Topsail Island Reviews

We love it here! Beach is never crowded and there are so many cute little restaurants and places to go! Highly recommended!

Topsail is by far the best family vacation spot. So relaxing and beautiful. I love that it is not commercialized like Myrtle or Daytona.

Sunsets on the sound are gorgeous. We have been going since 2011 and have only missed one summer here (and we regretting changing vacation spots). Island Delights is a must for ice cream and sweet treats!

We have stayed in homes through Ward Realty and Century 21. I would highly recommend both!

We love the beaches at topsoil island the only thing is there's not many places to go to eat there.the beaches are clean and not crowded at all.

I love Topsail Island. It's quiet and the locals are friendly. The beach is never overcrowded and I don't feel like I'm auditioning for an MTV special. If you want to relax this is the place for you.

We were here February 2020. The restaurant on property was closed d/t renovations, there was nothing at all going on as far as renovations!! The outside covered pool was also demolished and looked as though it hadn’t been touched as far as remodeling in a very long time.....weathered wood frame etc. Was surprised to read on another review there had just been 14million dollars put into this property in 2018!! Not sure where!?!?

Beach was nice, we took a boat and docked it on the sound side and really enjoyed it. Very relaxing and fairly clean beach and good sand! We will be back. Oh wear plenty of sunscreen.....oops

Went during off season so not very crowded. We heard that even though it is busier in the summer, it's still pretty low key. Stopped at several of the beaches and they were all great. No big high rise condos. Mostly rental houses.

We always have a family reunion in Topsail Island every October. I love waking up to the sunrise and watching the dolphins chasing the shrimp trawlers. Folk can fish, fly kites, catch some rays, collect shells or read a book on this quaint and quiet beach. There are very few people during the fall months. So it makes it a great time to relax and have the beach to yourself. The fishing is great too! We caught spot, mullet, black drum, pin fish and lots of flounder!

Stayed at Beach House managed through Lewis Realty who was good to work with. Fantastic location at Surf City. Covered deck with picnic table was great for meals. Upper level had a full length deck if you wanted sun. Literally steps to the water. Negatives- pet friendly but no where to take your dog to the bathroom. Lots of nails found in the carport and driveway from previous construction.

Great vacation spot. Amazing place to relax!! The beaches are very clean and beautiful! The locals are very friendly and helpful

While my family enjoyed Topsail beach and our time spent on the beach, we will never use Island Real Estate again nor stay in the property “Eastern Sails” on North Topsail. We arrived on Saturday a quarter before check-in and parked at a public beach access near the rental property to take a walk up the beach to stretch our legs and wait. Walking in front on the property we noticed that the roof was being fixed on the entire property. We had no idea that the rental had received any damage from the recent storm, so we called Island Real Estate to check in with them and to see if this was going to be an issue with our stay. We were told that the construction crew should be about finished and that it wouldn’t affect our stay. Shortly after, we received our confirmation to check in at our place. Not only did we not have a place to park, as the construction crew had parked a large dumpster and truck in our designated parking, but we also found our front deck to be completely covered in piles of sand, the trash cans still full of trash, and the construction crew still working on the roof. We again called the rental office to ask for these issues to be taken care of and they said they would have to call the owner. We never heard back from anyone until almost 6:00 pm. (3 hours after checking in) when the owner of the property showed up to clean off the porch. The porch was cleaned off, but we were left with the trash canisters full of trash and when the roofing company did leave for the day, they left their large dumpster and truck in our designated parking under the house. We called the rental office on Sunday and sent an e-mail asking if the roofing company could move the dumpster and truck so we could easily unload our belongings, as I was 30 weeks pregnant during our stay, we did not hear back from anyone until we again had to call on Monday when the roofing company showed back up and continued to work from 9:00 am till 8:00 pm. That day. The construction crew was very loud and it was impossible for us to put our toddler down for a nap. While replacing the roofing the workers threw their trash, shingles, nails, and swept sand and debris from the roof onto our deck/beach access all day. We were unable to safely access to the beach for that day. When they continued to work past 6:00 pm, we found the noise to be so unbearable we had to leave the property to find a quiet place for dinner. Upon returning at 8:00 pm, we found the roofing company still working. At this point, our toddler was beyond ready for bed, so we asked the roofing company to leave immediately and again called Island Real Estate. At this time, we greatly expressed how upset we had been with our stay and how inconvenienced we had been. We asked that the deck/beach access be cleaned up immediately, as it was riddled with nails from the roofing company as was the carport, which they finally removed their dumpster and truck from. We were unable to safely use the parking or the beach access due to the number of nails left behind. We also asked that we be compensated for the many inconveniences we had had since arriving for our vacation. By noon on Tuesday we had not heard back from anyone about the property being cleaned up so we could safely use the driveway and deck. Again, we called the real estate office and were told that they would immediately contact the owners. An hour later, we had not received word from anyone, so we called back. This continued every day of our trip. Eventually, my husband had to spend over an hour sweeping the piles of debris on our deck and picking up nails on the porches and access, so we could safely use them. The real estate office NEVER once reached out to us to take care of any of these issues. Every day, we had to first contact them for them to initiate anything being done. The owner never contacted us, nor cleaned up the rental property during our stay. At this point, we have checked out and no one has reached out to apologize or to offer any compensation for our terrible experience at this rental.

Not too far of a drive from Atlantic Beach where we were staying. Beach was clean and had easy access points. The beach houses nearby were colorful. I'd return here again.

Loved the atmosphere and beach but the only issue was there was NO BEACH at high tide! We had to plan our "on the beach" trips around low tide!

We rented Sellers canal front house on Topsail Island. Due to the hurricane, the island was completely closed during the time of our vacation. The owners of the home refused to refund ANY of our money (a group of siblings own the house and each sibling would have had to refund $400)they also refused to allow a rebook of our fully paid vacation for the same week in October the following year. They stole a family vacation and refused to care. This kind of greed is just gross. I encourage people to find a different vacation rental. Many other owners were generous and worked with their renters, and deserve your business. Sellers does not. The island is beautiful, the fishing is great, the sunsets beyond compare. It's a shame that nasty owners like this can ruin the karma of one of the most beautiful islands in North Carolina.

Topsail island is the perfect place to go if you want to unplug & relax. It is very quiet with no boardwalk or tourist shops on the beach. I highly recommended it for people who want to just plant themselves on the beach. This is not the place to go if you want to be entertained by anything but waves.

We recently stayed at Topsail beach for two weeks. There are lots of free planned activities in the park. Thursday night we listened to a band and watched people of all ages enjoy time together. There were lots of picnic tables for seating and plenty of lawn space for chairs. Children entertained themselves by running, playing on the slide, swings, and jungle gym.
They offered a free movie on Friday night but it was rained out.
Several new pubs have opened and we enjoyed trying those.

Would choose a different realty company next time. This was our first time renting from Treasure Realty and quite possibly the last. We thought if we paid more from larger rental group, we would not experience any problems with our condo. Topsail Island is a wonderful place to go on vacation.

Upon check in, which was an hour later due to extra “Covid” cleaning; we received the wrong keys. Only one key fit and we had to wait over an hour to get in our condo. So that is over 2 hours later than the original check in of 3 pm. The refrigerator smelled like fish. While making the beds, we noticed trash on the floor (nose strip on side of bed) and behind the dresser. The floor was sandy and looked like it had not been swept. There was food under the couch in the living room. I had to ask the rental office for a broom. There was only one toilet brush and neither toilet looked like they had been cleaned. I am not sure what is included in the extra hour of “Covid” cleaning, but they may want to investigate that. There were also basic things that need to be in the condo that were missing or in bad condition. There were no oven mitts. The knives that were there could not cut ice cream. On the second day our air conditioning went out. It would not cool and the temp outside was 89. It took almost 5 hours before someone fixed the air. The man that came was very nice and had it fixed quickly. The balcony doors were broken. One would not open (the one int the living room) and the other would not lock. This problem was fixed quickly, but it should have been fixed before we arrived. Most of these problems could have been avoided if the unit was inspected properly. After reading the guest book it seems were not the only one that has had problems with their rental. Preventative maintenance, better housekeeping, and a more responsive team would assist in making these issues non-existent.

Parking at Shipwatch is a nightmare. There are tags to put in your car and there are postings that say, “towing is enforced”, yet there was never any parking and we never saw anyone get towed. . Over half the cars did not have tags on them. The weekend was worse. There were only a few of the public accesses open and people were parking anywhere they could.

