The Island
Sunset Beach is a small, quiet island in North Carolina. It is the last beach in the state and is located south of Ocean Isle and north of Myrtle Beach. Unlike its neighbors, Sunset Beach has retained a small-town feel. Since it is only 2 miles long and a half a mile wide you can walk to any location on the island.
The beach itself faces south, unlike most North Carolina beaches which face east. This has helped protect the island from storms and the dunes on Sunset Beach are continually growing rather than shrinking. The ocean is usually calm and ideal for swimming. Each street on the island has a wooden boardwalk that accesses the beach. Both the pier and 40th St. (is that right? which street is it?) have a handicap accessible boardwalk. Even at its most crowded there is plenty of space on the beach.
Sunset Beach connects to Bird Island, which you can walk to from the beach during low tide. Bird Island is a nature preserve and there are no houses or buildings on the island.
Sunset Beach and Bird Island are both nesting sites for sea turtles. If you visit at the right time of year you will see sections of the dunes fenced off to protect turtle nests. If you are very lucky you can even witness a hatching!
The north side of the island backs onto a marsh that is connected to the Intracoastal Waterway. The marsh is a popular spot for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. It is teeming with wildlife and is ideal for birdwatchers and photographers.
All of the businesses on the island are located on Sunset Blvd, the main street of the island. There is a small grocery store, souvenir shops, ice cream shops, and a candy shop. There is a bait shop attached to the pier, which is a popular fishing location. You can also rent cabanas from a place on the island that will set up your cabana every day near your street’s beach access point.
The Mainland
The town of Sunset Beach includes a portion of the mainland that contains some restaurants, a grocery store, and shops. While the island itself may not have much to do aside from visiting the beach, Sunset is only a few miles from Calabash, Ocean Isle, and Myrtle Beach.
Calabash is a little town nearby that is full of shops and restaurants. If you have ever had Calabash cooking, it originated here. If you have never experienced Calabash cooking before, be prepared for some deep-fried shrimp and hushpuppies!
Ocean Isle is only a few minutes away and has many restaurants. You can visit the Museum of Coastal Carolina, charter a fishing boat, get surfing lessons, or rent a jet ski.
Myrtle Beach is only fifteen minutes away and is a bustling city with plenty of entertainment. You can go parasailing, charter boats, go mini-golfing, see a show, visit at tiger preservation, go scuba diving, visit an aquarium, go to a water park, or enjoy the night life.
Golfing is very popular in this area and you can find golf courses all along the coast.
There are movie theaters in both Myrtle Beach and Shallotte, a town about 15-20 minutes away from Sunset Beach.