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Carteret County encompases an area known as the Crystal
Coast.
The Crystal Coast contains a beautiful 30-mile stretch of natural beaches,
sand dunes, sounds, bays, creeks, rivers and eclectic communities offering
outstanding recreation opportunities for visitors and residents alike.
Enjoying a moderate climate, year-around fishing and beautiful maritime
forests, this area on the NC coast is a perfect place for a home or vacation
property.
The Crystal Coast graces the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer
Banks, a migrating barrier island chain, halfway between Florida and
New York. Carteret County NC encompasses more water than land, at 529
square miles of land and 535 square miles of water. An efficient and
economical state ferry system connects outlying coastal communities with
inshore sound and river communities on the mainland.
From the unspoiled beaches of Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian
Beach, and Emerald Isle, to historic Beaufort and Fort Macon, to the
state port of Morehead City and the fishing villages of Salter Path and
Harkers Island, the area offers something for every pleasure and interest.
There is an abundance of opportunities for fishing, sailing, sunning,
surfing, scuba diving, shell collecting, camping, hiking, wind-surfing,
and kayaking, as well as a number of annual family festivals throughout
the year, including the North Carolina Seafood Festival, The Carolina
Chocolate Festival, the Emerald Isle St. Patrick's Day Festival, and
the North Carolina Blackbeard Festival.
The Crystal Coast is home to a number of educational and historical
institutions. You can earn about marine life at the North Carolina Aquarium
on Bogue Banks (But not till it reopens from a complete renovation in
2006), enter the world of the mariner and boatbuilder at the North Carolina
Maritime Museum in Beaufort, or study Civil War history at Fort Macon
State Park. The NOAA, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, North Carolina
State University, The University of North Carolina and Duke University
all have research projects and laboratories in the county.
Other activities include shopping from maritime antiques to unique boutiques,
nightlife, waterparks and outstanding golf courses. Local craft seminars,
dances, guided hikes, and weekend fish fries frequently celebrate the
coast's natural beauty and bounty.
Find out more about the individual communities of the area
Morehead City
Atlantic Beach
Pine Knoll Shores
Beaufort
Newport |