Bald Head Island

A 25-minute ferry ride from Southport, this four-mile-long island at the mouth of the Cape Fear river is a world apart. There are no cars (all rental houses come with golf carts or bicycles) and 10,000 of its 12,000 acres are protected. The result is an ecological idyll with a spectacular oceanside beach for surfers; the calmer South Beach is great for families. Old Baldy lighthouse in the harbour, commissioned in 1817 by Thomas Jefferson, is the oldest in the state, and it’s worth climbing its 108 stairs for a 360-degree view of the island’s natural