Most people have one to two vacations a year. We work toward a trouble-free week with our family and friends. Customer service at Treasure Realty needs to understand the frustration when there are problems that come up and try to be more compassionate. Everyone except for Kelly at the Sneads Ferry office was very passive and acted like we were bothering them. She was the only one that got anything done.

Kind of disappointed in this area....it’s just ok....the beaches were clean and not to crowded—but there’s not much to do at all....Topsail is primarily just homes with a smattering of little shops, surf city, which is between topsail and north topsail is an old beach town...tons of homes very close together, lots of cheap beach shops which are fun, one mini golf place that looked like it’s seen better days, you can rent jet skis but beware there are alligators in the water where you jet ski...my hubby went to rent jet skis and there were three aligators lurking around...the tiki boat rides fill up fast so make a reservation before you even get here. Food is fair...a few pizza joints, a horrible donut shop, an Italian ice store that doesn’t open til noon and in July he was sold out of most flavors🙄not great for bike riding so I would leave those home, no bike trails and the main drag through town cars go fairly fast...you have to pay to get on the pier....it’s a long fishing pier, pretty uneventful...so, we won’t be coming back...we’ve been to many beaches: Cape Cod, Marco island, New England beaches, Chesapeake Bay, Lake Michigan,etc....Topsail area doesn’t come close to any of those...I will say the folks here were super friendly.

Have been coming to Topsail for 46 years... If you want a great beach experience, relaxed Island atmosphere, there isn't any place better as far as I know, especially for the money. Mayberry by the Sea has certainly grown and got more crowded during the summer, but still is the place to go with your family, you won't forget it.

What a lovely island. I’ve had some amazing beaches in my life, and after living in Hawaii for a few years it becomes pretty easy to spot the good locations. Topsail Island hit the high points on all of them, beaches were clean, not overcrowded, most folks were families and vacationers. Not super crazy with the number of beach retailers. All around a lovely place to visit. We’ll definitely return.

I never heard of topsail beach and now that I've been, I'm in love. I always get an Air BNB or a condo on the ocean front, so to be able to fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean and wake up to a beautiful sun rise, I love it

I had visited Topsail beach for 2 weeks every year as the kids grew up. Now we are visiting with the grandkids and it is still much the same. If you are looking for a low key beach and very family-oriented this is the place for you.

If you are planning a beach vacation to Topsail Island especially the southern end near Surf City with all the fanfare and gusto of lets say Myrtle Beach stop your plans and go elsewhere. Topsail beaches are all natural which means you are going to travel over dunes to reach the beach, there are limited hotels, mostly beach houses, and limited amounts of restaurants etc. It is an unspoiled, less commercialized, uncrowded very laid back beach experience. Which is why we like it here so much. There is plenty to do but not the overwhelming stuff at the big popular beaches. While Surf City is a little bit larger the town of Topsail Island is very small and quaint.

The place is absolutely disgusting! There was roaches all
all over the place. Not taken care of at all. Worst place our family has ever stayed.

This beach is where to go for peace and quiet. It's natural, historical and beautiful. We love Topsail Island and are heading back for the 3rd year in a row. One of the coolest things is when you are there you realize how underpopulated the beach is, but when you get home and look at the pictures, you honestly think you must have been there by yourself. I would never be happy at a busy beach with all kinds of things to do, so if you're like me...Topsail is the place for you!

My extended family of about 25 people spend a week on Topsail island every summer. I can’t say enough good things about it. Great beaches not crowded enough bars, restaurants, and stores but not too commercial

Topsail remains the best place I’ve ever been. It is an amazing beach with an awesome atmosphere. 10/10

Me and my wife travelled here in September and loved it. The beach is clean and wasn't crowded at all when we went. There isn't a whole lot of activities going on directly on the island, but Jacksonville and Wilmington are within an hours drive. There are places to shop and some restaurants to eat at, but it's mostly just a laid back island vibe where you can go to get away from a lot of the Myrtle Beach strip kind've scenery.

Topsail Beach is really great except for the fact that they do not enforce their leash law. People are allowed to "walk" their dogs with the leash dragging the ground or they just let their dog go and hold the leash in their hand. It seems like they are screaming for a lawsuit if a dog bites or attacks someone.

If you are looking for a quiet beach vacation without all the noise and nightlife, then this is the place for you! Most relaxing vacation ever! We have made several trips to Topsul and it never disappoints. Wonderful place to visit in the off season and during prime season. The beach is not overcrowded. If you like beach combing, there are lots of shells and shark's teeth! Best beach vacation to relax and unwind, enjoy the sounds of the ocean waves and reconnect with your family!

This is one of the best places I have ever visited. I live in New England and wanted a vacation so I went to Surf city NC. All I can say is that I had a jolly good time and would definitely go again. They had the most lip-smacking seafood I have ever had. It was finger-licking good. I did myself the pleasure of going to learn how to surf and it was a gay time! I may even consider myself a professional. LOL! There were so many things to do and I would 100000 pound recommend.

I visited from 3/30-4/2/25 with my best friend, her child and her mother. We had an oceanfront Airbnb in the 2000 block of North Shore Drive in Surf City. The view was absolutely gorgeous. This area is mainly residential with a lot of private beach access

Public beach access is plentiful with paid parking and some porta-potty restrooms. Most of the public parking is gravel. There are no lifeguards on this beach, or stands for that matter that I could see (this may be different in-season). We were here in the off season so the crowd was very small. The beach does appear to be pet friendly. This isn’t a beach that is maintained daily (they don’t grade the sand, there is no police presence, etc), but it’s VERY clean!

Surf City has definitely earned its name! The surf is wild here. This is a barrier island and the coastline is slowly disappearing due to erosion. You can tell the coastline used to be back a lot further; my favorite thing at any beach is walking the coastline, this is not the most walkable of beaches. In some places the tide comes in so far you have to walk on the banks and the sand isn’t as packed as the shoreline would be so it’s harder to navigate. I can swim but by no means am I an expert. I would be afraid to go too far out in the water here as the surf is very wide and very choppy. It’s easy to find yourself walking the coastline then before you know it you’re in a tidal pool up to your knees with the surf coming in on you. I didn’t feel unsafe at all, but I definitely kept my eyes and ears open.

There are a variety of restaurants on the island. Some seem to be closed during the off season. We mainly DoorDash’d and ate in. Not a huge DoorDash selection, again that may be an off season thing. I did check Uber availability out of curiosity and there are Ubers around. Tons of rentals to choose from. Cell service (Verizon) can be spotty depending on what part of the island you’re on.

I’ve had a very nice stay during my time here but it’s definitely not my favorite beach. The beach itself isn’t that walkable (at least where we stayed), there’s no restaurants really within walking distance…while it’s not overflowing with high rise condos and hotels, the entire island has a ton of vacation homes basically stacked on top of each other. With that said, I can easily see how it would be the perfect beach for a lot of people. I give it a very solid 4!

This is my go-to beach! (I am a resident who lives in Burgaw- inland a bit). This island offers a bit of everything- and is perfect for family vacations, day trips or any time you need some sea-therapy. Right over the swing bridge is the more commercial area (Surf City) with beach shops, little stores, the old supermarket, resturants and bars. There is ample public parking (Free!) by the Surf City pier, and restrooms by the beach access. These restrooms are basic but well maintained. The pier is excellent for fishing, area in proxmity to the pier is a very popular surfing spot, as well as a good spot for families. Beach combing in this area is great for smooth quartz pebbles, sharks teeth and general stuff. Down the island to the right is mainly vacation rentals, until you get to Topsail proper. There is another fishing pier, a few shops, a park and a less populated area of the beach. While there are public access points all along the beach, they have limited parking- there are much larger parking areas close to the 2 piers. Good surfing, great surf fishing, beachcombing good but the quartz is not as evident. Going back to Surf City and up the beach in the other direction (North Topsail), there are more vacation rentals, a few beach stores and several nice park areas. This is even less crowded. Dogs are allowed all along the beach (leashed, and please provide shade and water- remember sand is HOT on paws), closed containers are permitted, no life guards but the beach is regularly patrolled. Topsail is also a hot spot for sea turtle nesting. It is common to see turtles from the piers (and dolphins everywhere). The turtles come up the beach to nest- nests are marked, flagged and monitored by the turtle watch. DO NOT DISTURB nests (or babies), but- if you are lucky- you might see a nest hatch and the babies make their way to the sea. There is also a turtle hospital on the island- this is where injured/sick/ cold-shocked turtles are cared for until they can be safely released. In addition to the turtles and beach, there are still some of the military observation towers/ bunkers from WWII. In the evening, watch for the ghost plane (WWII plane) flying low along the horizon, or the walker- a fellow dressed in old fashioned clothing walking in the waves (His grave- he is unidentified- can be found on the courthouse square in Burgaw). Enjoy your stay!

