The southernmost of Wilmington’s trio of island beaches, Kure Beach is known as North Carolina’s Small Wonder, brimming with beautiful natural scenery and stunning beaches. There are eight public beaches just minutes from the mainland’s hustle and bustle. Combined with the oceanfront land on neighboring Carolina Beach, the area is known as Pleasure Island: a seaside playground for surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and everything else under the sun.

Kure Beach’s history begins with its namesake settlers. Hailing from Denmark, Hans Kure and his family arrived in the area in the 1890s and opened a shipping supply business. By the 1910s, there were enough locals to justify building a highway from the mainland: North Carolina’s first state highway straight to the beach. Kure Beach was officially incorporated in 1947 and elected its first mayor, Lawrence Kure, Hans’s son.

As one of the southernmost points of Cape Fear, Kure Beach is positioned along the Gulf Stream, where warm waters and breezes off the Atlantic Ocean give it a humid subtropical climate. Summer temperatures tend to peak in the high 80s Fahrenheit, with sticky humidity driving up the heat index. But on either side of the summer months, Kure Beach is incredibly pleasant, with temperatures in the 50- to 70-degree range. Winters are quite mild, with highs in the mid-50s, and very seldom drop below freezing. Tropical storms are a real threat during hurricane season, from late summer through September. If you’re planning to book one of the area’s vacation rentals during this time, pay close attention to local forecasts and storm reports.

Kure Beach Pier

Lawrence Kure himself built the Kure Beach Pier from local trees in 1923 — making it one of the very first on the Atlantic coast. Having weathered many storms since then, the pier has been rebuilt and restored several times, but remains an iconic gathering place for locals and visitors to fish, stroll the planks, and watch the world go by.

Kure Beach Ocean Front Park

Not too far from the pier is Kure Beach’s largest public park, with oceanfront views of the Atlantic. A large kiddie playground and pirate ship is a favorite for families, and an open-air pavilion hosts musical events throughout the year.

Fort Fisher State Historic Site

Follow Kure Beach all the way to the south and you’ll eventually land at Fort Fisher, marking the site of the largest land-sea battle of the Civil War. The fort fell in 1865, and approximately 10 percent of it remains today, along with a restored palisade fence. The area is open to visitors year-round and features a scenic trail as well as a visitors’ center.