Your Guide to Wrightsville Beach

A little about the area: Wrightsville Beach is a lively island with a serene vibe. It offers a stunning white sand beach and crystal-clear water ideal for various watersports, swimming, sunbathing, diving, fishing, surfing and more! Wrightsville is filled with some of the best restaurants on the NC coast, and great nightlife. You're going to love it here!

​*Keep in mind that some of these activities are seasonal

Wrightsville Beach Activities

• Visit the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History. Showcases the town's over 100-year history through displays, memorabilia, and seasonal exhibits. Located in an original early 1900s beach house, it features replica rooms, hurricane encounters, the Lumina Pavilion, and authentic surfing artifacts. Open year-round, it offers unique insights into the town's rich history. https://wbmuseumofhistory.com/

• Go fishing at Johnnie Mercer's Pier. North Carolina's only concrete fishing pier, extending over 1,200' ft. It features an on-site grill, bait and tackle shop, and ample fishing space. The pier offers stunning views of the town and excellent photo opportunities. 

• Have some fun away from the sand at Wrightsville Beach Park. Outdoor fun with 2 basketball courts, 3 volleyball pits, 4 tennis courts, a softball field, and an open area for pick-up games. It features an all-inclusive playground, arboretum, and regular events like weekly movie nights.

• Hop aboard one of the many picturesque cruises and enjoy the breathtaking views as you cruise the beautiful waterways around the island. There are many different types of cruises that are offered, including sunset cruises, historical cruises, and even a pirate- guided treasure hunt cruise to uninhabited Masonboro island for the kids! https://wrightsvillebeachscenictours.com/

• Enjoy a walk at The John Nesbitt Loop. The loop is a 2.45-mile circuit that offers great sightseeing of Wrightsville Beach. It is also very dog friendly with multiple doggy fountains along the path.

Rental & Activity Companies

• Wrightsville SUP : Rent stand up paddleboards (SUP), canoes, kayaks, and bikes from Wrightsville SUP. They also offer tours, and SUP lessons. Visit https://www.wrightsvillesup.com for more information.
• Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours: Offers a variety of cruises including sunset cruises , inshore bottom fishing, and childrens tours. For more information go to https://wrightsvillebeachscenictours.com
• Cape Fear Beach Rentals: Rent beach chairs, umbrellas, beach wagons and more. https://capefearbeachrentals.com/shop/
• Wrightsville Beach Bikes and Rentals: Rent beach Cruisers, Surfboards, stand up paddle boards (SUP) and Kayaks from Wrightsville Beach Bikes and Rentals https://www.wbbikesandboards.com/
• Epic Excursions: Enjoy a private cruise over to one of the islands for a steam pot low country boil with spectacular views! Relax and enjoy some island time while your captain prepares your customized steam pot dinner on the beach. They also offer custom boat tours and boat rentals https://epicexcursionsnc.com/
• Alchemy Wellness Spa: Unwind with a deep tissue massage, and facial at Alchemy Wellness Spa. They have a variety of massages and skincare services. https://alchemywb.com/
• Baby Quip: Need baby equipment during your stay? You can rent them from Korie Tarquino with BabyQuip: email [email protected] and her cell phone is 908-887-1590. https://www.babyquip.com/korie484

Coffee Shops

• SUNdays Cafe: Laid-back coffee shop and cafe that serves coffee, lattes, smoothies, shakes, and more. Dog friendly! https://www.facebook.com/SUNdaysWB/
• The Workshop : Unique cafe that serves coffee, frappes, smoothies, sandwiches and more. They also have an awesome display of megalodon shark teeth ​​and fossil jewelry. https://www.theworkshopwb.com/
• Zeke's Beans & Bowls: Located in the heart of Wrightsville, serving coffee, fresh juice, all day breakfast, poke bowls and more! https://www.zekes.net/wrightsvillebeach

