Kure Beach Real Estate
Located south of Carolina Beach and north of the Fort Fisher State Historic site, Kure Beach offers a quaint downtown area with great shopping and dining, fresh local seafood and of course, wide sandy beaches. For many, Kure Beach is associated with images of vacation rental homes, quaint beach cottages and luxurious, waterfront residences. There is a wide variety of real estate in Kure Beach, however, and the area’s warm year-round climate, numerous recreational activities and close proximity to the ocean have made it a sought-after place to live.
Tourism is a major economic driver, and with iconic destinations such as the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, it is easy to see why. Adding to the appeal is the fact that it is home to great hiking, kayaking, beach-going and surfing, especially at the nearby Fort Fisher State Recreation area, a more than six-mile span of undeveloped beach. The more than 288 acres of protected natural spaces include miles of hiking trails, a WWII-era bunker, beaches, a boat ramp and kayak launch, plus numerous opportunities to spot wildlife or go fishing.
Things to Do
If fishing is what you’re after, the more than 700-foot long Kure Beach Fishing Pier should be on your list of things to do. Be warned, though, because a visit to the beach nearby can quickly make you hungry, as it is often filled with aromas of garlic, fresh seafood and Italian food from the iconic restaurants that make up the Kure Beach downtown area.
Many vacation rental homes, inns and motels are located an easy walk from downtown. The military also plays a role in the economy of Kure Beach, as it is close to the North Carolina National Guard Fort Fisher Training Center and the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Area.
If that were not enough, the area is home to Joe Eakes Park, which includes a playground, a disc golf course and a dog park. The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is always worth a stop, as it has albino alligators, sharks, sea turtles and a bald eagle, as well as stingrays, sea stars and horseshoe crabs for petting. After a long day there, a fun thing to do is to hop on the nearby ferry at Fort Fisher, which allows for vehicle transport over to Southport to visit its many boutiques, ice cream shops and seafood restaurants.
Kure Beach History
Named for a family of settlers, Kure Beach first received a post office in 1942. Legend has it that a German U-boat attacked the bromine plant operated by Dow Chemical during WWII, but no official record of it has ever been found. Of course, no mention of Kure Beach History is complete without a note about the Fort Fisher State Historic site, a Confederate fort during the Civil War. Set up to protect the trading route along the Cape Fear River up to the Port of Wilmington, it was the site of a major land/sea battle before it fell in 1865.
Today, the Fort Fisher State Historic site includes miles of hiking trails, a visitor’s center, numerous artifacts, a seacoast gun, two oceanfront gazebos, a monument and many beautiful live oak trees, which continue to stand guard. There is even a sunken Civil War-era blockade runner, the Condor, located about 700 yards offshore. It is a part of the Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District, a SCUBA diving destination that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Come for the beach or the fishing, the hiking or the cultural/historical opportunities, stay for the fresh seafood or the Italian food—the options are endless in Kure Beach. For help with the purchase or sale of a home in Kure Beach, call or email me today.