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Beaufort in North Carolina has to be one of the coolest small towns in America I’ve ever visited. The historic buildings, the waterfront views, and the laid-back community vibes, make it the perfect spot for a weekend getaway.
Now there isn’t a lot of things to do in Beaufort NC, but that’s part of its charm.
Here it’s all about letting city life wash off you, enjoying some farm-to-table dining, and paddling around the waterways and enjoying a spectacular sunset.
Gorgeous sunset in Beaufort
A known pirate town, Beaufort, NC was high on our list of place to see on our East Coast road trip.
My Dad joined us, and he knew all the rumors of Captain Blackbeard’s jaunts – one of the most feared renegades of the seas – who used to stay in this sleepy village off the Atlantic Ocean.
But pirate history isn’t all there is to offer in Beaufort. Here’s some of the things we enjoyed doing on our visit!
A Brief History of Beaufort, NC
With its raw edge and historical charm, Beaufort quickly became one of our new favorite North Carolina towns.
The town has a long history in fishing, whaling, and more notoriously, piracy, earning it many ‘Pirate Town’ accolades, and “America’s best small town”.
Founded in 1709, Beaufort is the 3rd oldest town in NC, and the 12th oldest town in North America!
With many of the homes still owned by original families, you know this is a neighborhood that is happy to keep Beaufort’s traditional spirit passing down through the ages.
Drop your pretenses on the drive in and just come as you are.
Beaufort is a small town located on the Crystal Coast at the southern end near the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
Things to do in Beaufort NC
1. Explore Front St & Beaufort Waterfront
Lovely boardwalk
Front Street is the main street running alongside Taylor Creek and is where you’ll find local boutique stores, beautiful old buildings and homes, and museums.
There is a nice short boardwalk along the creek with several waterfront restaurants and views across the inlet to Carrot Island.
Gorgeous sunset in Beaufort
As Beaufort has such a rich history, a guided tour is the best way to learn about its trials and tribulations, including the stories of those who have wandered in and out, swords in hand or not.
It will help you connect to the uniqueness of this North Carolina coastal tow
2. Do a self-guided walking tour of Beaufort, NC
Beaufort historical home
One of the best things to do in Beaufort is do a self-guided historical walking tour. You can either join a tour or pick up a self-guided map from the Beaufort Historic Site welcome center.
There’s also a double-decker bus tour, but we felt the historic district wasn’t big enough to warrant a bus.
A retiree from New York, volunteering in the visitor’s center, talked to us of her slow and peaceful life in Beaufort.
She recounted stories of Blackbeard and the discovered ‘truth’ that he was indeed a native North Carolinian and not English, as most people know him to be. My dad was not convinced of these findings.
Historic homes all over town
She handed us a map and pointed out some historic homes to appreciate on our self-guided walking tour of the town.
On the map, you’ll find 30 listed historical houses that range in styles from cottages to elaborate Queen Anne and Greek Revival styles.
Choose an ambling pace as you wander down the tree-lined streets over six blocks to see homes that once belonged to sea captains, seafarers, generals, and merchants (maybe the odd pirate visitor.)
What will quickly become apparent to you is that every home in the downtown area is historic – 150 of these restored homes bear plaques on the exterior walls noting the names of the earliest known owners and the year it was built.
There at the end of our tour sat Hammock House, the oldest in the town, which once served as a pirate inn and the place where Blackbeard is documented to have stayed when in town.
Rumors speak of the treasure that is hidden somewhere within the house or property and I was ready to start digging under the oldest tree.
My dad, a Blackbeard scholar, remains convinced it is buried on an island on the Caribbean somewhere.
Dad outside Blackbeard’s place.
We also saw the Carteret County Courthouse, the oldest wooden-framed courthouse in the country.
The heat of the day finally zapped us of all energy, so we found the nearest local pub to masquerade as pirates in and wash our thirst down with an ice-cold beer.
All the pirates had disappeared however, and it was just our little group to seize the moment and raise our glasses in a toast to ‘Bow-fort”
Plan for about one hour to do this self-guided walk, depending on how much photography you do.
3. Get Spooked on a Downtown Beaufort Ghost Tour
Our kids loved the ghost tour. no, really!
For a unique experience, consider doing a Ghosts Walk, and hear all about the legends and stories of the town’s ghostly inhabitants.
