Special Places

At the Crystal Coast, the sun tracks over the ocean all day long in every season…causing the water to sparkle like crystal.” (Photo by Cheryl Mansfield)

This Is a Magical Place

Carteret County and the Crystal Coast form a unique destination along the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Here, everything revolves around water – commerce, recreation and family living.

Rare scenic beauty stretches across more than 500 miles of incredible ocean and inland coastline. Our coastal environment is the centerpiece of our identity.

We’re known as the “Water Sports Capital of North Carolina”…because you can enjoy a multitude of activities beside, on, in, over and under the water.

The sandy beaches extend 26 miles along Bogue Banks from Fort Macon and Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isle. (Photo by Carolyn Temple, Coastal Image Photography)

We hope to entice you to come and explore. Spend a weekend…or a forevermore!

Everyday can be a holiday…on the Crystal Coast – America’s Recreation Destination.

Summer brings Carolina blue skies and warm, radiant sunshine that will invigorate the soul. During the winter months, the sun both rises and sets over the water…because of our geography. The beaches run from east to west, always facing south.

Beaufort	Morehead City	Bogue Banks	Down East
(Photo by Carolyn Temple, Coastal Image Photography)	(Photo by Karen Doody, Daren Doody Photography)	(Photo by Cheryl Mansfield)	(Photo by Cindy Yount)