We enjoyed our mini vacation to Topsail Beach. We stayed on the South end of the island.

It was so quiet and relaxing. Fall is a wonderful time of year but especially here. It was a wonderful, relaxing, stress free time away.

vacationed here for 30+ years - my happy place. Oceanfront homes reasonable rentals. Restaurants great. Beautiful beaches.

Topsail island is one of the best places on east coast to visit! Calm, relaxing friendly locals! Never a bad time of year!

My family love going to Topsail Island. The beach is great, the area is less crowded. Just a perfect getaway trip for the family. This is the 4th year that we planned our trip and already have planned for the next summer.

Our friends rented a condo right on the beach. Every room had a balcony & a Great View! We saw dolphins everyday as well as pelicans & other birds. The beach has more seashells in one place that I have ever seen. We strolled the beach picking up shells & sharks teeth. We slept at night to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore! If you love the ocean you would love this place.

This is the beach for you if you are looking for clean, not crowded at all, beach! Easy, free parking at public access areas (lots of them to choose from). Showers. Very short walk from parking lot to beach. There were other things to do but we only wanted lazy beach days!

I have been coming to Topsail since I was a young child. Coming here always feels like coming home to me. Though it has changed tremendously since then, there are some qualities that remain like the small town feel and unrivaled beaches. Actually glad to see the big bridge coming in as the swing is nostalgic but inefficient as the traffic onto the island has recently booked.

Oceanfront to Treasure Realty actually means that from some vantage point in the house you can see the ocean. Google even shows it as a .3 mile walk to public beach access. You have to pass just over 20 houses to actually get to the beach. We didn’t think to verify “oceanfront” since we’ve rented here at Topsail oceanfront for a decade and never encountered this. Within 1 hour of booking we realized this and called to adjust, everything is full so we asked to be released from the house rental since it is not oceanfront, which a treasure realty agent agreed with us that it isn’t however the manager D refused to refund without us being liable for full contract and even if it books to charge us 15%. Absolutely ludicrous. This is a situation that I would say is a business capitalizing on the covid pandemic and inflating the property with misrepresentation as oceanfront when it absolutely is not. All I request is a full and complete refund and adjust the listing to not mislead others by representing this property as oceanfront, it clearly is NOT.

We truly enjoyed our week in Surf City on Topsail Island. Much of our time was spent on the beach and in rocking chairs overlooking the intercoastal marsh from the high balcony of our rental. We were near access 5, which has park with clean bathrooms, trash, and a rinse station.
The teens spent several hours boogie boarding. Can't wait to come back!

We were very pleasantly surprised on our first visit to Topsail. Beautiful island. Great beach walking. Loved being able to have no restrictions for taking dogs on the beach, which is one reason we decided to visit. Stayed for a week and had great weather.

Should have known sooner that summer is not the only time to visit here. We have been fortunate to experience Topsail in many months of the year now. Each one is special, beautiful, and worthy of a trip. I wouldn't trade our 20+ years of summers on the beach- but we are certainly happy to supplement them with new experiences outside of June-August. There is a lot to see and do. Make an extra trip! You won't be sorry.

Topsail Island is a true vacation getaway..it's everything you dream about! Quiet beaches, wonderful homestyle restaurants, and no overcrowded tourist spots...

My family has stayed here each summer over the past 8 years. The condos are all fairly nice, although some have great amenities (good blow dryer, coffee maker, etc) while others are lacking. The pool and snack bar are great - little ice cream shop and even an arcade. The beach accesses are well maintained and have showers to help control the sandy room one often gets on the beach. Views are great - not to busy. The only hiccup is that it's taking more than 3 years to replace the indoor pool and hot tub. No biggie - but the HOA isn't quite on top of this detail.

DO NOT GO TO NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH!
1. You will get a 25-50 parking ticket, the parking area is sand and NO SIGN that explains is PAID PARKING!
2. The bathrooms are PORT A POTTY no fresh water anywhere.
3. NO LIFEGUARDS
4. No place to eat nearby
ATTENTION tourist (my experience) all Surf City area has a racket going with the parking, be careful where you leave your car, you will get a costly ticket, not by the city but by another very clever group in charge of making money for the city.

Really enjoyed our stay on Topsail Island. It was just the sort of low key place that we were looking for. Not at all crowded in peak season, you can spend your days sunbathing on the beach, jumping the waves, fishing or kayaking in the inlet.
Pros: Relaxed scene with just the right amount of family entertainment.
Less crowded beaches especially if renting a beach house...there are very few public access points to the water among the houses.
The inlet has public docks for boats, kayaks, and canoes launches.
Dogs allowed on the beach.
Cons: there is still some obvious storm damage here from a hurricane last year. Some of the homes look worn and are in need of repair.

I will highly suggest you never ever reserve a room here. The whole room was nasty and dirty when I arrived. No clean towels or linens provided. I get an “ocean front view” however, there is construction going on outside. Leaving me and my family to not enjoy the ocean view(please see pictures for reference). Pick anywhere to stay but here trust me.

Rented house North Topsail Beach Ocean front about 5.5 mile marker. While the house showed its ware and tare, the beach was beautiful. If you looking for relaxing time without the hub bub of Nags Head, check this Island out.

Love Topsail Island, Surf City is really great place to vacation. Nice people, beautiful beaches and the water is blue and clear.

Our family has been all over the NC coast and we like Topsail Island the most. We like the wide beach, no traffic, clean oceanfront, many oceanfront options, and especially the peacefulness. There aren't too many restaurants but our family mainly dined at home so this wasn't a problem. There is a Walmart and Food Lion nearby so getting food to cook wasn't a problem either. Fresh seafood is everywhere, just make sure you get there early. We already thinking about coming back next year.

This island is very laid back
Great vacation
Minimal traffic
We loved it so much we already have accomodations for next year

Rented a beach house in North Topsail with family consisting of 4 adults and 6 children ages 3-10. Overall, we had an enjoyable week. We did the typical beach things of playing mini golf, flying kites, and just enjoying our time hanging out at the beach.

The beaches were beautiful and not over crowded. One trip highlight included a boat trip to Lee Island to go shelling where we found the most beautiful shells. We also visited the sea turtle hospital where we learned about the sea turtles that lay their eggs on topsail.

There were several grocery store options, plenty of surf shops, and the Surf City peer for fishing.

This was our first time staying in topsail after many years in the outer banks. It has definitely more of a vintage beach town feel. Personally, I like the areas we have stayed at in OBX better including Southern Shores, Duck, and Hatteras. Topsail was very affordable, though and has everything you need for a fun week at the beach.

The island has few resturants and the worse traffic I have ever seen. If you want to spend half of your time in the car waiting to cross the bridge to go to a resturant to eat or go to the grocery store then Topsail is the place for you. The beach house was ok but was a lot smaller than the photos The beach itsenf was beautiful but in order to eat at a decent resturant you had to leave the island thus traffic. Left early due to traffic situation. It was not so crowded that you could not feel safe but does not compare with Ocracoke Island or the outerbanks. The seafood resturants in Sneeds Ferry were great esopecially Riverview Cafe. Not worth the money we had to pay.

Booked our trip to North Topsail Beach months in advance and happened to have tropical storms forecasted last minute. It ended up being clear the entire trip except for our first and last night and didnt impact our ability to swim our hearts out during our stay. Be cautious of flooded areas and objects in the road if you travel here during storms. We still felt safe and they were quick to clear the roads and assist residents. Everyone we encountered was very friendly! It was worth the trip in any weather!

It was an absolute nightmare. I paid 30 dollars to park using phone following directions from posted sign. I came back early to a 50 dollar ticket. I called number and was told I did not park in front of yellow bumper. This is not posted anywhere. It is a parking lot. The entire row was ticketed. Unethical and illegal. It's a racket to rob people. If I did not pay the parking ticket was 100. No life guards at all. There are sharks so absolutely no saftey measures in place. I am from eastern Long Island NY so the beach itself is not comparable. Swim at your own risk and be very careful where you park. There is no assistance or visitor station. I will never go back. It was just awful experience. It is discrimiatory to the poor tourists and the elderly. Not everyone has a smart phone or credit card. I am senior citizen and I had to ask a girl parking to show me how. The ticket gets higher if you do not pay immediately. I was there on Sunday so girl in office was unable to help? Then why be there? Just awful.

