This ‘quaint’ NC town ranks among nation’s best coastal destinations. Here’s why
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- USA Today's 10Best ranked the nation’s best small coastal towns.
- Beaufort, North Carolina is No. 8 on the list of readers’ choice award winners.
- The town of roughly 4,000 received nods for its festivals, views and waterfront dining.
A North Carolina town is “quaint” — and fans can’t get enough of its coastal setting.
So much so, the destination now ranks among the nation’s best small towns to experience “seaside bliss.”
Beaufort is No. 8 on the list of places that offer “a calm and charm that is hard to find in more heavily populated areas,” according to results published April 8.
To determine the best small coastal towns, USA Today’s 10Best said it asked travel experts to pick top-notch destinations. Editors narrowed down the nominations before allowing readers to vote for their favorites over the course of a month.
What makes Beaufort special?
Beaufort was the only North Carolina town to earn a spot on the resulting list of top 10 readers’ choice award winners.
Each of the winning destinations has a “population of 25,000 or less, and you can enjoy scenic views, historic attractions, delicious food, and plenty of things to do both on and off the water,” 10Best wrote in its report.
Beaufort, a roughly 150-mile drive southeast from Raleigh, is near the popular vacation spots of Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach. The town on Beaufort Inlet has roots dating back centuries, including ties to the infamous pirate Blackbeard, according to the National Park Service.
“The third oldest town in the state and seat of Carteret County, Beaufort has a residential population of about 4,000 with a high influx of visitor traffic during the warmer months,” the town wrote on its website.
Beaufort describes itself as a “quaint” destination that’s home to marinas, boutiques and several restored homes. In the 10Best report, the town received nods for its scenery, festivals and art-related events.
“Visitors here experience a true maritime lifestyle, with sailing excursions and fishing expeditions, along with exceptional waterfront dining featuring freshly caught seafood,” 10Best wrote.
If you want to visit Beaufort, it’s helpful to know the destination’s name is pronounced “BOW-fert” or “BOH-fert,” unlike a South Carolina town of the same name, Southern Living reported.
It’s not the first time the Beaufort area has been honored. In 2023, Carteret County ranked as the No. 1 place to retire in North Carolina. The report praised the region for offering entertainment and health care options for older adults, The News & Observer previously reported.
Other fan-favorite small towns
In the latest contest from 10Best, the nation’s most-loved coastal town was Pismo Beach, California — located between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Here are the other places rounding out the top five:
- Stuart, Florida, at No. 2
- Morro Bay, California, at No. 3
- Avalon, California, at No. 4
- Castine, Maine, at No. 5
In the same contest, 10Best ranked locations across the country in eight other small-town categories. The only other North Carolina winner was the mountain town of Bryson City, which landed at No. 8 on the list of best Southern towns.
In the past, 10Best has told The N&O it doesn’t reveal the number of people who vote in its contests.
