Carolina Beach Boardwalk, Carolina Beach

I love that this place has been ranked as one of the top 10 boardwalks in the country by Food & Wine magazine. We are just leaving after another fun family getaway. Our children loved the fair and rides when they were young and of course the beach is still a favorite. The boardwalk makes for a great walk along the beach if you don’t want to get your toes sandy. Would be great if it could be extended. Love the commemorative fish and the swing chairs the overlook the ocean. There are plenty of good options for casual beachfront dining and satisfying any sweet cravings.

Interesting fact: the Carolina beach boardwalk was originally built in 1887 but the latest improvements/additions were finished in the early 2000's which brought it up to its current 1/4 mile length. My visit was on hot and lazy mid-July day. I traveled here on a Wednesday to avoid the weekend crowds but there were still a decent about of beach goers stretched out along the sands. As a California transplant, I'm quite taken by North Carolina beaches. For one, the coastline is not nearly as developed as Southern California with stifling traffic and miles of concrete. The eastern NC coastline is, by contrast, sparsely populated (Wilmington is the only "large" city) and is dotted with quaint, cozy little villages. Many, from my view, give almost a Caribbean vibe and feel, if that makes any sense. Then there are the unique physical features such as the sand dunes and wide variety of marsh vegetation. And of course, the warm water! It was 81º in water here today compared to a chilly 65 in Santa Monica beach. On the boardwalk, I particularly loved the shaded overlook that offered expansive views of the beach in all directions. Also impressive was how clean the are is maintained, I didn't see any litter along the path. The only slight disappointment was that many of the cafes and eateries close after lunch and don't reopen till around 4 of 5 pm for dinner. In all, a great place to bring the family and spend a the day...

Fun memories and fun times for family. If your looking to ride a lot of rides and not wait in line I highly recommend the ride bracelets on the weekends! Bathrooms at night needed attention. It is fun and crowded at night. Nice to cool off and hang out.

#1 Bring that cash money! Cash is king in these parts! Loved people watching! The carnival rides were a huge hit with the kids! No to go orders. Unless you got that CASH. The beach, they had live fireworks! Crab hunting. Did I mention the fun toddler rides! Tons of places to spend that cash money! Arcade Donuts Funnel cakes! Oyster shots! Then shake it all up on a carny ride! Truly was memorable!

I had a wonderful time , it was so nice,sunny, & clean. The people was extremely helpful , friendly, & nice. I'm disable & have to use a can because of mobility issues. I so fell too many times . So if you have these issues get a beach walker/ float device. All summer long on Thursday nights they have a live band & fireworks at gazebo.