I love it here but looks like the beach has gotten smaller from all the storms and where they have brought in a lot of sand to build up the dunes. I would stay here again. Very peaceful and relaxing area.

Ward Realty is the worst property management company we have ever known. The people are money hungry and don't care about their customers at all. The houses are not cleaned properly. Never rent a home from Ward Realty unless you want a ruined vacation and to encounter people who truly don't care about your health at all. At the beginning of the pandemic, they applied a new Covid-19 Protocol fee and indicated that they would now do even more to protect the health of their clients and customers. However, upon arrival, we found our house more filthy than before. There was urine and feces on the toilets, hairs and mildew in the bathroom showers. The Kitchen sink and floor was filthy. Pots and pans had grease and food stuck to them, but had been put away as if they were clean. When we complained, we were treated as though we were the problem. Therese Moorefield is their new Property Manager from Myrtle Beach and she is so unprofessional to say the least. She claims to have 26 years of experience but has absolutely no idea how to treat customers at all. She is unprofessional, ignorant and seems overwhelmed in this pisition. She is an imposter and no one on Topsail Island should be expected to deal with her incompetence!

Spent a long weekend in Surf City and had a great time. The walks on the beach were amazing. Very impressed with the clean up efforts from the hurricane.

Topsail Island is my happy place and I will never vacation in Myrtle Beach again! Beautiful sunsets, uncrowded beaches and little traffic. I know some have posted about loud music, cruising etc., and we’ve never experienced this, but we usually go in July. If you have kids that like to ride rides and be constantly entertained, this isn’t the place for you. It’s a quiet beach town with locally owned shops and restaurants, which is what I love. However, kids can look for (and find!) shark’s teeth, play putt putt, swim and possibly even get to see baby sea turtles go to the sea! This year will be my 6th trip, and I can’t believe that I was hesitant to go the first year after been a Myrtle Beacher all of my life. I would live at Topsail if I could, treat yourself to a laid back vacation, you might love it!!

It was a quiet, beautiful beach with lot of nature to enjoy. Our house was right on the beach. It was gorgeous. It was my son and daughter in law myself and my granddaughter's who are 4 and 3. The ocean was too chilly to swim in but fine to walk in. The girls loved the sand, sea shells and dolphins. Our house was well equiped with games, books , beach equipment and a fun game room.

We rented "Brigadoon" from Treasure Realty (now apparently affiliated with Century 21) in early September, and the WiFi cut out early in our visit. With the pandemic, this meant that adults were forced to miss important business Zoom meetings, and kids were unable to attend their "virtual" classes. We realized that neither Treasure Realty nor the owner had a legal obligation to provide a partial refund, but felt (and still feel) that any reasonable owner/manager would offer some significant compensation for their inability to avoid this serious impact on our vacation. In spite of several emails with two different agents promising a response from the owners, no answer (let alone any partial refund) was ever received. We suggest avoiding both Treasure Realty and Brigadoon.

Been here a couple other times as I have family in the area. But this time we came and got our own place and brought another family with us for a total of 9 of us!!! So here you go....... Finishing up our 4 day- 3 night stay in Top Sail NC. Great time, great food at the places we ate out at, The Brezze Way Inn, food was really good. Service was very good, all of the food for the 9 of us came out quickly and was good, no complaints or issues. Second night we all ate at Sears Landing. Wait was about an hour, and it was a Friday evening. Food and service both awesome! Worth the wait and price! By far a must have for a dinner! Our rental Condo was about 8-9 miles south of Surf City just off the ocean maybe 100 yards! Beautiful taken care of, and very clean when we got there. Pretty much all the imenites one would have at your own home. Outdoor decks on 2nd and 3rd levels, plenty of room for the 9 of us. Very reasonably priced! Actually trying to book it for next year already!

Beautiful beaches and easy access to them. If you want to find shark teeth, go at low tide and you will likely find some. There is both paid and free parking. Free public access has bathrooms and concessions. I went at the end of may and it wasn't crowded at all. Highly recommend.

My family stayed in this house last week. Nine of us traveled from Michigan and the rest of the family is local. The house was easy to get around in and had ample space for our large group of 19 people...adults to infants. The house is located ocean front with gorgeous views. The beds in the adult bedrooms were comfortable, clean, and each have a bathroom. The only problem is the mattresses in the bunk rooms were definitely not meant for adults. They were not comfortable for our adult, single children. We enjoyed our stay in this lovely home. We hope to visit again in the future.

Topsail is a very family friendly beach. Beautiful white sand and is a very clean beach. There are a few seafood restaurants close by and shops within a short drive. So peaceful and I can’t wait to come back.

Simple,free beach with port-a-pottys around.Not too far from Jacksonville.Free,not too crowded on beach but if it is a great beach day,parking may fill up.Looks like an ample amount of parking.Waves not too big but sometimes choppy.Holes in areas of water at times.Saw a dead puffer fish,jellyfish,possibly man-o-war washed up on shore.But pack a lunch,have fun in the water yet be aware of possible jellies.also,signs about rip-tides but I never venture out too far.Even just letting your children make sandcastles and wave in the water,or go take a walk on the beach to think and destress,makes a trip to this beach worth it.Nice shells too.

We stayed a Villa Captriano condo with a nice restaurant,fab pool and view of the ocean. If you want to sightsee, go elsewhere.

There is nothing to do here. My wife drags us here every year for a family vacation with other family and every year I complain about it. Because after you go to the beach, there is nothing else to do. Oh wait there is...go to your rental house and do laundry or go grocery shopping or cook every meal for your entire stay here. The beach is beautiful, yes. The water is warm and clean. But there is nothing else going on here. There are large oceanside vacation rental homes and there are trailers where the people who clean these homes when you leave live. No bike paths. Restaurants are limited at best. There is a pier and some little park to go to. There are tacky beach/surf shops that all sell the same junk and t-shirts. We do jigsaw puzzles to pass time. If you want a quiet beach town this may be it for you. If you want to have experiences, then for your own sake listen to my review and go somewhere else.

This place is boring and I don't want to come back. In fact I mean not to.

We loved going to Topsail Beach because of the shark teeth. It is really a great spot to find them if you know what you are looking for. They are dark and not too big and you can best find them among the shell clusters.

We had a wonderful time!
We stayed at 512 E N Shore Drive and it was terrific. The beach and surrounding area was beautiful.
Thank you for allowing us to have a much needed vacation.

4th trip to Topsail, it’s a beautiful island. The only drawn back is we come in September & it’s hurricane season. One of my favorite things to do is watch the Logerhead turtle hatch & go to the ocean.

We've been enjoying Topsail for vacations (October is spectacular) for several years and now that we're retired, we decided to make it home. Some of the best features of Topsail are 1) lush expansive beaches that are 2) rarely crowded even in high season and 3) at the south end, dogs are permitted off-leash in the off-season or after hours. There is a distinct lack of over-building (few condos or high rises or mega hotels) so you never feel squeezed in....and the centralizing of commercial and retail zones by the wisdom of the city councils of N.Topsail, Topsail Beach and Surf City lends an air of natural living to most of the island. There are just enough restaurants and thankfully few glitzy retailers. Access to common needs (grocers, pharmacies, hardware, liquor store, parks) is certainly good enough. And property is still reasonable compared to nearby Atlantic Beach or Wrightsville. I guess the secret that is Topsail won't last much longer, but let's hope the city managers continue to strike a balance between growth and spacious comfort. Now that we're residents, we'll get to know the year-rounders that have been so very hospitable on our many visits. please come enjoy Topsail - but not toooooo many of you!

We love Topsail Island, my kids grew up here when I was in the USMC. Nice beaches, good fishing and some decent restaurants.

We rented an oceanfront property through a private owner for a week. The beach was clean and quiet. The water was perfect for children. The town itself is just ok with not a ton to do. The locals in businesses were not super warm or welcoming which is odd for a tourist town. All in all, if you are looking for quiet compared to Myrtle Beach or other more crowded NC beaches, this is great.