Restaurants

Breakfast

• Drift Cafe: Offers a variety of quality breakfast and brunch options. Try their nutella stuffed french toast and mimosas! https://driftcoffee.kitchen/pages/wrightsville-beach
• Sweet n Savory Cafe: Scratch kitchen that serves breakfast classics with a twist, benedicts, bowls, sandwiches and more. https://sweetnsavorycafe.com/

Seafood

• Bluewater Waterfront Grill: Seafood & steaks headline the menu at this waterfront venue with a large patio & live music. https://www.bluewaterdining.com/
• Oceanic: High-end seafood spot offering outdoor dining on the rebuilt historic Crystal Pier. Great view with great food! https://www.oceanicrestaurant.com
• South Beach Grill: Creative southern-inspired cuisine that’s locally sourced by land and sea and served in a friendly, casual atmosphere. https://www.southbeachgrillwb.com
• Dockside: Casual marina spot with an eclectic, seafood-heavy menu & full bar, with boat docking available. https://www.thedockside.com
• Fish House Grill: Bright, lively backdrop for seafood & drinks, with an outdoor deck on the Intracoastal Waterway. https://www.thefishhousegrill.com

Pizza

• Mellow Mushroom: Funky, art-filled chain pizzeria featuring craft beer, calzones & creative stone-baked pizzas. https://www.mellowmushroom.com/locations/nc/wrightsville-beach
• Wheelz Pizza: Modern take on the neighborhood pizzeria using fresh organic ingredients free from any additives or preservatives. https://wrightsvillebeach.wheelzpizza.com/

Other Lunch & Dinner Options

• Poe's Tavern: Edgar Allan Poe inspired beach bar and restaurant. Gourmet burgers, tacos, and more! https://www.poestavern.com/wrightsville-beach-menu
• The Bridge Tender: Refined steakhouse features casual fine dining with a deck over the Intracoastal Waterway. https://www.thebridgetender.com/
• ​​Tower 7 Baja Mexican Grill: Fish tacos & other Baja-inspired Mexican fare, plus flavored margaritas in a buzzing backdrop .https://www.tower7.com/
• Trolly Stop: Long-running local chain preparing hot dogs with a slew of toppings, plus burgers & homemade chili. https://trollystophotdogs.com/

Dessert

• Kohl's Frozen Custard & Kitchen: Locally owned and operated frozen custard shop on the beach with weekly rotating flavors and a variety of food options available from the grill. https://www.kohlscustard.com/
• The Original Ice Cream Stand: Ice cream, smoothies, shakes, italian ice and more just steps from the ocean. 3 N Lumina ,Wrightsville Beach, NC
• Cinnaholic:  locally owned and operated bakery specializing in custom gourmet cinnamon rolls and homemade cookie dough, brownies, and cookies. https://locations.cinnaholic.com/ll/us/nc/wilmington/6841-conservation-way/

Catering & Private Chefs

• Middle of the Island Catering: Wilmington’s largest catering company, specializing in seafood and southern buffets. https://www.middleoftheisland.com/
• A Thyme Savor:  (910) 262-2962: https://athymesavor.com
• Reese Villa Personal Chef Services: Catering and in-home private dining. https://reesevilla.com/

Wrightsville Beach Bars

• The Palm Room: Historic bar on Wrightsville Beach since 1955. Friendly faces, salty air, live music, pool, skeeball. https://www.facebook.com/palm.room.bar/
• Wrightsville Beach Brewery: Hip, contemporary brewpub serving a variety of craft beers, plus brunch, pizza & Southern fare. https://www.wbbeer.com/
• Lagerheads Tavern: Equal parts dive bar and beach bar. Dog friendly patio. https://www.facebook.com/lager.heads
• Jimmy's, (910) 599-1931
• Jerry Allen's Sports Bar, http://jerryallensportsbar.com/contact/
• Flying Machine Oyster Bar, https://www.fmoysterbar.com
• 22 North, https://www.22northwb.com
• Red Dogs, https://www.reddogswb.com

