Carteret County encompases an area known as the Crystal Coast.

The Crystal Coast contains a beautiful 30-mile stretch of natural beaches, sand dunes, sounds, bays, creeks, rivers and eclectic communities offering outstanding recreation opportunities for visitors and residents alike. Enjoying a moderate climate, year-around fishing and beautiful maritime forests, this area on the NC coast is a perfect place for a home or vacation property.

The Crystal Coast graces the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks, a migrating barrier island chain, halfway between Florida and New York. Carteret County NC encompasses more water than land, at 529 square miles of land and 535 square miles of water. An efficient and economical state ferry system connects outlying coastal communities with inshore sound and river communities on the mainland.

From the unspoiled beaches of Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach, and Emerald Isle, to historic Beaufort and Fort Macon, to the state port of Morehead City and the fishing villages of Salter Path and Harkers Island, the area offers something for every pleasure and interest.

There is an abundance of opportunities for fishing, sailing, sunning, surfing, scuba diving, shell collecting, camping, hiking, wind-surfing, and kayaking, as well as a number of annual family festivals throughout the year, including the North Carolina Seafood Festival, The Carolina Chocolate Festival, the Emerald Isle St. Patrick's Day Festival, and the North Carolina Blackbeard Festival.

The Crystal Coast is home to a number of educational and historical institutions. You can earn about marine life at the North Carolina Aquarium on Bogue Banks (But not till it reopens from a complete renovation in 2006), enter the world of the mariner and boatbuilder at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, or study Civil War history at Fort Macon State Park. The NOAA, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, North Carolina State University, The University of North Carolina and Duke University all have research projects and laboratories in the county.

Other activities include shopping from maritime antiques to unique boutiques, nightlife, waterparks and outstanding golf courses. Local craft seminars, dances, guided hikes, and weekend fish fries frequently celebrate the coast's natural beauty and bounty.