers to catch sight of sea turtle hatchlings heading to the ocean for the first time.
Filming Locations in Picture Perfect Southport
When visiting Southport, North Carolina it doesn’t take long to see why the picturesque and historic town has been a favorite filming location for decades. Over the years the town has appeared on both big screen and small screens including projects like Crimes of the Heart (1986), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), A Walk to Remember (2001), Safe Haven (2013), Under the Dome (2013) and The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022-2025).
Visitors to the Fort Johnston Visitor Center and Museum can learn more about these projects and pick up a self-guided tour of notable filming locations across Southport.
For a complete list of filming locations across Southport and NC’s Brunswick Islands visit our “Brunswick Islands in the Movies” page.
View the Milky Way Over the Ocean
The lack of light pollution on the shores of NC’s Brunswick Islands makes our beaches some of the best stargazing spots come Milky Way season. While it is possible to see the galaxy from March to October the peak season runs from late April to late July. Peak season refers to when the Milky Way’s center is visible for longer throughout the night. Thankfully, it is also the best time of year to take advantage of the season’s warm evening temperatures. So, we suggest grabbing a seat on the deck of your beachfront vacation rental and looking to the stars this spring and summer.
Must Do’s:
Taste the Calabash-Style Seafood
If you’ve travelled up and down the East Coast you’ve probably heard the term “Calabash-style seafood” before. But did you know that this seafood preparation style originated in the tiny fishing village of Calabash, North Carolina?
The cooking style can be traced back to the 1930s when fishermen and their families would unload and prepare their fresh catches right on the banks of the Calabash River. In the years that followed, these families opened restaurants which served the signature lightly breaded and fried seafood in generous portions which became known as “Calabash-style.” The concentration of seafood restaurants in Calabash was enough for the sleepy town to earn the name “The Seafood Capital of the World.”
Today generations of families return every year for the signature seafood. And while imitation may be the highest form of flattery, no place does seafood like Calabash. We suggest you grab a bite.
Let Your Inner Adventurer Out
Don’t let the slow pace of life on the Carolina coast fool you. There are plenty of activities for thrill-seekers in NC’s Brunswick Islands.
The Swamp Park in Ocean Isle Beach offers canopy zipline tours, eco-boat tours, and guided ATV tours. The park is open year-round so you can always get your fill of heart-racing fun.
Looking to go even higher? Skydive Coastal Carolinas in Southport has been skydiving over our coast since 1996. Their team of highly skilled instructors are ready to take you up in the air and land you safely back down on the ground.
The experienced pilots at High Tide Aviation are also ready to take you to the skies. Choose from a variety of organized tours or customize your own.
Wherever you want your adventure to take you there are outfitters in NC’s Brunswick Islands ready to get you there. From kayaking, to paddleboarding, biking, and more - explore activities on our “Things to Do” page.
Visiting a Former Colonial Port Town
Uncover the colonial history of Brunswick County with a visit to the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson state historical site in Winnabow. Built on the banks of the Cape Fear River, Brunswick Town was the region’s major pre-Revolutionary port town prior to expanding settlement in nearby Wilmington. In 1776 the site was destroyed by British soldiers and never rebuilt. Today visitors to the site can learn about the old village site through both self-guided and volunteer led tours.
Ruins and defensive fortifications from the site’s second life as the Confederate held Fort Anderson are also visible during a visit.
Attend the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival
Southport knows how to celebrate Independence Day like few other places in the country. In fact, the town’s earliest celebrations can be traced back over 200 years to 1795. What began as a day’s long salute fired from the cannons of ships lying at anchor has evolved into the near weeklong North Carolina Fourth of July Festival celebrating the red, white, and blue.
In addition to signature firework displays, the event is also beloved for its community parade, the naturalization ceremony, and arts and crafts market. Southport businesses and homes join in on the celebrations by decorating their exteriors to match the patriotic spirit. There is simply no place like Southport on the 4th of July.
Walk to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox
Have you heard the story of the Kindred Spirit Mailbox? Located a 30-minute walk from the last beach access on Sunset Beach, the mailbox invites all who make the trek to write their innermost thoughts, prayers, and hopes on the journals inside.
Volunteers regularly replenish the mailbox with journals and pens while sending the completed journals to be archived at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. While no story within the journals’ pages is ever the same, many who visit find solace in the words of fellow kindred spirits.
The mailbox’s unique story even inspired the setting for author Nicholas Sparks’ 2018 novel Every Breath.
Start Crossing Things Off Your To-Do List
We hope you feel inspired to start planning your trip to NC’s Brunswick Islands! For places to stay, restaurants to visit, and even more things to do, please visit www.ncbrunswick.com.