Wrightsville Beach
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH
PHOTOS BY UNIQUE MEDIA AND DESIGN
Wrightsville Beach is a barrier island wonderland featuring glorious beaches, great restaurants, dream homes and luxurious condos, all just minutes from the city of Wilmington. Ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 feet wide, this nearly four-mile stretch between Mason and Masonboro inlets features sound-to-sea views all along the way. Even better, Wrightsville Beach is a mere 10 miles from downtown Wilmington.
The off-season’s small-town feel swells when tourists and part-time residents return in spring, summer and early fall. Around 3,000 people live here permanently, but the population hits 30,000 during warmer months. Plenty of accommodations await, from by-thebeach motel rooms to oceanfront “sand castles.” The island is almost completely developed.
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SURF’S UP — MOST OF THE TIME
SAILING THROUGH HISTORY
Wrightsville Beach is a surfing hotspot. Pros and beginners rush here with surfboards, paddleboards and body boards. Arrive early to find parking, especially on weekends, otherwise you might drive around for hours in search of a space. Don’t pull into home driveways or condo lots. Your vehicle will be towed from private spaces.
Wrightsville Beach was not always the plush vacation and residential area it is today. Early on, when the state of North Carolina owned the island, the area was named New Hanover Banks. Back then, an inlet separated the island into two segments. Shell Island, to the north, kept its name as evidenced by the present-day Shell Island Resort, which