Finally able to return for our yearly trip, sadly COVID, put a damper on it last year, so being able to come was a WIN, alone in its self. We always rent a house on the ocean with beach access, just be use it is easier with kids and to be able to watch the sunrise in the morning with your coffee. Anyone who has been to the ocean knows that you want the able to be right on the ocean. So now on to the rest of the “vacation”
The place we rented from the description and picture was going to be the perfect place. A, 11 hr drive and waiting 4 hrs for the house to be ready just built the anticipation as excitement up so much. Finally got to get into the house, unload the car and get inside and the disappointment, that ensued was not even fully evolved! Mainly the interior of the house was hidden well in the pictures, all the walls were panel board from the 80s, but besides that lets check the rest out, well ok so maybe it isn’t as bad….. it is just walls…… well day two the fridge hadn’t even gotten the adult beverages cold by the next afternoon! Nothing in the fridge was cold! Great!!! The afternoon it got worse the A/C couldn’t keep the house below 80! Considering it was 96 during the day, 90% humidity, heat index over 100 everyday! The shower head in one bathroom literally fell off the shower pipe, the one thing that got fixed, the bathrooms, outdated and literary worn out, like faded and just grungy! The saving grace was the view. Yes the rental company was informed of all the issues, no response from them! Freaking horrible. Needles to say we have been coming here for 8-9 years and never have ever experienced this kind of shoddy business ever! Worst experience ever. Apparently the rental company is the “main” rental place here….. and I would equate it to them being a slum lord!!! Freaking joke! I hope VRBO finds out and people realize this and they go out of business!!!
NEVER RENT FEOM TREASURE REALITY, in Topsail Island, Surf City, or surrounding areas in North Carolina!! Only thing guaranteed is horrible horrible place to stay that is so so far below the standards that you would expect for the amount you pay!!!!

IF you want bling bling and thongs and lots of entertainment other than the beach = this one is not for you. One of the few nice family beaches with out boom box blaring and neck to neck blankets and towels. Calming relaxation and recoup place. and by golly if you want the cheapest American or probably world wide real estate you cant touch these prices with a ten foot pole- careful and go for grandfather insurance backed by NC instead of the pricey private insurance homes.

This island is busy, but the beaches are great and you might not see a dozen people in a day on the beach.

Topsail Island in October is one of the best kept secrets there is for s vacation. This island remains family friendly, the beaches are uncrowded with a few folks walkkng, fishing, shark tooth and sea shell hunting. If you're looking for a laid back relaxing get away, this might be just what you're after.

Quiet, friendly, great beaches. Sound to shore one of best places to chill. Love the turtle hospital and pier.

This was our first visit to Topsail. We had a great time even with a hurricane. The beach was quiet and clean. if you are looking for a quiet place to spend your vacation Topsail is a great place to visit. Wilmington is close by if you are looking for a day trip. There is mini golf and surf lessons. Plenty of restaurants and shops.

We came here the first time to just see what was going on here at Topsail Island and discovered a great place to visit. It is clean and has many restaurants, attractions and shopping. It is also very close to Wilmington and it's many attractions. We found that Topsail was a place we will come to again and again. Well worth the time and money to stay here.

the area just was not very clean. A lot of construction, trash everywhere, roads blocked, tons of construction equipment, lots of noise from equipment

7 days of great fun and friendly people until I asked a drunk in Sears Landing Grill to not stand behind my chair in the dining area adjacent to the bar. After a drunken tirade, I asked the manager to ask them to move a few feet away. After much cursing and F bombs the manager said just finish your meal we all have to get along. So, local drunks that you are friends with rate higher than tourists that are the main income producers on the island. I love TopSail but not the Surf City locals that told me to get off their Island!

We love Topsail Island!!! Our favorite place to get away with friends and family. The sunrises and sunsets are Breathtaking!

We stayed for a week at a beach front condo. Very calm atmosphere, family friendly. You can leave your beach chairs, umbrellas,etc on the beach all day and no one will bother them. Good surf, warm water, friendly people. Not too commercialized like Myrtle or Virginia Beach. Not quite as much in the way of entertainment, but we made our own fun!

Pretty, clean beach, not a lot of people there compared to other beaches around. Down side is that you have to drive at least 15 minutes to find a variety of restaurants.

Topsail Island is a great place to go to be in the beach in September! Yes it is during hurricane season but for the most part it's great! Not too hot, not too cold!
Waking up to watch the sun come up over the ocean is awesome!

Location: 514 N Shore Dr, Surf City NC - went through VRBO

My family had such an amazing time here. It was our first time to have our daughters and their husbands' and our 2 grandsons on a beach vacation, something I had on my bucket list to do. I loved watching my grandsons playing on the beach and in the water, flying kites with their dad, mom, aunt and grandpa, burying each other in the sand, and wiggle their butts when the waves came in. We had 6 adults and 2 children and was very comfortable. We had enough room that we did not feel on top of each other. The home was very clean and comfy. The 3 decks were amazing and plenty of room for everyone. The home was stocked really well (we bought some groceries, but there were linens, paper products, spices, laundry soap), beach chairs, umbrellas, and beach toys available in the outdoor shower area. There is a washer and dryer which made it nice to wash the sandy, wet clothes. The location was fantastic. The only negative, there was construction on the main road that runs through the island and it was crazy trying to drive(this is why 4 stars and not 5). The beaches were very clean. It was very quiet in the evening(no partying going on). I didn't see many places to eat. Mac Daddy's (it's a little pricey) and maybe a hot dog place, but there were more places over the bridge. We also cooked vs going out. On our last day, we actually witnessed The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehab center releasing 20 turtles that had been rehabilitated. It was a once in a lifetime experience and such a great memory for our family. I highly recommend this location.

Great ocean views! Quiet and relaxing..couldn’t have asked for better when it comes to just looking for that quiet getaway.
The area is in need of more attractions. Nothing fancy just some local shops for coffee, ice cream, pizza, and even something offered at the pier at North Topsail.

Just a great time to be had very relaxing,not over crowded alot of resturants and shopping ,We always meet new people at Lanier`s Campground

Do Not rent from Topsail realty. We were scheduled to stay at Slow Motion 8A for a week. It was totally mis represented by topsail. We asked if the property was clean and in good shape. We were assured there were no issues. The unit was filthy. Carpet was filthy and missing parts of it. Wallpaper was pealing. Kitchen stove was rusting and pealing off. Kitchen cabinets were broken. Many other issues. We left after one night having slept in our clothes. We called Topsail upon leaving and no remedy was offered. Only thing told us was they would have a meeting the following Wednesday. After calling numerous times they finally emailed back. No restitution or apology was offered. Do not rent from Topsail.

Amazing! Great fun, sun and family. Andrews Produce is a must stop.. homemade ice cream, and homemade canned goods, fresh and local fruits and veggies. The beaches are not crowded and easy parking. Hometown feel.

Busy on the weekend but perfect spot during the week. Nice fishing pier but is kind of short. Friendly residents. Not many food choices.

Top Sail Island is a laid back beach community with lots and lots of uncrowded beach and a number of decent restaurants. You won't find amusement parks or other touristy stuff here, but if it's beach, food and relaxation that you crave, this is your place.

It’s a quiet area at the north end. Beautiful sunrise and sunsets! Lots of crabs and shells to see. There was people shark fishing while we were there too.

We go there every year. Weather was beautiful, but hot. No rain and the water was pretty calm. Not much commercialization so some may like it, but it is quiet and restful.

We love all of topsail island. Great beaches. Quiet. Family friendly. Take the kids and grandparents.

This area has some nice beaches, food opportunities, and a small town feel. It is gaining in popularity which is increasing traffic. A new bridge is being built to help compensate for the current swing bridge. Although sometimes congested, it still has a nice feel to the beach experience and shops and food establishments are staffed with friendly people.

Nice area of North Carolina where the bay meets the ocean. Great sandy beaches with high dunes. Great place to go fishing and or kite surfing or anything else you may want to do. Check it out !!

The sand needs to be renourished! At high tide, there isn't much left! Dogs allowed- nice family beach.

We have vacationed here the last 2 years and love it. Not to packed and always very nice people. Very kid friendly!

Easy to get to. Very friendly people wonderful shopping and restaurants. Outstanding food and atmosphere every where we went.

I vacationed here for the first time and enjoyed the calm, relaxed, family-friendly location. The houses were built very close together, but apparently in September they are sparsely occupied so it felt like we had our own beach.

good food and many activities and sports. walmart was conveinent and the people were friendly.mini golf was alot of fun.

We went during off season so can't comment on what it's like during the summer but the beach was beautiful and great for walking during low tide. Very friendly locals and fun to watch all the fishermen.

