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Destination: Kure Beach, NC

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We spent our week-long summer break at Kure (pronounced CURE-ee) Beach in North Carolina. If you know where the Outer Banks are—Kure is further south, almost at the southeastern tip of NC. For those that use Myrtle Beach, SC as a reference point, Kure is about 90 miles northeast. It’s only 18 miles from Wilmington and it’s sandwiched between the Atlantic on the eastern side and the Cape Fear River on the west.

I guess that makes it more like a hot dog…which is technically a sandwich as well?

The first time we went was in 2022. We wanted to go somewhere less crowded, and not as far as Myrtle Beach (which is crowded). We also wanted the trip to be affordable. At first, neighboring Carolina Beach sounded like a good idea, but a little more research put us in Kure. Clearly we enjoyed it enough to make the trip again this summer 2024. We rented a condo for both visits.

The drive from the DC area is about 6 hours if there’s no traffic. Hahaha…there’s always traffic.

Kure Beach is small, clean, and quiet with tropical colored homes and rentals lining the beach. If you want to do the boardwalk, hit the shops and arcade, and enjoy carnival rides you can go to Carolina Beach a few minutes north. If you’re not looking to socialize and you just want to get away from the noise and enjoy nature, go to Kure. I don’t even recall seeing any of those roadside putt-putt golf places that seem to sprout up everywhere at popular beach towns. There is a family-friendly fishing pier which is worth visiting. That might be the most “typical” beach thing it has.

See and Do

There’s still plenty to do in Kure if you need more than a beach. Here are a few things we have seen/done:

Fort Fisher NC State Historic Site

If you’re a Civil War buff (or not), you’ll definitely want to check out this amphibious battle site. We visited Fort Fisher during our 2022 trip, and at the time they hadn’t completed the new Visitor’s Center. However, we did get to walk the trail through the remains of the fort which was built mostly from earth and sand. There are some amazing views.

There’s also a trail to get to an old, abandoned World War II bunker that was once home to the Fort Fisher Hermit. Technically, he wasn’t a hermit as he had thousands of visitors during his lifetime and was supposedly very hospitable. In that sense, the hermit was far from being isolated, but it certainly made for a great nickname.

Mark ran the trail to the bunker once and said the trail seemed to “move”. It took a moment for him to realize that the entire trail was covered in ghost crabs. At the sound of his steps, they would scatter or bury themselves. Their actions made it look like the trail itself was moving.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

The aquarium was also a 2022 visit for us, and it was perfect because it was one of those days where you weren’t quite sure if it was going to rain or not. It’s also a great spot to get some air conditioning if the weather is ridiculously hot. There was a touch tank and a nice jellyfish exhibit. My jelly pictures didn’t turn out as nice as I’d hoped.

The Coquina Outcrop

Back to the beach. Kure Beach is fairly rocky. I scraped my feet several times. An unexpected wave can also send you crashing into some rough patches. You can bring some water shoes to keep your toes safe, but I also suggest checking out the beach at low tide. That’s when you’ll be able to find out where those rock formations are hiding.

Kure is home to a coquina rock formation which is only visible during low tide. It’s located closer to the Ft. Fisher side of the beach. We didn’t get to explore this as much as we should have. Definitely on the to do list for next time—a whole day exploring the outcrop! Well, at least until high tide. People have posted some cool pictures on Tripadvisor that are worth checking out since I have failed you. The pictures above are not the outcrop. Clearly.

Take a Ferry to Southport

This summer we decided to take the ferry from Fort Fisher to Southport. The ferry ride alone is worth it (30 minutes each way). It’s super relaxing and you get beautiful views of the Cape Fear River. We even saw dolphins! I had no idea we’d see dolphins! (It was a very Extraordinary Attorney Woo moment for us.)

Southport is a charming waterfront town that makes for an enjoyable stroll. There are shops and restaurants, and even some TV and film locations. Our favorite was the Matlock house because Mark and I used to watch it long ago. There’s also a museum, a lighthouse, and a nature center—none of which we were able to visit this time around.

Just make sure you check the ferry schedule when planning your trip. Don’t arrive late because they can only fit so many vehicles on the ferry. If you miss the last ferry, you’ll just have to take a long route back to Fort Fisher.

Here’s a list of things we haven’t done that we definitely want to try next time:

What about Wilmington, you ask? Well, read on because that’s where we went to eat.

Where to Eat

We take eating very seriously, so we make reservations at places up to a month in advance of our trip. Unfortunately, there’s very little at Kure Beach that has enticed us. We will hit up the grocery store when we arrive so that we can prepare our own meals for breakfast and lunch, but treats and dinners are definitely what makes a vacation a vacation!

Treats

  • Celtic Creamery: we had ice cream here almost every single day. No one was worried about weight gain because it’s just too good! I have not had a flavor I didn’t like and we came around often enough to try many of them. We frequented the Carolina Beach location just a short car drive from Kure. We probably should have walked to feel better about ourselves because now that I am writing this, I feel just the tiniest bit guilty.

  • Britts Donuts: we didn’t go here during our 2024 trip because we kept eating ice cream, but this is definitely my beach donut of choice in this area. You can find them on the Carolina Beach boardwalk while you’re walking around with your ice cream from Celtic Creamery.

  • Wake and Bake: we gave this place a shot in 2024 because our friends loved it and went multiple times while we were eating ice cream. They are also located at Carolina Beach, but in a strip mall. They have so many flavors to choose from, so if you like trying new things, this is the place for you.

Dinners

Every dinner was in Wilmington, NC and we made sure to get reservations. We fit it into our schedule to drive 30-40 minutes to and from Wilmington and it was absolutely worth it. I’ve only listed the places we really enjoyed and would return to.

  • Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria - casual pizza place we went to in 2022, so good we returned and brought friends in 2024.

  • Caprice Bistro - first time checking out the French cuisine at this super cute place; we sat upstairs by the window.

  • Catch - another repeat visit for us, we were skeptical pulling into the strip mall at first; this is our daughter’s favorite place for dinner. She highly recommends the crab cakes.

  • manna - this is my favorite place for dinner. They won us over in 2022 and I will always come back. I still crave that ricotta dip and fresh bread. Their cocktails are perfection.

  • Olivero - first time checking out the Italian cuisine; best pasta we’ve had in the area.

  • Rumcow - our friends recommended this place; nice aesthetic and vibes, great cocktails.

Neither treat nor dinner, we also love this cute little place called the Veggie Wagon in Carolina Beach. They have a wonderful selection of food, beverages, desserts, etc. Drop by for snack or lunch, find some wine or craft beer, or find those fresh ingredients for those times you’re staying in.

Have you been to Kure Beach? What am I missing? Let me know in the comments!