Beaches & Waterways
Water is definitely a big part of the Wilmington experience. Located on a peninsula, Wilmington is more or less surrounded by water.
Many visitors and residents enjoy strolling the boardwalk along the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington or listening to a history tour while cruising on the Henrietta paddle wheel riverboat.
Located on the city’s eastern most border, and directly across from Landfall, Wrightsville Beach maintains its own brand of charm as a popular, family-oriented seaside island that has retained its old-fashioned sense of community and offers residents and visitors access to six miles of pristine shoreline along the aquamarine blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Built in the 1920’s by the Corps. of Engineers, the Intracoastal Waterway spans 2,455 miles of U.S. Atlantic Coast. Although the Waterway was originally intended for commercial traffic, when the natural saltwater lanes were merged with the man-made channels, enchanting marine passages were formed providing opportunities for all types of watercraft including motor yachts, sailboats, kayaks, and jet-skis. Wilmington’s marinas dot the Waterway and offer safe harbor to yachts and sailboats traveling between New England and the Florida Keys, and beyond.
The creation of the Waterway also provided vast new habitats for avian and marine wildlife. The many creeks and estuaries up and down the Waterway offer nature lovers hours of entertainment watching the teeming wildlife such as herons, pelicans, porpoises, and otters.