Off the Beaten Path

Solo Travel

Traveling solo allows you to step back, relax and craft your own vacation on your own time. Discover Kure Beach on a getaway that includes coastal views and serenity alongside plenty of activities. Start the morning with coffee on the Kure Beach Fishing Pier, dive to a Civil War blockade runner beneath the shore, unwind on a kayak trip to an uninhabited island, experience history in a beautiful setting and so much more. Start planning your perfect solo stay in Kure Beach.

TRAVEL WITHOUT KIDS

Known as a prime beach destination for young families in the summer, young professionals to empty nesters find fall is a perfect time to book a beach getaway here. With kids back in school, visitors traveling without kids can enjoy less crowds, mild temperatures and more affordable lodging rates in the off-season.

Less crowds also means less waiting at island restaurants and bars, and even more space to spread out and relax on the beach. Travelers can experience nightlife like a true local by visiting island favorites nearby in Carolina Beach such as the Fat Pelican. Groove to the tunes from local and regional bands at The Ocean Grill & Tiki Bar and Seawitch Café & Tiki Bar, which feature a lineup of live entertainment well into the fall.

SENIOR AND RETIREE TRAVEL

Who needs Florida when Kure Beach has everything retirees, seniors and baby boomers could ask for? With accessibility, affordability, great weather and a laid-back atmosphere, Kure Beach is an ideal spot for rest and relaxation. Main attractions, restaurants and shopping are within walking, biking distance or just a short drive away on the island.

ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENTS

Don’t miss Kure Beach’s annual events, which include: the Street Festival featuring arts and crafts, food and more (April); the Carolina Beach Music Festival, the largest and only music festival held on the beach along the North Carolina coast (June); the Fireworks by the Sea & Boardwalk Blast on the island in nearby Carolina Beach (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and the Cape Fear Kite Festival (November).

PET-FRIENDLY

Bring Fido along on your next trip to Kure Beach. Dogs are allowed on-leash on the beach strand from Oct. 1 through March 31. From April 1 to Sept 30, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach strand between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. Fort Fisher State Recreation Area welcomes dogs year-round.

UNEXPECTED EXPERIENCES

Visit the area’s only Disc Golf Course featuring a unique terrain of sand and oak trees. This course is 18 holes with the longest run at 500 feet, great for seasoned players as well as new ones!

See where an elusive and infamous hermit lived. The renowned Fort Fisher State Recreation Area’s hermit (62 year old Robert E. Harrill) lived in an abandoned World War II era bunker near the Cape Fear River along a salt marsh for 17 years, from 1955 until 1972. He became a hermit in 1955 at the age of 62.  People heard of and came to visit the “Hermit” to listen to his philosophies and imparted wisdom throughout his stay there and today you can still see the bunker he made into a home on the recreation area’s 1.1-mile trail.

Test your skills on the island’s only Skate Park, an 8,000 square-foot-park featuring ramps, twists and turns for all levels.

HOLIDAYS

Enjoy a holiday season that’s a little less hectic at Kure Beach. The centerpiece of the holiday season is the Island of Lights Festival. The festivities kick off the day after Thanksgiving with the Light Up The Lake ceremony and culminate with the New Year’s Eve Countdown. Enjoy the closest shopping to the Atlantic Ocean at the Kure Beach Holiday Market featuring handcrafted items from more than 30 artists. Other events include a tradition found only on the coast, the Holiday Flotilla held on the Intracoastal Waterway with a parade of decorated boats.