In high school, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was living at the beach! Emerald Isle, NC is one of my favorite places on earth and I finally moved here after finishing college in 2011. I spent summers on the Crystal Coast growing up and I’ve been living here for over ten years and feel so lucky to call the island home!

The Crystal Coast includes areas like Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, and Beaufort. Obviously, this area has so much to offer! We have amazing beaches, boating access and incredible sunsets, but there are so many fun surprises as well! Whether you’re just visiting or you’re moving to the area, be sure to checkout these hidden gems!

Paddle

If you’re up for a paddle there are some amazing places to paddle in the area! (You can also take a boat if you prefer a quicker route). There are lots of places to rent kayaks or paddle boards and some place’s even offer tours!

Sharktooth Island

Sharktooth Island is a quick paddle from the public boat ramp in Swansboro, NC! It begins where the intercoastal waterway starts to head out towards Bogue Inlet. Because of the constant movement of water in this area you can find shark teeth all along the shore! Before you go make sure to check the tides so you don’t have to fight the flow of the current as much! You’ll also pass some small islands along the way, so keep an eye out for birds and dolphin!

An even better paddle is to Bear Island, officially called Hammock’s Beach State Park. This beach is not only a great place to visit, but you can camp there as well! You can paddle to Bear Island through protected marsh or catch the public ferry that will take you over to the island.

If you choose to make this paddle you want to take the Marsh route to get there versus the Intracoastal. Not only is it a much prettier trip, it’s also much safer since there’s less boat traffic! If you’re renting your kayak, ask for the best route, since it changes with each hurricane.

Since the island is a protected area you’ll spot all sorts of birds and local wildlife. There’s also numerous trails on the island itself that take you through different parts of the island’s ecology!

Local Seafood

Visit Wild Horses

Drink Local

North Carolina is home to so many amazing craft breweries and this area has five great one’s! They are spread out all over the county, so no matter where you’re staying there is likely to be one close to you! Each of our local breweries has their own unique flavor and the fact that we have such amazing beer in this area is so incredible that it was worth it’s own post!  For a more detailed description of each brewery checkout this post! They are a great place to meet up with friends, play some cornhole, or pick the brains of the amazing bartenders!

In addition to the great breweries, Bogue Sound Distillery is one of the newest additions to the area! They have a great selection of liquors- their Bombshell Gin and Bourbon Whiskey are among our favorites! They also offer tours four days a week!

Carolina Home and Garden

Carolina Home and Garden isn’t your typical “garden shop” (although they do have incredible plants and pots for sale). This is a unique place to checkout, have a drink, or listen to local music! They have live music and food trucks on Friday nights, as well as other classes like ballroom dancing throughout the week. You can browse the shop, meander the gardens or hang out with friends in their greenhouse. When I was little I used to pretend the back of my grandfather’s yard was a secret garden- well this place is an even better adult version! Be sure to check it out- and you can bring your four legged friend with you!

Live Music

In addition to the Friday Night’s in the garden at Carolina Home and Garden, there are also many local places to catch live music during the summer. Bake, Bottle and Brew often has live music on weekends throughout the summer and is right on the water in Swansboro. Many of the town’s in the area also have a summer concert series! Emerald Isle host’s theirs on Thursdays, Morehead City hold’s theirs on Saturday’s, and Swansboro’s are on Sunday’s. There’s always a place to catch good music!

Shop a Farmer’s Market

Learn to Surf or SCUBA Dive

Instead of just enjoying the view, take full advantage of what the NC coast has to offer and learn a new skill!

This area is consistently ranked as one of the top locations in the world for wreck diving and diving with Sandtiger sharks (don’t worry- they won’t bother you on the beach and are super cool underwater!) SCUBA diving is an amazing experience and if you’re here for a few days you can take a class locally with Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, NC. 

If being above the water is more your style there are many local surf shops that offer private lessons! Watching someone stand up for the first time is such a cool thing! If surfing is something you’ve been wanting to do, give them a call! There are also operations that offer wind surfing and sailing in the area!

Take a Hike

Thanks to the proximity of the Croatan Forest, we have some amazing trails in the area. The Tideland Trail in Cedar Point is one of our favorites! It’s relatively flat, only about 1.5 miles, takes you through some beautiful marshland and forests in the area! Our favorite time to go is in the spring and fall when it’s not so hot and the mosquito’s aren’t out, although it does have a good amount of shade. Dog’s are allowed on a leash!

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

What’s the best ending to a great day? Great dessert! If you’re feeling like spoiling yourself this area has some great places to do it! In addition to their sandwiches menu, Dini’s Martini and Dessert Bar in Swansboro has the largest dessert menu in the area! They also have an amazing cocktail selection and HUGE bourbon menu. It’s a great place for a date night or a place to meet up with friends!

If you’re traveling with kids (or the kid at heart) be sure to checkout Candy Edventure just down the road. They have a huge selection of candy, malt sodas, ice cream and all things sweet! If you’re looking for the candy you haven’t had since you were a little kid you’re likely to find it here!

Explore Beaufort

I had started to include some of my favorite Beaufort, NC places as a part of this post, but then I realized that there are far too many! Beaufort is an incredible nearby town to visit with great history and character! Since I love it so much, I created an entire post with some of my favorite things to do with a day (or more) in Beaufort!

I really hope you’ll enjoy your visit to the Crystal Coast and fall in love with this area as much as I am! Even after living her for over a decade I’m still finding new things to love everyday! I’d love to hear some of your favorites in the comments below!