This is truly a gorgeous place. My boyfriend and I visited friends in Wilmington and they previously lived here and she wanted to take us by to see where she worked and where she lived. We stopped at Topsail Island Trading Co. (the place she use to work at) and was she right about them having the best fudge. It was so good and they give you samples of each flavor, it was amazing. I bought so much to take back home to Nw York. Other then the fudge they had really cute knick knacks and really enjoyed looking around. I only wish we had more time to spend here.

Topsail Island is a little piece of paradise for those who want a beach getaway with out the glitz and hustle of the larger tourist designations.

The island is approximately 26 miles long and consists of three towns – Topsail Beach, Surf City and North Topsail Beach.

All three towns offer seclusion and tranquility but Surf City is where you will find the majority of restaurants and gift shops.

Surf City also has two grocery stores, one on the island and one on the mainland, while the other two have convenience stores. There is another grocery store in the area which is located on the mainland in Sneads Ferry, just across the waterway from North Topsail Beach.

Each town boasts beautiful sandy beaches as well as access to the Intracoastal Waterway, which runs behind the island. There are also ocean fishing piers located in each town as well as boat launches.

Several nice privately owned hotels are available on the island. The only chain hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, is located across the North Topsail Beach high rise bridge in Sneads Ferry. There are many beach houses that can be rented – both big and small – and condominium complexes for lodging, too.

There is a museum and an arcade on the island in Topsail Beach and Surf City has a putt putt golf course on the mainland but there is not a lot in the form of organized recreation and tourist traps. For more museums, malls, movie theaters, bowling alleys and such, one must travel to one of the nearby cities, Wilmington or Jacksonville, which are only about 40 minutes away.

Local seafood abounds in the restaurants on the island and in nearby mainland areas. Down home cooking and traditional southern fare is also plentiful.

If you are looking for somewhere to get away from it all and enjoy the beach and coastal living, Topsail Island is the place for you.

We drive down to Topsail Island from Raleigh on weekends during the summer (about 2.5 hour drive each way). Not nearly as busy nor as difficult to park as the Wrightsville Beach area to the south. Topsail is not even close to being as touristy as the Myrtle Beach area. We've rented houses on Topsail from Century 21 Realty which are nice depending on your selection. Of all the NC beaches, we choose Topsail because it's easy to access off I-40 coming down from Raleigh, and also because it's completely non-touristy with only one or two hotels I can think of the entire stretch of island, the rest in private homes. Even in the height of summer, you can park pretty much anywhere on a street or at one of several public access points, cross the dunes, and stake your claim to a wide expanse of beach with only a handful of others around you at any one time. The wave action is better than in Hilton Head or the Charleston area, where it tends to be calmer, at least in my opinion, so that's good for body surfing. Topsail also has warm water, which you can swim in from about mid-May through end of September. The water never really gets that cold, it's more the air temperatures and wind that will keep you out of it. You'll see a lot of people fishing from the shoreline at this beach. The bad side to Topsail is its almost completely devoid of flora/fauna. I don't know why, but there aren't a lot of trees or shrubbery like you'll see north of here in places like Pine Knoll Shores. I know there used to be a military installation here, so perhaps they bombed/destroyed all the fauna. Big surprise there. It really is just a sand bar now. Also, the majority of houses are older, blue collar beach shacks. As blue collar as a million dollar beach property can be, that is. This is no Hilton Head or Isle of Palms. It's really just a relaxing place to rent a smaller house and spend time at the beach with family. You won't even find that many restaurants, except a few things around Surf City and across the bridge on the mainland. On rainy days, though, you're about 45 minutes from Wilmington and all the shops and restaurants at the new Mayfaire Town Center along Military Cutoff Road. A good evening diversion. Downtown Wilmington along the Cape Fear River is also very nice with loads of good restaurants.

Best beach to vacation at on the east coast...but do not tell anyone or it will not stay that way. Topsail is known for its uncrowded beaches and that is why I go. Should it ever become the crowded beach filled with hotels and amusement options, I would never go again. I go to the beach to lay in a chair and not move unless I have to....Topsail is perfect. My teenagers do get bored...but oh well. They may want the Myrtle Beach atmosphere, but mom still makes the rules. We use many rental agencies and have never had problems. I just choose whichever has the house I want. The last time we went we had a house with a outdoor hot tub....can you say relaxing???? Sitting in a hot tub overlooking the beach was awesome. My kids even loved it. Although you do not want to get in until dark...too hot during the day. You will love Topsail as my family has (teenagers not included) for many years. Just do not tell anyone.
Now I have written 3 reviews in one day (kids are gone!) and I am done.....more to come later. I am always checking TripAdvisor for my new vacation so I thought I would actually add something! imagine that.