You want to be in NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH - not to be confused with Topsail Beach or Surf City, which is farther South by a few miles (and a bit more for the dogs if you ask me). North Topsail Beach, especially the New River Inlet Road area is beautiful. UNcrowded beaches, you can't beat it. We stayed at Villa Capriani Resort and it was just the best. Treasure Realty was our rental company. Had to go to their office, offsite, to pick up/drop off keys and paperwork. Not a big deal really but just to let you know. We rented Villa 301-B and it was wonderful and very clean. I recommend this place even for a day trip. There are public beach access areas throughout the small island.

I have been a Wild Dunes, Isle of Palm S.C. lover forever. Every summer and spring we stay weeks at a time. Well, I can now say I have found my favorite paradise. Topsail Island or Topsail Beach is a coastal gem. It is a hidden paradise that I hope never gets discovered. No worries, no shoes just a beautiful beach to stroll on and excellent FRESH seafood. Our rental house was oceanfront, brand new and the prices were very fair. The locals are friendly people who welcome tourist with a smile. We drove to Wilmington 40 minutes and loved the downtown area on the riverfront. We only left the beach for 1 day because it was so peaceful. Thank you TI for a great relaxing week. We will be back this summer and the next. I give Topsail Island a 10!!!!

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.