Bald Head Island, North Carolina

ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY BOAT, exclusive Bald Head Island is to some the perfect place to retire.

Built with a keen eye toward sensitive land planning and coastal architecture, the developers of the private island resort community have created some of the most beautiful and valuable real estate on the North Carolina coast. Cars are prohibited on the island retreat. Instead, golf carts transport residents from one side of the island to the other on winding trails canopied by live oaks draped with Spanish moss.

Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, Bald Head Island was once a favorite hiding place for pirates because it was protected by the island’s forests and calm waters and by the pro-pirate communities in the area. Legend has it that Blackbeard often used the island to replenish his food stocks and hide his treasure, though no treasure has yet been found on the island. That hasn’t discouraged the hundreds of youngsters who spend the summer searching.

During the War Between the States, the Union Navy used the island as a natural barrier to help keep Confederate ships from entering the Cape Fear River inlet.

Since the early 1900s, Bald Head Island’s pristine beaches and luxury accommodations have been a favorite vacation spot for visitors from Wilmington and Charleston, and now the rest of the world has been let in on their secret.

Daily life on the island is quite different than most people expect. All of the conveniences of the outside world, including retail and supermarket shopping, remain off the island. A majority of the items residents need for day-to-day living must be brought over, either on the ferry that runs to Bald Head Island several times a day or by private boat, the preferred mode of transport for many.

“ ... golf carts transport residents from one side of the island to the other on winding trails canopied by live oaks. ... ”

The island marina offers basic food items for residents, and a small grocery store has a deli and a butcher shop, carries fresh produce, and, most importantly, has a fully stocked wine shop. There are also two clothing stores on the island, in addition to the pro shop at the 18-hole golf course.

Despite the island’s remoteness, there is plenty to do. Besides golf and lounging on the beach, the island is amid some of the best boating and fishing in the country.