It’s one of Beaufort’s most popular attractions (deservedly so). The Beaufort Terrors Ghost Walk is a walking tour through the historic district at night with a pirate guide.
Our pirate guide bought the history of the town to life with entertaining (and slightly chilling) stories of murders, haunted homes, ghost ships, civil war heroes and villains, pirate shenanigans, and a young girl buried in a barrel of rum.
Stay to the end for a little spine chilling experience outside the iron gates of the Old Burying Ground.
Grave of the girl buried in a barrel of rum
I don’t know how our guide made it happen, but when we arrived the streetlights started flickering and the pinwheel madly began spinning at the grave of the girl buried in a barrel of rum. There wasn’t even a breath of wind and I could not see him pressing any start buttons!
The Beaufort ghost tour was one of our favorite things to do in Beaufort.
TOP TIP:Do the ghost tour before visiting the Old Burying Ground. As you hear of different Beaufort characters on the tour, you’ll enjoy going to the cemetery to find their graves.
4. Visit the Old Burying Ground
Historic Old Burying Ground
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Burying Ground in downtown Beaufort is a cemetery not to miss!
Wandering around the moss-draped live oak trees, you’ll find 200 graves from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. You may even get lucky and hear (and see) an owl hooting high in the trees.
It was a perfect experience for this fascinating, spooky, and stunning graveyard.
The burial ground was established in 1724 and is bordered on four corners by churches from different denominations.
The northwest corner is the oldest part of the cemetery. While it may look empty, an archeological survey shows many graves in the area, thought to be victims of the Indian Wars.
Most graves are facing east for those departed to face the sun when they arose on Judgment Morn.
The Uniguide Tours app has a free audio tour of the Old Burying Ground. The Beaufort Historic Site also offers guided tours.
5. View Pirate Artifacts at the North Carolina Maritime Museum
Learning about Blackbeard the Pirate
The free NC Maritime Museum on Front Street in Beaufort tells the story of this region’s connection with the sea.
It is one of three state Maritime Museums, with the others in Hatteras and Southport, all with the purpose of preserving, collecting, and interpreting coastal life and history.
Exhibits feature the state’s rich seafood industry, life-saving stations and lighthouses, and sailboats and motorboats. Book lovers will enjoy the old feeling library room – filled with all your maritime history and stories.
Library room
Most unique about the museum is the display of artifacts excavated and preserved from the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s pirate ship that was run aground just outside Beaufort Inlet.
Queen Anne’s Revenge
This is a great place to spend 30 – 60 minutes on a cold or rainy day, or any day if you love history!
When we asked the girls what their favorite experience on the Crystal Coast was, Savannah said the NC Maritime Museum. She loved the scavenger hunt, which helped her look more closely at the exhibits and so engage better with the experience.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE the nearby NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
They do a good job in telling showcasing the marine ecosystems of the area and the Crystal Coast’s shipwrecking history. The Living Shipwreck exhibit features a life-sized replica of a German U-352 submarine and Blackbeard’s’ favorite ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge with a 60-foot viewing window. Read more about the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
6. See the Wild ponies at Shackleford Island
Wild horses in the Outer Banks
I breathed in the fresh sea air as we sped along in the boat over to Shackleford Island to spend the morning chasing wild horses and collecting shells.
The sun beat intensely down and I knew the first burn of the summer was on its way, wearing off the softness of winter and hardening me up in preparation for the seasonal sun-worshiping that was to come.
My love for the beach deepened as the familiar feeling of hard sand on my feet fleetingly imprinted the evidence of my being.
We were pointed in the direction of the ponies by a group of successful explorers on their way back to the mainland.
An hour was spent trekking through the sand dunes and wild shrub in order to discover a herd grazing on the beach. Although, the adventure was small, I felt the familiar rush that comes with living fully for the moment.
This time I had the added joy of watching Kalyra’s face as she walked up close to the stately mustangs.
Wild horses on the beach
We picnicked on the beach, and played in the gentle Sound waters, the Atlantic Ocean side being far too wild for our daughter’s two-year-old sense of courage.
The refreshingly cool water relieved us from the scorching sun, while the horses rolled around in the sand in the distance in their attempt to cool off.