We visited Surf City, and went to the southern most end of Topsail Island looking for quietness and a place less crowded... jackpot.
Such a peaceful beach, soft sand, easy access to the beach, better ocean enjoyment than closer to pier (sea was better behaved, not as deep and “angry” as near Surf City.

Overall, the whole strip of Surf City / Topsail Island has become a preferred family-beach for us.

Topsail Island is the place to have fun and relax. A great family atmosphere with wonderful restaurants and beach shopping....what a great family vacation!!

Topsail Island is, what I would describe, a sleepy beach island. There isn't a lot of excitement going on like, say, Myrtle Beach. And it isn't as "fancy" as, say, Hilton Head Island in SC. But this is it's charm. Especially after a challenging year of staying home, this was a very nice place to spend a week because it isn't over-run with tourists. We stayed in a house situated beachfront. The place was comfortable, had all the necessities (you must either rent or bring your own linens, tp, soap, dish soap, laundry soap, paper towels, bath towels etc. with most properties here.). Due to covid, I was perfectly content to bring all our own linens as opposed to renting them. We did nothing but sleep, eat, read on the beach or on our deck, and walk the beach every single day. We brought a lot of our own food but did get carry out 3 times. There are plenty of restaurants in Surf City or just over the bridge. Again, nothing fancy but we enjoyed all our food. Surf City BBQ across the bridge, and the Shaka Taco near the Surf City pier were highlights. There were lots of families with kids just playing on the beach, such a nice thing to see. This place offers a truly relaxing beach vacation. If you want excitement and lots of things to do with kids, I suggest going to Myrtle. But if you can be content with simplicity, this is your place. It is so peaceful.

Topsail is truly a lovely island for a vacation with everything a short drive away from each other. The beaches and home areas are very clean and looked after well. In addition to the beach fun, it is a wonderful place to see baby turtles hatch in the late summer. We got to witness a nest hatching at 10pm one night, and it was an amazing experience.

Because of Covid, we arrived, unloaded and stayed by ourselves the whole time.We did go to the Food Lion of course. We did go twice for donuts at the Fractured Prtune and they are great. We also got takeout seafood fropm the Topsail Steamer, and that was a big hit. Other than that, nopthng to review.

I should note that we rented on Island Drive, and we did that on purspose. There are no public areas around and no reason for anyone to be by us, and back when we rented, we were looking for space andf we got it. That was great.

Also, please note that if you rent a place with a hot tub, you need to shower off first or do whatever you can to get the sand off you and your suit, becuase it will clog the filter and then you will get whacked for a cleaning.

2508 South shore Drive…
I have stayed at 2508 South shore Drive three times. This time for 2 weeks and it was one disaster after another. First the water heater element went bad so no ho water (no one's fault as that can happen), then upstairs AC not working well (AC filter filthy and clearly had not been changed recently), washing never finished a cycle just continued to run, dryer would not dry clothes after multiple cycles and caused the upstairs to become even hotter (upon inspection the dryer hose had been previously duct taped and now had a hole so all the moisture was just blowing out into the upstairs), bugs everywhere (roaches and bugs on the counter), AC unit then froze and caused a leak in the first floor ceiling which we had to place pots under the leaks, ice make made ice continuously so when you open the freezer door ice poured out onto the kitchen floor. All of this was relayed to Treasure Realty, and they only addressed the water heater element and the AC filter and added freon to the upstairs AC unit. Everything else was not addressed and we had to go to a laundry mat to do laundry. The owners were called and stated the washer/dryer worked for them so not to worry about it, per the repair tech. that came to the house. Additionally the beds are in need of new mattresses, both the upstairs king and queen cause you to roll to the middle.

I have been coming to Topsail for 40+ years and have never had such a bad experience, and poor response from the realty company.

Beware of your choice of owners when renting for vacation even through realty co. We lost nearly $2000. And the owners don't care. I did not have the travel insurance but now after reading it's fine print it is garbage as well. Realty co. Are taking a beating over this. We rented Ellington on the Sea and there are other properties with Ellington in the name. DO NOT RENT, the owner wiil not refund anything or option to rent at another time. Everyone lost in this storm but only a few are paying for it.

We just stayed at Noah’s Ark and we’re very pleased. House was clean and ready for us. We had a problem with an appliance and called the office. Talked to Megan and she was super kind and helpful. Problem was taken care of immediately. Thanks to all the staff that we dealt with. Would highly recommend this reality for rentals.

Spent 4 days there, beautiful beaches and quiet. Nice restaurants, it was a great trip. Our rental house right on the beach was nice and very affordable.

Absolute joke for customer service!!! They DO NOT care about the people who rent as long as they get thier cut! Managers will refuse to work with you and just advise, "per your contract we are not obligated to do anything." The A/C unit is completely out and they do not care at all. We had to contact the owner of the property and go above them. This company should not be in bussiness and owners should not use them for anything!! Sorry as they come!!!!

The beach is beautiful and not crowded. The sand is soft and clean. There is not much to do on a rainy day or if you do not just go to the beach. I would like to see a putt putt course or a golf cart track in the area.

We visited Topsail today with our 2 young grandchild and 2 Dobermans. There was hardly anyone on the beach and we were able to walk and play with our dogs for miles! The sun was out so it made the 50 degree day very comfortable. The kids even “accidentally” got wet and were not miserable! Not sure about the beach in the high season but our adventure today was such a pleasure!

Amazing seafood! Original specials and menu items. Very generous portions for such high quality seafood. Friendly staff and it is more of a local spot. Highly recommend it!

Great beach area. Plenty to do in Topsail, surf city and North Topsail, without too many people. Beaches were clean and everyone we met was very friendly: tourist and natives. Trip to Wilmington on a cloudy day was perfect, not too hot to walk around the shops, enjoy the battleship and ice cream.
Bike path was very good at Topsail. Not quite the full length of the island but everyone is courteous to bikers. Rented a pontoon boat for the inland coastal waterway, kayaked and did all the normal beach stuff without crowds, noise or trash.

26 miles long and not very wide. Most establishments, restaurants and gift shops, were closed. You are right on the water, so that was great. Would not want to be there during tourist season...liked the solitude

We were down to assist in the 2018 hurricane recovery process. We rented a house across the street from the beach. Met lots of nice people facing highly stressful situations, and got to see their island way of life. Great sunrises and sunsets, on calm days, strong winds and pounding surf all night long on the rougher days. Met contractors from Texas, Louisiand, South Dakota,, and Ohio bringing their talents in the construction trades to help repair the heavily damaged buildings.

Our family of four met up with other family members for a fun and relaxing beach week in Topsail. My sister-in-law has loved Topsail since she was a child and she wanted to share the island with us. We were not disappointed.

We chose a beach home at the top of the sound. The views from our back porch were breathtaking. We were also able to have kayaks and paddle boards deliver and took advantage of calm evenings to get our paddles out.

Getting to the beach was a breeze from this location as well. It was only a 3-5 minute walk across the road. We were also able to leave beach chairs and an umbrella and no one bothered anything we left while going between the house and the sand.

Overall, we loved the laid back vibe of the area. It almost felt like the best of a lake and beach vacation.

I love going here for great fishing, fantastic food and the most beautiful family beach you will ever visit..

Excellent beach in NC. Good food. Fairly easy to get around. Good choices in eating establishments. A few seafood markets. Nice things to do here.

We've been vacationing at Topsail Island for nearly 40 years and will visit every year in the future if factors permit. We enjoy wonderful family memories shared among four generations. Topsail Island is truly a family place - beautiful, peaceful, and enjoyable in all regards. And if you love great seafood, Topsail is the place to be!

What a great area to escape the daily rat-race of work. Magnificent views and serenity. One day on the beach of white sand and surf will last for a while. Even when returning home, we were still relaxed. Enjoy!

Ward realty is a dishonest company we had a reservation with them and also travel Insurance with them there was a mandatory evacuation we never got one day there and they refuse to refund our 1,134.58 be aware before you contact them they told me not to contact them again!!! They need to do the right thing !

Do not rent Oceanfront Gem at Topsail Beach

Do Not Rent from VRBO/No customer support

I have concerns regarding a house in Atlantic Beach/ Topsail Beach, North Carolina: Classic Oceanfront Beach Cottage near Oceanana Pier managed by Stacy P. now managed by Tory K.

