Off the Beaten Path

Solo Travel

Whether you're looking to get out and active on the water, experience a culinary scene or unwind by the shore, Wrightsville Beach is a perfect destination for solo travel. This growing trend allows you to craft your own vacation and have unbeatable experiences. Hit the water on a surfboard, standup paddleboard or find new 'mates' with a sailing lesson. Unwind at beach chic boutiques, beside crystal blue water, enjoy fresh-to-table coastal cuisine and sip local craft beer in open-air bars. Wrightsville Beach offers the perfect solo-escape, start planning yours now.

Island Excursions

Island hopping to remote destinations is made easy with island cruises. For the adventure seeker, a surf charter with Epic Excursions lets you experience some of the best waves found only by boat and explore areas such as Masonboro Island, Mason's Inlet, Lea Island and other secluded spots perfect for paddle and regular surfing. Paddleboarding charters offer a family-friendly option for a day of sun, sand and surf as you glide on the waterways surrounding uninhabited islands and salt marshes. To elevate your experience, choose their 4-course Farm to Sea Island Dinner or Island Seafood Boil. 

For an evening full of passive exploration, relax aboard the Carolina Runner with Soundside Adventures on a Sunset Harbor Cruise. Get a sneak-peek at hidden paradises during the golden hour as the water comes alive and sightings of dolphins, turtles, and seabirds are common. 

Explore the natural history and ecology including the different types of marsh grasses, shorebirds, and fish on a Harbor Tour with Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours. Bring your binoculars to spy historical and ecological locations of note that are featured along the way.

Girlfriends' Getaway

With sun, sand, miles of shore and plenty of recreation and relaxation, Wrightsville Beach is ideal for a long weekend getaway with your closest gal pals. Start the weekend with a hand-crafted latte from The Workshop then catch the sunrise from Johnnie Mercers Pier. Complement your beach day with cocktails by the pool or in the gardens at The Blockade Runner Beach Resort then a late lunch over the ocean at Oceanic Restaurant.

When the sun goes down, the fun continues well into the evening. Shark Bar & Kitchen offers plenty of appetizers for splitting and sharing around the table and a 'raw bar,' featuring tuna poke, local shrimp cocktail and oysters on the half-shell. If you're looking for something more low-key, sip margaritas at the bar of Tower 7 Baja Mex and try some of the most delectable fish tacos found on the island. End the night dancing to live music at The Palm Room or partying with an eclectic mix of visitors and locals at Lager Heads Tavern.

The next day, re-energize with an acai bowl or smoothie from Surfberry. Put together the perfect outfit for the evening at Hallelu Boutique.

Get out and active with a morning walk around The Loop and see the sights of the inner island's waterways and marshes. Create lasting memories with a surf or SUP (stand up paddleboard) lesson. End the weekend on a high note with a sunset cruise offered by Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours.

Golf

Open year-round to the public and a local favorite, work in some tee-time during your vacation at Wilmington Municipal Golf Course. The course, designed by Donald Ross in 1926, is a championship golf course with 18 holes covering 6,564 yards with a par of 71. Take on the uphill slope of the third hole, named "One of North Carolina’s Ten Best Holes" by Golf Digest. The Wilmington area has more than 50 public courses within a 60-mile radius.

Mailbox on the Beach

On Wrightsville Beach, there is a special mailbox where people pour their hearts out to complete strangers in the sand dunes on the north end of the beach. There is no name on it and the Post Office doesn’t pick up or deliver to the box. People can write letters to clear their conscious, place them in a mailbox, but never have them sent. The mysterious mailbox somehow stays stocked with paper, pens, and stories from visitors sharing their fondest beach memories year after year. The current mailbox is the second mailbox located on Wrightsville Beach. The first mailbox was a landmark on the north end of the island for 11 years and the hundreds of notes left in it can now be found on display at the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History. 

Explore Star-Studded Locales

While visiting Wrightsville Beach, there are many locations where TV shows and movies have been filmed, and star sightings have taken place to check out. Celebrities like Will Ferrell, John Travolta, William Baldwin, Jennifer Aniston and Julianne Hough have all been spotted at several popular dining spots at the beach including South Beach Grill, Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Oceanic, Dockside Restaurant and Bar, and the Bridge Tender Restaurant. Popular TV shows have filmed scenes on the island including Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill and Sleepy Hollow, as well as movies like “A Cinderella Story: Once upon a Song” starring Lucy Hale and “28 Days” starring Sandra Bullock.

Nicholas Sparks fans can also visit some of the breathtaking spots featured in the film “The Choice” and explore places like the Dockside Restaurant and Bar or Brasserie de Soleil, where the story of the main characters blossomed.

Full Moon Rising Celebration

A morning sunrise or sunset is the best known view in Wrightsville Beach but now the best new tradition involves another heavenly body that gives rise to nighttime revelry. Enjoy the uninhibited view of the moon rising over the Atlantic Ocean as you dine at the Oceanic Restaurant with beautiful views from inside and outside on the pier. Look for special entertainment and dinner specials at the Oceanic when available or enjoy a romantic getaway at one of the area hotels and resorts as the perfect backdrop for a full moon rising stay.