The Ultimate Visitors Guide to Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach is the perfect place for a family vacation or group getaway. We have beautiful white sandy beaches and tons of fun activities for every walk of life to enjoy. We’ve even made planning your trip to our gorgeous coast a breeze with our ultimate visitor’s guide to Carolina Beach!

Parks

Carolina Beach State Park | 1010 State Park Rd

Open daily from 7 am to 10 pm with trails, fishing, boating, swimming, and more!

Freeman Park | 1800 Canal Dr

Open 24 hours a day with swimming, fishing, boating, crabbing, and horseback riding.

Carolina Beach Lake Park | 400 S Lake Park Blvd

Open daily from 6 am to 11 pm with trails, gazebo, playground, picnic area, and restrooms.

Family-Friendly Attractions

Carolina Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park

Families will love the games, rides, and boardwalk food at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park! Grab an all-day pass for unlimited rides or pay $1.50 per ticket as you go. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day every year.

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher | (910) 772-0542

Head to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher for some off the beach fun and a whole lot of under the sea magic! Here you can experience the beautiful marine life daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Adult admission is $9.95 and kids (3-12) are $7.95.

Restaurants

Cape Fear Boil Company | (910) 707-3034

Cape Fear Boil Company not only offers up the best lowcountry boil around, they also bring dinner to you! You can virtually come off the beach and enjoy a boil of shrimp, sausage, crab legs, potatoes, and corn hot and ready to eat.

Surf House Oyster Bar + Surf Camp | (910) 707-0422

Chic and modern, Suf House Oyster Bar offers some of the most decadent dining in a laid back atmosphere. Call ahead for reservations during busy summer nights!

SeaWitch Tiki Bar | (910) 707-0533

Enjoy a variety of different seafood items at the SeaWitch Tiki Bar. Choose from things like SeaWitch Combo platter with shrimp, oysters, scallops, and grouper or their Maryland-style Crab Cakes! This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers casual vibes.

Deck House | (910) 458-1026

If you’re looking for mouthwatering surf and turf, try Deck House. They specialize in fresh seafood and juicy handcut steaks among other savory starters and entrees. 

Boat Tours & Fishing Charters

Island Hopper Tours | (703) 915-0605

Island Hopper offers full and half-day tours out of Carolina Beach, NC. Choose from an all adults cruise or family fun trips with your choice of destination, including Masonboro Island, Shark Tooth Island, Wilmington, and Wrightsville Beach.

Sail Ava Grace Charters | (919) 491-4875

Experience the serenity of sailing the Atlantic Ocean on the S.V. Ava Grace. Charters can accommodate up to 6 people with rates varying depending on length of time and type of sail. Be sure to book your charter in advance!

Fish Witch Charters | (910) 458-5855

Fishing enthusiasts will love a Carolina Beach fishing charter with Fish Witch! They offer a variety of fishing trips including trolling and bottom fishing starting at $450 for 3 hours. The fish you can expect to catch are mackerel, barracuda, shark, mahi-mahi, and more!

Wild Rover III | (910) 264-3973

Wild Rover III offers air-conditioned charter fishing for the Carolina Beach, NC area. Book a ½, ¾, full day, or extended day tour with all the fishing your heart desires! On the Wild Rover III you can expect to catch barracuda, king mackerel, and tuna –among other species of fish.

Watersport & Boat Rentals

Carolina Beach Jet Ski Rentals | (910) 524-7547

Have an adventure on the water with a jet ski rental from Carolina Beach Jet Ski Rentals. Riders must be at least 16 years old to drive and renters must be at least 18 years old. 1-hour rides are $90 and 2-hour rides are $175.

Carolina Beach Pontoon Rental | (910) 508-9075

Float along the Intracoastal Waterway in a pontoon boat rental as you enjoy the company of your friends or family (accommodates 10-13 people) on a warm sunny Carolina day. Rates are available for half-day & full-day rentals during the week and weekends starting at $245.

Nauti Times Boat Rentals | (910) 262-4386

Rent a 21ft Carolina Skiff for a half-day or full-day and enjoy cruising, fishing, or just sunbathing on the Intracoastal Waterway. Half-day boat rentals start at $280.

Kayaks, Paddle Boarding & Surfing

Pleasure Island Rentals | (910) 458-4747

Kayaks, paddleboards, bike rentals, and beach chairs –Pleasure Island has it all! Rent all your beach needs (even surfboards and skimboards) in one place to make vacation easy and relaxing!

Kayak Carolina | (910) 458-9171

Single and double kayaks are ready and waiting for you at Kayak Carolina! Rentals start at $40 for 1-4 hours. Kayak Carolina also offers tours and surfboard rentals!

Dives

Carolina Beach Scuba | (910) 458-7390

Explore the wrecks off the Carolina coast or dive for fossilized megalodon teeth with Carolina Beach Scuba. They offer diving and spearfishing charters as well as provide scuba gear rentals if needed.

Wrightsville Beach Diving | (848) 448-6849

Join the Wrightsville Beach Diving team for a diving adventure of some of the most popular wrecks off the Carolina coast. Charters start at $70 per person and vary based on wreck and charter.