I booked this house in November 2021 and paid in full before July 9th, 2022. The host canceled my reservation on July 22, one week and one day before our scheduled arrival at the beach house. My family and I were extremely disappointed. It’s almost impossible to find a new beach house a week before arrival. No one contacted me from VRBO to help me understand what happened. VRBO did NOT help me find another house. VRBO provided NO customer support. Beware!

Topsail Island is a beautiful paradise with miles of national seashore & clean water. If you are looking for a place that’s quiet & not crowded Topsail Island is for you. If sitting on the beach all day & relaxing is what you want I strongly recommend TI. If you want some place with a lot going on and excitement this isn’t the right place.

Watch out! Untrustworthy. Switch and bait! Dishonest. Buyer beware. Know what you are renting, raises prices.

there are roaches in the bedrooms and kitchen. the home is otherwise clean and well decorated, but we are afraid to put things in the cabinets due to the bugs.

I absolutely love this island. The swingbridge is gone now but the high rise bridge offers an excellent view of the island and beyond. Definitely a must see.

One of the best beaches on the Carolina Coast. We have been going here for ten years. While the area has grown it is not overly commercialized. Traffic has gotten worse for sure. If you are looking for lots of shopping, restaurants and putt putt then Myrtle Beach is your place. If looking for more laid back and just good beach time with family TI might be your place.

This an amazing island if you want a quiet beach getaway. I came here in the busy season and rented an Oceanfront condo. The condo itself was just ok it had great amenities but the decor was very outdated and in need of a revamp. The beach was beautiful and the view off the deck was great. The beach was uncrowded and very long. The ocean was not as rough as other beaches but there was a storm at the end of the week and we couldn't get in the water. There are flags at every beach access that tell you if the water is ok to go in. Red means that you shouldn't get in, yellow means use caution and green means go ahead and get in. They don't change the flags very often so make your own choice on weather to get in the water. Surf City which is the main town is very cute and it has great restaurants and small shops. I highly recommend this if you want a quiet beach getaway.

This is a great Island to vacation at. I loved it so much that I moved to the Island permanently. Wonderful Family Oriented Island.

We had children from ages 6 mo to 19 and 5 different families. This was a perfect home for all of us! The owners had thought of everything and the home was big enough for us all to be together or have some alone time. The beach is amazing and the pool table, hot tub and game room was a blast!

Beautiful ocean and beautiful beach. Nice homes. It would have been a lovely time if not for the party people. Loud cruising cars going down the small beachside road at all hours of morning and night. Lots of motorcyles and cars and trucks cruising around town revving their motors. Girls in skimpy bikinis walking barefoot and hooting down the street. Groups of young men on the beach drinking straight from cases of beer and liquor bottles (in the so-called no alcohol zone no less). Annoying for adults and a real problem for families. Surf City needs to get a handle on their cruising and party culture or it will soon become place for families.

There isn’t any affordable places to stay so I had to book a hotel quite a ways away. I used public access parking and payed for the whole day. I still got a ticket from a hateful dude riding in a golf cart with the sole mission of collecting more revenue and picking on people who are just trying to relax. The spot I parked in was designed to look just like a parking spot! This is a private company and not even law enforcement. This want-to-be-cop got in my face when I explained that it was a legitimate parking spot. The bathroom facilities plumbing didn’t work well and the toilet had crap in it. Very dirty unkept place yet they had no “out of order” signs. Very few spots to eat at.
I love NC beaches however this on is a fail!

Its was on and off cloudy. Rainy too! Perfect for the beach goer and beach goer after 5pm. A tremendous amount.of rental properties on the beach and a street away. Plenty.of shopping, food establishments and alcohol. Must.people are of the island at 1030am. Make sure you beat traffic and clear out before 830am or you will be stuck in traffic. Great week or weekend get away. Enjoy!

Many homes still recovering from florence. It is quiet. Peaceful. A nice place to get away. . . Beach is non existent at high tide

We love the beach and top sail island. Meyers realty will never get another dime from me. We originally reserved with starfish realty but was told after receiving a email our resverations were canceled (paid in full when booked) that everthing was transferred to Meyers realty. Contacted them directly and was told everything is fine and we would hear from them closer to our resverations (over 6 months away). We started contacting them about a month out about questions of heating the pool and boat dock. Communications with them was like talking to a brick wall. Noone knew anything or it was handled by someone else and they were working from home (due to covid). Never to be heard from again. The week before our check in started calling more to even find out check in process. Finally was told friday night our key was in their drop box for our Saturday reservation. Carpet in 1 bedroom was stained and filthy beyond. We took pics of it and other stains and damages just to cover ourselves and enjoyed our week. Our dog tried to mark his territory due to all the smells and previous pets. We bought a carpet cleaner and cleaned all the carpets before we left as well as fix the chairs, replace light bulbs, fix cabinet doors, and other maintenance things we could. The track lights were shorting out and had been for almost a year and none of the down stair outlets worked. GFI would not reset due to another short somewhere. (Gave up and ran extension cords). A month latter we started calling again to ask about our $850 deposit. (Again someone else does it and was working from home). Finnaly got contacted by Carol and was told they have 45 days to return deposit and were working to clean carpets as well as other damages and still needed to hear from owner how much to return. I sent her before and after pics of carpet and eventually got back $500. Starting my complaint process now but will never and would never recommend Carol Meyers realty or 360 degrees of heaven house. Is was 365 days of misery and frustration.

We started going to Topsail about 25 years ago. There wasn't much there except great beaches and a small town that wasn't exactly pretty except when it was a bright and sunny day at the beach. Now it still has a small town feel, not too many hotels and not too many stores selling beach treasures. There is a handful of really good restaurants and still beautiful beaches. We live there now half the year. Nature call us back when we are gone. We are always anxious to see the dolphins, the huge sting rays that swim in the deep water by the pier, the sea turtles (still waiting to see the babies hatch), an occasional whale, an abundance of fish (on our lines and off), the "treasures that wash up on the beach, and especially the sharks' teeth. We love Topsail in the spring and fall when many of the tourist have gone home and it becomes our quiet island once more.

Topsail Island is located ~25 miles north of Wilmington, NC. It has very nice beaches and, as I write this (01/2018) you do not have to pay for parking. There are many entry points along the beach road .. & some have bathrooms, changing facilities & outdoor showers. If you stay close to town, on the southern end of the island, you can walk to restaurants (also w/free parking). Only warning = watch out for turtle nests, which should never be disturbed.

After using several beaches in the Carolinas, topsail gets the gold medal. Not too crowded, free parking, super clean sand and a family friendly atmosphere.

Charming lil coastal town in North Carolina. They are still struggling after last years hurricane. Most all facilities are back open, however it has left the coastal area barren of vegetation.

What a peaceful laid back vibe this island has. We stayed on North Topsail Island Beach and loved the clean beach and laid back vibe. If you like the hustle and bustle of Myrtle Beach or Virginia Beach, this is not for you. We thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing week on this island.

Water was beautiful, waves were big. Many families on the beach, with dogs too :) Guy with Italian Ice cart was rolling around... and across the street you could rent stuff. Very chill place!

South end from bridge is more dense, with smaller houses. North end more open, and the houses seem to be newer, and tending toward the mcmansion. Most stores and restaurants on the island are within a few blocks of the main bridge, with Topsail Beach on the south end having a small community of businesses. There are 10-15 eating places on the island, and another 10 or so just over the bridge. A few public beaches.... One at the bridge and I believe two more on the north end.

We started coming here when our now 23yo was a baby, first staying at Breezewood Hotel when there was only the little grocery and the "big" IGA in Surf City before all the development. We rented houses and lately have been coming to Queen's Grant. Topsail is very non commercial, and you can be right on the very clean beach. Very family oriented.

This place seems a little more family friendly than larger beach towns. There’s not as much to do outside of watching the waves. When I booked my hotel, this is what I was looking for. Pick a good hotel and believe the reviews on trip advisor. I screwed up on the hotel, but the atmosphere and quiet areas made up the difference.

We stayed at a rental south of Topsail Beach, and it was fantastic. Topsail Island, especially on the south side, offers a very small town vibe from the past. The beach was steps from our back deck, and especially after October 1 they are VERY dog friendly. The water was a little too cold to swim, but we waded and walked every day, usually more than once a day. It is very pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Gas and groceries are at least a 10-15 minute drive away from our part of the island, so be aware.

