We love Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, North Carolina – a lot. In fact, when we decided to take a risk and move to our dream location, this is the area we picked! There are so many fun activities, and we’ll share with you some of our favorites.
Alas, life can weave some strange threads. And now, we’re in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (which we also love). But Wrightsville Beach will always have a place in my heart and my daydreams. Its clear water, white sand and most perfect waves makes it a very special East Coast spot.
Downtown Wilmington has a Charleston feeling, but is much more navigable and friendly. With great restaurants, fun activities during the day, then a booming nightlife, the Historic District is also worth some time.
If you want city or beach, this list (and that area) has you covered.
The Best Things to Do in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC:
Try standup paddle board.
That’s me on Lilac Attack – on a February afternoon! This is the area where I fell in love with standup paddle boarding (SUP). Wrightsville Beach is a perfect place to try this. There is a loop that takes you around channels –Â a great length to get your legs under you. You may have to deal with some current or wind (locals can tell you the best way to take the loop). But you can stop at “Palm Tree Island” to take a break, and looking at the gorgeous houses is fun, too.
To rent, Wrightsville SUP is my favorite spot. They will also do guided tours and lessons.
Dockside is my favorite spot to go POST-paddle.
Take surf lessons.
This was crazy fun (and challenging) and if we had continued living at the beach, I could see myself getting more into surfing. I loved my lessons and then trying to get out there on my own.
I used WB Surf Camp (for both myself and my youngest son) and had great experiences every time.
Kayak out to Masonboro Island.
This pristine island is a party with motor boaters on one side and on the other, a paradise and sanctuary.
It’s not easy to get to, you will need a kayak or paddleboard (or motorized boat) but it is worth it. Masonboro Island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve lived near and it holds a special place in my heart.
Enjoy the sweet treats.
I love SurfBerry for its most delicious acai bowls. But they also have froyo for the kids, so it keeps the whole family happy. But just over the causeway, Boombalatti’s is available for the full, rich, custardy ice cream experience we all crave.
Visit the Bellamy Mansion.
Downtown Wilmington has a very violent and tragic history, and it is worth knowing. It is something that the city is still trying to reckon with. Â
Like most places in the South, Wilmington hangs between beautiful, antebellum, Azalea Festival lifestyle and also slavery and white supremacy roots that are still too close to be completely gone.
Visiting Bellamy Mansion will not necessarily be a deep dive into this complicated side of Historic Wilmington, but it is a beautiful way to visualize just how much (white) wealth was downtown.
Eat all the good beachy food!
This includes, for us, Tower 7, Ceviche’s, Beer Barrio (downtown), and Poe’s.
Take a ghost tour.
Being a port city, and with significant prominence in the Civil War, there are a lot of vagaries, violence and shady characters in downtown Wilmington’s past.
There is a more commercialized Haunted Wilmington tour, but we did a locally-run, smaller Haunted Cotton Exchange tour and LOVED it. It was appropriately spooky yet also full of history. (We did NOT take our kids – they are not prime candidates for ghost stories.)
Visit the battleship.
A visit to Wilmington isn’t complete without a visit to this iconic landmark. Sitting out on Eagle Island, it informs and commands the view.
The battleship is open for roaming and free to tour at your leisure. It is an incredible way to really get a feel for what life on a battleship is like. It’s a rare and well-done exhibit.
Visit a brewery.
There are so many great breweries that have popped up in Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington in the past 5-8 years. The iconic, and the first, is Wilmington Brewery (as a girl who doesn’t really like beer, I have a love affair with their Blair’s Breakfast Stout). But also fun are Flytrap (downtown) and Waterline (under the bridge, with a great, casual atmosphere and close to downtown).
Wrightsville Beach Brewery is right off the causeway, makes good brews, and has a great brewpub vibe.
Listen to live music outside.
Airlie Gardens, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, the new Riverfront Park, Wrightsville Beach park – there are so many places to hear talented musicians while the coastal breeze comes through. (Of course, let’s be honest, it’s also North Carolina, so bring bug spray.)
Visit Fort Fisher.
Driving out on the beach at Fort Fisher is a unique experience. You can purchase a day pass at the park but BE WARNED, you really do need the right vehicle for this.
But out at Fort Fisher, there are things to do besides drive out to a remote area of beach meant just for you. There is an aquarium here as well as a public beach and bathhouse and it’s a great place to fly kites!
Do yoga on the pier.
You know how much I adore yoga, and being able to take a class with this beach as the background couldn’t be any more special. Yoga studios in the area offer special drop-in classes, but I will always be loyal to BeU.
Honestly, there are so many other wonderful things to do in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. There is a horse-drawn carriage tour, followed by ice cream at Kilwin’s … there is fishing on the pier … there is a stroll up and down the Riverwalk … there is wandering Airlie Gardens … there is the Cape Fear Museum, Poplar Grove and the Art Museum.
Whatever you do or stumble upon, you can’t go wrong.
