Casual American
Banks Grille
Order the loaded grits — they are the reason to come — and add a biscuit so you can try the homemade jams, which are the best on the island.
Explore
Crystal Coast Guide
Everything you need for a week on North Carolina's Southern Outer Banks: where to eat, what to book, what to pack, and the questions everybody asks before their first trip.
Eat
Top restaurants and seafood
Lunch
Big Oak Drive-In
The great Crystal Coast lunch stop. Get the shrimp burger, and order it like a local: 'all the way' means coleslaw, tartar sauce and ketchup. Don't knock it until you've tried it — it's surprisingly excellent.
Lunch
Beach Bowls
A bright stop in Beaufort for smoothies and açaí bowls — the perfect light, healthy lunch between the Maritime Museum and the waterfront.
Seafood
34° North
Fresh local seafood in a refined waterfront setting — restaurant and hotel in one. Our pick for grouper, scallops and a proper sunset dinner.
Waterfront
Moonrakers
Upscale waterfront dining in Beaufort with a polished menu and real views. Worth the short drive for a special night.
Pizza
Roma Pizza
Family-friendly pizza in Atlantic Beach — quick, reliable, the easiest dinner after a long beach day.
Breakfast
4 Corners Diner
Under the Atlantic Beach water tower. Hearty plates, strong coffee and fast service before the beach.
Lounge
Rhumbar
Island-style cocktails with outdoor seating — the parents'-night-out drink before dinner.
Ice cream
AB Ice Cream
Atlantic Beach's after-dinner walk, and the right sugar high before mini golf.
Market
Friendly Market in Morehead City
Don't skip it. The homemade pickles are worth a cooler trip home and the treats are the best dessert on the island.
Three rules that make dining out work
- Eat early. A 5:00–5:45pm seating is near-instant; 6:30pm can mean ninety minutes.
- Plan two cook-in nights. Arrival night and the mid-week beach-exhaustion night. Both rentals have full kitchens.
- Take-out beats a table. A shrimp basket on the balcony is the best meal of most weeks.
Do
Charters, boats, golf and rainy days
Fishing
Charters & pier fishing
Half-day inshore trips for flounder and drum, full-day offshore for mahi and king mackerel, or walk on at Oceanana Pier for the price of a rod. Chasin' Tails Outdoors handles licences, bait and current advice.
On the water
Boat & jet ski rentals
Pontoon rentals on Bogue Sound are the best value on the coast for a family day; jet skis and parasailing run from the Atlantic Beach causeway. Morning water is flattest.
Golf
Local courses
Several public courses sit within twenty minutes on the mainland and at the west end of the island, with the best tee times early before the afternoon sea breeze.
Rainy day
When the weather turns
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the free Maritime Museum in Beaufort, Fort Macon's casemates, the Beaufort boutiques, or a bakery-and-bookshop morning. A rainy day here is a good day.
Kids
Kids' activities
Mini golf and go-karts on the causeway, nighttime crabbing with a flashlight and bucket, the aquarium touch pool, shell hunting the hour after low tide, and the playgrounds listed below.
Breweries & coffee
Where locals refuel
Morehead City and Beaufort both have small independent breweries and proper coffee roasters — the best non-beach afternoon on the mainland side.
Playgrounds
Best playgrounds for kids
Beach weeks are easier when you have a backup plan for restless kids. These four parks are all within an easy drive of both rentals and mix shade, climbing and water play — ideal for mid-morning energy or cooling off after lunch.
Splash pad
Shevans Park
A local favourite with a splash pad that opens in summer — the easiest way to cool kids down after a hot morning on the sand. Bring towels and a change of clothes.
Playground
Atlantic Beach Park
Climbing structures, slides and swings near the beach, so you can combine sand time with shade and playground energy. Good for younger children.
Playground
Swinson Park
A quieter, tree-shaded neighbourhood playground in Morehead City. Perfect for a low-key afternoon when the beach crowd is too much.
Splash pad
Randolph Johnson Park & splash pad
In Beaufort, just a few blocks from the waterfront. The splash pad is a lifesaver on a hot day, and the nearby park gives older kids room to run.
Seasons
When to come, and what it costs you
- June: warm water, long days, school-holiday crowds not yet at peak. Big Rock week fills Morehead City.
- July–August: hottest, busiest and priciest. Book oceanside early and eat before 6pm.
- September: our favourite month — ocean still warm, beaches nearly empty, rates falling.
- October–April: quiet, cheap and beautiful. Fort Macon, Beaufort and the fishing are all still there.
Pack
Crystal Coast packing guide
- Beach: reef-safe sunscreen, rash guards for kids, a pop-up shade, one bucket per child, and a mesh bag so sand stays outside.
- Evenings: one warm layer even in July — the sound breeze turns cool after dark.
- Feet: water shoes for the jetty rocks and the sound-side marsh.
- Kitchen: a good knife and your favourite coffee. Everything else is in both rentals.
- Extras: flashlight for night crabbing, insect repellent for the marsh side, and a cooler for the drive home — pickles from Friendly Market in Morehead City travel well.
- Leave behind: beach chairs and boogie boards if you would rather buy on the causeway than fill the car.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Crystal Coast?
The Crystal Coast is the 85-mile stretch of the southern North Carolina coast in Carteret County, running from Cape Lookout past Beaufort and Morehead City along Bogue Banks through Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path, Indian Beach and Emerald Isle. It is also known as the Southern Outer Banks.
Is Atlantic Beach or Pine Knoll Shores better for a family?
Atlantic Beach is more convenient — restaurants, the fishing pier, Fort Macon and mini golf are all within a few minutes. Pine Knoll Shores is quieter, greener and has far fewer people on the sand, with the North Carolina Aquarium and maritime forest trails in town. Both are on the same island, ten minutes apart.
When is the best time to visit the Crystal Coast?
June and September are the sweet spots: warm ocean water, long days and noticeably smaller crowds than July and August. May and October are excellent for couples and anglers, and rates drop sharply after Labor Day.
How far is the Crystal Coast from Raleigh?
Roughly three hours by car from Raleigh, about two hours from Wilmington and around four and a half from Charlotte. Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern is the closest commercial airport, about 50 minutes away.
Do I need a fishing licence in North Carolina?
Yes — a North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing Licence is required for most saltwater fishing, though piers usually cover you under their own blanket licence. Chasin' Tails Outdoors in Atlantic Beach can sort a licence, bait and rigs in one stop.
Can you see wild horses on the Crystal Coast?
Yes. A protected herd lives on Shackleford Banks, reachable by passenger ferry from Beaufort or Harkers Island, and horses are often visible from the Beaufort waterfront on Carrot Island. Federal rules require staying at least 50 feet away.
Plan your trip
Official resources
Crystal Coast Tourism Authority
The destination marketing organisation for Carteret County — events, beach access maps and visitor information.
Visit North Carolina
The state's official travel site, with regional trip ideas and seasonal guides.
Cape Lookout National Seashore
National Park Service information on ferries, camping, lighthouse climbs and the wild horses.
Fort Macon State Park
Hours, tour times, trail maps and beach access for the restored Civil War fort.
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Tickets, daily programmes and dive show times, ten minutes from both rentals.
Beaufort Historic Site
Guided walking tours, historic homes and the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort.
NC Ferry System
NCDOT schedules and fares for state ferry routes along the coast.
Book direct
Two rentals. One very easy beach week.
Island Beach & Racquet Club B302 in Atlantic Beach and Coral Shores 12 in Pine Knoll Shores both pair direct pool access with a short, flat walk to the sand — the two things that make a family trip effortless.