In southeastern North Carolina, along with the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercoastal Waterway, sits the relaxed beach community of Holden Beach. Escaping your daily life for a week’s vacation or a long holiday weekend to this town offers your family a chance to reconnect and catch up on family time. Vacation rentals in Holden Beach offer a variety of homes to suit a small family or spacious multi level family home for a bigger group. While Holden provides a great beach holiday, there are several communities in the area to make your home away from home.

1. Holden Beach, North Carolina

Kick back and relax on the beach every day of your trip, or hop on a bike and explore the town when you stay in Holden Beach. Nature lovers keep their eyes peeled for the loggerhead turtles that make their nests along the beach in this community. You and your family can leave the cooking to someone else when you have dinner out at the popular Castaways Raw Bar and Grill for seafood so fresh you’ll wonder if it just swam up to the restaurant. Two annual festivals, the Days at the Dock and the North Carolina Festival by the Sea, offer excitement with live music, food vendors, and kid friendly activities.

2. Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina

The next inlet to the south of Holden Beach is home to Ocean Isle Beach with its love of nature and a zen approach to a vacation. You can spend your days splashing in the surf, walking along the beach, and collecting seashells. However, you may want to get dressed at least once in something other than a swimsuit for a visit to the Museum of Coastal Carolina for a chance to learn more about sea creatures and living in a coastal environment.

3. Oak Island, North Carolina

Travel northeast to the resort town of Oak Island with its rich history as a barrier island. In the olden days, Oak Island Light helped ships navigate the dangerous waters off the shores, and now, you can spend an afternoon exploring the lighthouse. Cast your line from any number of location around town, including the pier that juts out into the ocean, or rent a boat for some ocean fishing, and the enjoy a fish fry at your ocean front vacation rental.

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4. Sunset Beach, North Carolina

Escape the crowds and return to nature in this small coastal community. You can relax on the beach or ride on horseback through the surf. This small community sits right next door to the Bird Island Reserve, which you need to walk up the beach to reach or arrive by boat. This nature preserve lets you walk the paths between protected sand dunes and catch a glimpse of loggerhead turtles making a nest for their young before returning to the ocean.

5. Calabash, North Carolina

Find a comfortable vacation rental in the town known as the Seafood Capital of the World. Every day, try a different local eatery to enjoy the Calabash style seafood dishes, where the cook fries everything in oil and uses specific seasonings. You and your kids can try your hand at fishing by renting a boat to look for a spot along the river way or hire a charter to arrive at the best fishing spots in just minutes.

6. Carolina Shores, North Carolina

Find a vacation rental a little inland to find some great deals and spacious comfortable homes for your group. Carolina Shores is just a few miles from the coast and a short drive to the Intercoastal Waterway. For the golf lovers in your family, take them to one of the two local golf courses, Thistle Golf Club and Pearl Golf Links, to spend a day playing on the links and practicing their golf swings.

7. Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina

Make your way south along the shoreline and across the state line to Cherry Grove Beach, one of the northern most neighborhoods of Myrtle Beach. Make your vacation home a condo with a view of the ocean from an upper floor of a high rise with a balcony to enjoy your coffee each morning. Spend your days biking, splashing in the surf, playing volleyball, building sandcastles, and riding horseback. You can take the family to the local, iconic Cherry Grove Pier for a photo op to post on Instagram.

8. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

As you drive a little further south, you’ll notice the crowds increased and the high rise condos moving closer together. When choosing a vacation rental in North Myrtle Beach, pay attention to the amenities available at each condo from indoor pools and lazy rivers to services that place beach chairs and umbrellas out for you each day. After a long day of soaking up the sunshine, choose one of the local restaurants for a tasty, fresh seafood dinner followed by a stroll around the local shops. You can take the kids to Alligator Adventure to see some unique reptiles, learn more about them, and gasp in awe during a live show.

9. Tidewater Plantation, South Carolina

Enjoy a vacation at one of the exclusive Myrtle Beach communities. From its own beaches to an inclusive golf course, Tidewater Plantation offers vacation rental to fit your family and lifestyle. This planned community includes swimming pools, tennis courts, and bike paths to help you get out and enjoy yourself.

10. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Bring your family to the center of all the excitement with a vacation rental in Myrtle Beach. There’s so much to do that you might forget there’s a beach. Well, not really because your rental probably sits right on the beach. Enjoy shopping at the Boardwalk at the Beach, riding the rides at Family Kingdom Amusement Park, and shooting down the water slides at Myrtle Waves. You can end the day with a walk along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. You’ll need a vacation when you get home.


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