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South Brunswick County Holden Beach Of the three islands in the group known as the South Brunswick Islands, Holden Beach is the longest and the largest. Stretching 11 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, the island is a jogger's paradise. Approximately 900 year-round residents call Holden Beach home. Visitors will find a host of opportunities for assimilating themselves into this exceedingly quiet family community. The beach and the sea are the central attractions in this town, which prides itself on a serene quality of life. Ocean Isle Beach Ocean Isle Beach is the center island, offering 8 miles of beach with a total resort experience: restaurants, specialty shops, public tennis courts, access to all watersports, and a water slide. This beach has the only high-rise hotel on the South Brunswick Islands. There is an airport that makes getting to Ocean Isle accessible by air, but don't expect to see commercial jets at this relatively small facility. Home to slightly 425 full-time residents, Ocean Isle welcomes visitors to a peaceful place. Sunset Beach Sunset Beach, described as a diminutive island gem, is only 3 miles long. Despite its size, this island experienced a 150 percent population increase between 1990 and 1997, with a current year-round population of more than 2,000 residents. Because it is reached by a one-lane pontoon bridge, making it the only island without a high-rise bridge in Brunswick County, there is sometimes a bit of a wait to get to Sunset in the high tourist season. However, the island is well-worth the wait. This bridge will probably be replaced by a high-rise someday, if the Department of Transportation has its way, but that discussion has been going on for years. Islanders like their bridge the way it is because it tends to keep traffic levels down.
Although this island is residential in character, it is a great choice for a family vacation. Some of the best bargains in vacation rentals are here, and the visitor who wants a quiet coastal place will do very well to book a house on this beach. As with all of the beaches on the southern coast, quality golfing is available on the mainland. For fishing enthusiasts, there is a full-service pier. Sunset Beach also offers a special delight -- a walk to Bird Island at low tide. Bird Island is completely untouched by development.
A walk through the shallow inlet at low tide is easy for adults as well as
children. There are frequent informal guided tours, announced by posters
attached to street markers on the beach, so it's easy to hook up with locals
who are pleased to share their knowledge of the island. The environment is
purely natural and deeply comforting, where people of the 21st century can experience life as it was before the development of the
land. In order to keep it this way, in 2002 the state of North Carolina
purchased the island and dedicated it as the state's 10th Coastal Reserve
Program site. Through this purchase, nearly 1,200 acres of wetlands, marsh and
beaches are preserved for use by endangered species, including sea turtles
and some species of sea birds. The island will be managed for use as an
outdoor laboratory for research and education as well as traditional uses
through a cooperative effort by the Division of Coastal Management, the Bird
Island Preservation Society and an appointed Bird Island Local Advisory
Committee.
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Calabash Calabash, home of numerous delicious Calabash-style seafood
restaurants, sits
on the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway. Restaurants abound and
deep-sea fishing boats are docked in town, waiting to take you on the adventure of
your life. Though small, with little more than 1,300 year-round residents, Calabash is abutted
on the north by the town of Carolina Shores, a residential-only community.
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Shallotte The town of Shallotte serves as the hub for services for
Brunswick County's beach communities. In fact, it is perhaps best-known as
the commercial center of the county. Because of its mainland location and
island proximity, Shallotte offers residents and visitors the convenience of
larger-town living and services. This is the place in Brunswick County where
you will find shopping malls with nationally known stores. The Brunswick
County Chamber of Commerce is headquartered in Shallotte and can provide any
information you may need about the South Brunswick Islands and the inland
area. The town has a year-round population of
approximately 2,000.
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Pelicans from along the Cape Fear River pay a visit to a local fishing dock.