Atlantic Beach is a small town of 1,781 people (as of 2000) located in the Crystal Coast region of Carteret County, North Carolina. A popular seaside vacation town since the 1920s, Atlantic Beach is located on Bogue Banks, part of the southern Outer Banks chain of barrier islands, between Bogue Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The nearby communities of Pine Knoll Shores and Salter Path are often considered to be part of Atlantic Beach.

Get in

---

The most direct way to reach Atlantic Beach, if you're coming from the direction of Raleigh, is down US-70 to Havelock. Atlantic Beach is located on NC-58, which runs the length of Bogue Banks. It's only possible to cross to the island at two points: from Morehead City into Atlantic Beach on the eastern end, and from Cape Carteret to Emerald Isle on the western end. Both crossings are large bridges with pleasant scenic views.

Get around

---

The island of Bogue Banks is only 26 miles from one end to the other, but due to the reduced speed limit, you'll need about 45 minutes to travel the entire length. (At some points, the island narrows to only a third of a mile wide, giving you excellent views of the ocean and the sound.) Mile marker signposts are placed along Highway 58 every half-mile, and these are often used for giving directions.

There's no public transportation on the island, but you can hitch a lift with one of several reliable taxi companies.

See

---

Fort Macon State Park, 252-726-3775, . Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, except Christmas Day. Fort Macon is a five-sided brick and stone fort with 26 vaulted rooms, which was used during the 18th and 19th centuries to protect the area from naval attacks by pirates or enemy warships. Today the site features exhibits about the fort's history, restored quarters, and occasional re-enactments. Guided tours are available. Visitors can also fish, hike, swim and picnic in the park grounds surrounding the fort.

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, 1 Roosevelt Blvd, 1-866-294-3477, . Features exhibits and animals from across North Carolina, and an outdoor boardwalk running alongside a salt marsh. After much needed expension and renovations, the aquarium reopened on 19 May 2006. The remodelled aquarium features exhibits on jellyfish, river otters, a 306,000-gallon ocean tank and a "living shipwreck" display.

Do

---

Inshore & Offshore fishing at it's finest! Jump on board with Reel Screamin' and chase everything from tailing redfish to tailwalking sailfish!

The heart of downtown is the Circle, the local name for the culmination of the Atlantic Beach Causeway in a traffic circle by the beach. The Circle is fringed with souvenir shops and a boardwalk along the beach; large groups of teens and young adults are often to be found playing volleyball, sunbathing or listening to music. The area is currently undergoing renovation, with upscale retail shops and restaurants joining the touristy kitsch.

There are miles of beautiful...