Before we knew it time arrived for us to return, not without first hunting for shells on the ripping curve around to the Atlantic side, “The best place on the East Coast to find them”, as told by our skipper.
I was surprised to find they weren’t different to what we would find on our beaches at home.
The golden sand on this side of the island crunched under my feet and brought the awareness to me of why our beaches are golden and East Coast beaches are not- it all comes down to the Shells.
The magic of our morning in nature was heightened by a pod of dolphins passing by us in the channel, on their way back out to sea.
I breathed in the joy with total gratitude for the opportunities to experience the perfection of life over and over again through travel. (we swam recently near dolphins at Hunting Island State Park in Beaufort, South Carolina)
Ferry to Shackleford: Leaves approx every 45 mins. 15 min ride. $15 round trip. Must book your return time. There are no amenities there and little shade so pack well.
7. Take a day trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore
One of the best places to go shelling in NC
The pristine beauty doesn’t end with Shackleford Island. Right near here you’ll find more undeveloped stretches of beautiful soft sand beaches with no one on them?
Cape Lookout National Seashore is another short 20-minute ferry ride from beaufort and is perfect for a day trip excursion.
It is most known for shelling, shore fishing, and wide sandy beaches. Here is where you’ll find some of the best beaches in North Carolina.
So pretty, and stunning colors
This pristine region stretches fifty-six miles from Ocracoke to Beaufort Inlet. It comprises three barrier islands (North Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks) and is only accessible by boat.
If lucky, you may see dolphins, or wild horses on Shackleford Island as you pass by (we saw horses in the distance). Your driver will slow down to see them.
Wild horses in the distance
Barefoot and in t-shirts, we wandered up and down the stunning beach, shelling and soaking in the views on a gorgeous 73-degree winters day. We found the largest shells we’ve ever collected washing up with the waves. (You can take them home only if nothing is living in it).
You will need to take all supplies with you as it’s an undeveloped island. You can stay as long as you like – be sure to know the last ferry return time as if you miss it you are marooned!
Our kids loved shelling here
The 20-minute Islands Express Ferry ride to Cape Lookout departs from Harkers Island (or Beaufort).
8. Visit Cape Lookout Lighthouse
The first thing you’ll see as you arrive to the Cape Lookout National seashore is its main attraction, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse.
This towering black and white diamond lighthouse (nicknamed Diamond Lady) was built in 1859 to warn ships of shoaling sands.
The diamond patterns serve as directional tools, with the black diamonds pointing to north and south and the white diamonds, east and west.
The area features a restored lighthouse keeper’s quarter, which now serves as a museum with exhibits on lighthouse history and early shipwrecks and rescues.
Follow the boardwalk over to the ocean facing beach and enjoy the views of the lighthouse along the way. There is also a beach here on the sound side you can stay on, but we found the ocean side to be better.
The lighthouse is open during the summer season. You can climb the 163ft lighthouse for extraordinary 360-degree views. We climbed the Oak Island Lighthouse on our trip to the Brunswick Islands and loved it.
9. Hike the Elliott Coues Trail to Fort Macon
Fort Macon
Truth: I kinda rolled my eyes like a belligerent teen when I saw Fort Macon State Park. Why would a fort be one of North Carolina’s most visited state parks?
But, then we decided to approach it via the sand dunes of the 3.3 mile Elliott Coues Nature Trail, and the aha lights went on.
How stunning!
The midway point of the loop trail will be where the fort is, and where you can stop for a while to explore and rest!
The beach side of the trail has great views of dunes, beaches, and ocean. The loop trail back follows the sound side, which has beautiful, canopied pathways, boardwalks, and views of the marshes.
The sound side
This hike will show you that Fort Macon State Park is more than just the beautifully reconstructed 19th century Civil War pentagonal brick fort.
This free North Carolina state park encompasses 385 acres of beach, dunes, and maritime forest and is surrounded by three sides of water – the Atlantic Ocean, Beaufort Inlet and Bogue Sound.
Not just a fort at Fort Macon
The fort itself is a historic landmark where a reconstructed fort stands guard over Beaufort Harbor as it once did during the Civil War.
Take a guided tour of the restored fort or conduct your own like we did to see bunks, cannons, a rations storage room, Civil War artifacts and more. It offers a great insight into Civil War history and its WWII occupation.
In the state park find hiking trails, picnic areas, and a lifeguard-protected and pristine swimming beach.