Mayfaire Town Center

Mayfaire is Wilmington NC's premier lifestyle shopping center, offering a diverse mix of over 80 stores and over 20 restaurants. Click here to view their website. Below are some of our favorites places to eat, things to do, and places to shop in and around the area of Mayfaire:

• Osteria Cicchetti - Casual Italian restaurant & wine bar with a compact menu of pizzas, pastas & meat dishes. https://www.osteria-cicchetti.com
• Brasserie Du Soleil - French Restaurant. https://www.brasseriedusoleil.com
• AR Workshop -perfect for rainy days! https://www.arworkshop.com/wilmington/
• Cava - Mediterranean restaurant, https://cava.com
• Perla Raw Bar - great oysters and great seafood! https://perlarawbar.com
• True Blue Butcher & Table - great meat, https://www.wearetrueblue.com
• Kale Me Crazy - Superfood café, https://kalemecrazy.net/wilmington/
• Coquina -  fresh seafood restaurant, https://coquinafishbar.com
• First Watch - breakfast, https://firstwatch.com
• Brunches - great brunch place! https://www.mimosasmademedoit.com
• Julie's Boutique - https://juliesclothing.com

Downtown Wilmington

The downtown area of Wilmington is on the Cape Fear River, not too far from the island. We highly recommend checking it out if you have time! There is a riverfront boardwalk, restaurants, shops, bars, and many fun things to do.

Wilmington Restaurants: 

• Copper Penny: https://www.copperpennync.com/
• Circa: https://circa1922.com/ 
• Yosake: https://www.yosake.com/
• PinPoint: https://pinpointrestaurant.com/
• Tarantelli's: https://tarantellis.com/
• Manna: https://www.mannaavenue.com/
• The George: https://thegeorgerestaurant.com/
• The Basics: http://www.thebasicswilmington.com/
• Rx: https://www.rxwilmington.com/
• Benny's Big Time Pizzeria: https://www.vivianhoward.com/bennysbigtime
• Anne Bonny’s Bar and Grill: https://annebonnyswilmington.com/

AND more!

Wilmington Bars: 

• The Blind Elephant: http://www.blindelephantspeakeasy.com/
• Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar (Great view of the water!): https://www.cloud9ilm.com/
• Satellite Bar and Lounge: https://www.facebook.com/satellitebarandlounge/
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: https://www.whiskeytangofoxtrotnc.com/
• Pour Taproom: https://pourtaproomilm.com/

AND more!

Wilmington Activities:

Downtown SunDown: Downtown SunDown is a FREE event with concerts every Friday night during the summer with amazing tribute bands right on the boardwalk. 

Haunted Wilmington: Get spooky on a ghost walk or haunted pub crawl with Haunted Wilmington! https://hauntedwilmington.com/

Wilmington Water Tours: Cruise along the Cape Fear River on one of Wilmington Water Tours’ excursions! Fun for the whole family! https://wilmingtonwatertours.net/

Cape Fear Riverboats: Enjoy a sightseeing or sunset cruise with Cape Fear Riverboats! Great views of Downtown Wilmington and the port! https://cfrboats.com/

Museums: Visit one of Wilmington’s historic museums- The Children’s Museum of Wilmington, Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, and the Bellamy Mansion Museum.

Thalian Hall: Relax and enjoy a show at Thalian Hall in Wilmington. Visit https://www.thalianhall.org/ for shows available. 

Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park: Enjoy a great water park, putt putt, laser tag, go karts, mini bowling, rock climbing, arcade games, and more at Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park. For more info visit junglerapids.com 

Axes and Allies: Go throw axes at a bullseye while drinking cold beer from the bar at Axes and Allies. For more info visit https://www.axesandalliesnc.com/

FlipnFly: Enjoy jumping around with the kids at FlipnFly trampoline park. Visit https://flipnfly.com/ for more info.

CrossFire Paintball: Shoot paintball guns at CrossFire Paintball. Visit crossfirenc.com for more info. 

NC Battleship: Step back in time and let history come alive at the USS NC Battleship! https://www.battleshipnc.com

Please let us know if you need any other specific recommendations for your stay!