Fort Macon State Park is about 20 minutes from Beaufort at the northern end of Atlantic Beach. The Elliott Coues Natural Trail starts at the beach parking lot and encircles the state park.
READ MORE: The 13 best things to do on the North Carolina beaches (includes the wild ponies!) and 3 day Winter Vacation to the Crystal Coast (what to see and do)
10. Paddle over to Rachel Carson Reserve
Rent a kayak from Beaufort Paddle and kayak over the waterway to Rachel Carson Reserve to see the wild horses there.
They also run tours, if you don’t feel confident going by yourself. We did this on our recent couple’s getaway to Beaufort. It was fantastic!
Places to eat in Beaufort
Beaufort has quite a lively dining scene, especially on the waterfront. Be sure to reserve ahead of time as it can get quite busy.
Check opening times, as some restaurants were closed when we wanted to visit. I think Beaufort has the best dining options along the Crystal Coast.
- Queen Anne’s Revenge, Beaufort: delicious pizzas (gluten free) on the water with water views
- 34° North Restaurant, Beaufort Hotel: is a fancy waterfront restaurant with locally inspired East Carolina cuisine. It’s in the Beaufort Inn. While we didn’t eat there, we did enjoy a cocktail in their cozy lounge.
- Mezcalito Grill, Beaufort: Our favorite restaurant on the Crystal Coast. Vibrant on the inside, the Tex Mex, Latin infused dishes danced with equal amounts of flavors and the mezcal margaritas that looked like a piece of art. Alambre ACP was delicious and Craig raved about his King Burrito for days.
- Beaufort Creamery: the lines are long for this ice cream shop in Beaufort! Be sure to visit early in the day to avoid the queues!
Where to stay in Beaufort, NC
Grande Villas, Indian Beach
There are a lot of cheap chain hotels in the areas surrounding Beaufort on the Crystal Coast. But if you want to enjoy the historic downtown area, our recommendation is a vacation rental in Beaufort, which you can see options on VRBO here, or stay at The Beaufort Hotel.
This is where we would stay if we were to visit again. We didn’t stay the night but we did visit the bar for drinks. It was the most charming hotel in Beaufort.
Although it’s location is not in the downtown area, but only a 15 minute walk away in a tranquil spot on the water just out of town. See prices and reviews here.
On our couple’s getaway we stayed at the Inlet Inn, which was fantastic. We loved the spacious rooms, patio overlooking the waterfont, and the walkability to everywhere in Historic Beaufort.
We absolutely LOVED our stay at the Grande Villas condos with stunning ocean views at nearby Indian Beach. Watching dolphins swim by each sunrise with my cup of coffee was incredible. See more here.
If you’re looking for other accommodation in Beaufort NC, you can use the map below to compare hotels and short-term rental options.
Why we love Beaufort NC
Driving into town, the historic homes greeted us from under the shade of the overhanging oak trees, and waved us down to the waterfront to catch our ferry over to the Outer Bank islands.
We ambled along to the dock, keeping in tune with the sleepy vibe of the town. I liked the peace it radiated and felt I was in the right place for some much-needed rejuvenation.
My parents still talk about their trip to Beaufort nearly every time we chat over Skype.
We first visited Beaufort with my parents and 2 year old Kalyra back in 2010, and have revisited years later when Kalyra was 14 year old and Savannah 10 on a trip exploring the Crystal Coast.
Despite these two trips being 10+ years apart, little has changed. The buildings look the same, the vibe is still the same, and the food still tastes as fresh as it was the first time.
The only thing that’s changed is more people are learning to pronounce its name correctly, as the gray-haired lady wearing a blue apron covering her flowered dress announced as she sat in her chair in the corner of the Buccaneer Inn’s breakfast room:
“Did you hear they’ve finally got the name right, Hal? Callin’ it by it proper name now ‘Bow-fort’ instead of ‘Bew-fort’ like they do down there in South Carolina.”
This monotonous stream of word’s flowed from her mouth to all bodies that walked through the door, and I wasn’t even sure if there really was a Hal, in the room, but I delighted in it nevertheless.
I couldn’t have seen a better Southern character in any of the Hollywood movies that had romanticized them for years. This is Beaufort alright, where time stands still and Southern charm still authentically exists.
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