My family apparently set our beach gear/chairs and umbrella too close to a house someone was renting on the beach. The men approached me (female 62 yrs old) when I was sitting in my chair with my grandchildren. Very aggressively. They said they paid big bucks to have the house and didn’t wanna look at the back of our heads. I called the police because they wouldn’t stop aggravating us. I wanted to move our belongings and get away. The police took forever. I asked them to document everything. The officer said I can get a copy of the report. We didn’t realize until later they stole from us. I called the police to get the report. They never filed a report. They lied. I don’t trust liars. I won’t return to topsail beach. Not because of the bully thugs but because of the police, they took forever to get to the beach and never filed a report. Thats criminal

I have been coming to Surf City since 1989 and have watched it explode over that time. The once sleepy little island has added a bevy of new restaurants and shops over the years. The beat part is that it has retained the quaintness that makes it so special. If you are looking for a spot to go to sit on the beach and unwind then this is paradise. There are now enough places to eat that you can go out every night and have a nice meal. If an active night life is more of your scene then I would suggest the Myrtle Beach area, but for a time to unwind and spend time with loved ones, this place is hard to beat.

Rented a house on the beach for a week with the kids and grandkids. Had a blast very relaxing. Great place to visit.

Love Topsail! Very quiet and laidback atmosphere. Great place to relax and unwind. Small town vibes. Various outdoor activities available: fishing, surfing, rentals for jet skis, bikes and golf carts. Favorite stops are the pier, the arcade, Karen Beasley Turtle Rehab, the south end of the island... Sugar Island cafe & bakery! Clean, uncrowded beaches. Love looking for shark teeth!

The beach is beautiful with some lovely points of interest! We enjoyed eating some great food, wonderful wine and scenic views!

We came up to see our kids for Christmas, lots of restaurants, several grocery options near by, and although many places were in off season, some were open. The beach was beautiful.

We had a great getaway! We loved walking the beach. It wasn't crowded. Lots of broken shells for our 4 year old to collect. The waves weren't too big & we stayed right on the beach so access was easy, but there were also quite a few public access points.

Love Topsail, clean, quiet, relaxing
If you want a quiet vacation, you have come to the right place. Very few restaurants, not overly crowded, beautiful beach, lots of shells

This island beats the Outer Banks by miles. Not touristy. Low key and chill. No fussiness at all. Oceanfront rentals are the way to go. We used Beach Place Realty. Great rental properties available.

The absolute BEST place to visit hands down! Topsail Islands offers the most beautiful and pristine shores and sound side along with amazing sunsets and terrific island views! Must visit!

I have been visiting Topsail Island for years now....the beaches are beautiful and it has the perfect funky little beach town (Surf City). I much prefer the south end of the island, where the tiny town of Topsail Beach is. It is quieter, has a fabulous beach walk around the southern point of the island, which harbors a wildlife sanctuary in the dunes, and boasts a couple of good restaurants. In fact, the Beach Bar & Grill is one of the best on the entire island, serving great breakfasts and sophisticated dinners. I look forward to crossing that drawbridge every year and spending a wonderful week in a magical place.

The beach was great in Surf City. Clean and not crowded. My family enjoyed our time there. However, other than the ocean there is not much else to see or do in this town. Food was overpriced and not very good. Best thing I had all week was a bagel from Sunrise Bagel. Parking is not labeled very clearly around the restaurants and you will get fined as they watch the non marked spots. Time with the family, lots of downtime and nice beach made this a nice trip. However, the food, lack of options for activities and the parking was enough for me to never come back.

Topsail is always a favorite. This time we rented 1513 N Shore Drive thru Treasurer Realty. A disaster. Property was filthy. Pictures taken a personal visit to the office on Monday am and e mails sent immediately on Saturday another cleaning service came in on Monday. They stayed 20 minutes.

While the scenes of our family’s building sand castles together and strolling hand in hand seeking shells are sentimental, the sunrise on the beach is with every minute. The deep pink hues of the sky against the yellow sun joining the day make every day seem like everything in the world is in a joyful harmony. So use your cell phone's timer to make time for a quiet breathtaking moment just for you.

My wife and i came down here from Ohio right after Hurricane Irma.. we werent even sure how it would affect the coast. Luckily the Airbnb host we were staying at.. was a weather man.. ( LUCK ).. he kept us updated .. We came down to TOpsail until the 24th of Sept.We loved every minute.. We only hit the beaches 3 days.. but we plan on coming back and just being beach bums all week.. the waves crashing and just looking out into the ocean was so relaxing.. we loved this town .. we fell in love with some of the local businesses.. ( Topsail island popcorn factory.. )

Not a bad day at the BEACH! Always clean no matter what time of the day we went. The wildlife flying over head was a great sight. No matter what age our travelers were they loved it. We celebrated my grandson Birthday on the beach and had a hard time keeping away from the water. He would scoot his way to the water.

We discovered Topsail Island because of my son, who is in the Marines at Camp LeJeune. This place is an unspoiled gem! We like the fact that there is a lot to do and is not as crowded as most beach resort areas. There is a lot of history here, especially if you take advantage of one of the boat tours of the island. (We went on the Tiki Tour and it was great). There is so much more. The beaches are wonderful, waves plentiful and restaurants everywhere.

One of our favorite beach towns in the world. Delightful, quiet, low stress. And beautiful with the sound as well as beach to enjoy. We go. Ack again and again. Also very welcoming to dogs.

We got to drive out on the beach at the inlet and that is the best. This is a great place for kids to play in the water. There was ok fishing. Not much shelling. Beautiful area to spend the day.

We are here for the third time now and still it is a perfect place for relaxing, watching the waves and enjoying the seashore. If you want activities, no problem, but we enjoy having leisure.

The island was an amazing place for a family vacation. We stayed in Surf City for a week. Rented a home for 10 people. There is plenty of places to eat, shop and group activities. Highly Recommend

Topsail Island is very pretty. We enjoyed the off-season quietness but our very expensive rental was the worst we’ve ever rented and we have rented dozens of places! First of all, it was extremely dirty. Dog hair everywhere, dirty toilets, and tubs. The advertised washing machine was filled with mold and unusable. The grill was filthy and hadn’t been cleaned ever. It also had no gas. The fridge didn’t make ice and gradually quit working. The house had a beautiful view but that was it! I’d never ever rent from Ward Realtor again!

We had a lovely time on the beach and at our condo located at the Surf. We would definitely do more grocery shopping and cooking of our own meals if we were to return. We did not have an amazing dining experience at any restaurant and we are at quite a few. The service was mostly good. October is off season and business hours are different and you won't know that until you get to where you're going. For being a beach location I expected more sidewalks or paths but I guess real estate is at a premium on the beach.

Surf City was incredible -great beaches, many dining options, easy access. Don’t waste your time going to the town of Topsail Beach . Other than serenity point and Larry’s Deli Q it’s the not worth driving the extra miles . Worst part of an otherwise great island.

Best beach vacation for those who want to rest on vacation. No boardwalk and no large businesses on the island. Great fresh seafood to be cooked in or gotten at restaurants. Highly recommend.

Looking for a nice beach, with easy access, and moderate to easy surf? TopSail Beach, near Surf City, NC is a great place to visit for a day of surf and sun and beach combing. the shelling isn't bad - mostly common finds, must every once in a while you'll find a really dousie, but mostly, you'll get a nice sand dollar, olive, or turkey wing. The beaches are quite clean, with on-going efforts to rebuild the dunes after Hurricane Flo came through in September of 2018. The towns of Top Sail and Surf City are close by, offering pretty much anything your hearts could desire in beach front communities. Enjoy!

We love Topsail Island. It's the perfect beach vacation for a family. We have one teen and one younger child and there is still enough to do to entertain them both. Wilmington is a short drive away as well. The beaches are gorgeous and never crowded. We plan to keep coming back to topsail year after year.

There are no major attractions at Surf City. It is a family oriented town with modest hotel accommodations. By that I mean that there are no 4 star hotel available in the Surf City area. If you want a lot of activities for adults and children you should go to Myrtle beach.

Our Weekend at topsail Island area was very quiet and was walkable,enjoyable ,very laid back and very clean ,this is part of what is called the Cristial coast of North Carolina

The beaches here are beautiful and unspoiled. There are no lifeguards on duty and there are no charges to go to the beach. Parking can be tricky as there really isn't much available parking.

This was our first trip to the island. Although it was a short trip, we enjoyed our time here. Parking was available for people not staying near the beach as well as restrooms at some locations. The beach is dog and family friendly and was not too crowded on this transition day. Traffic can be slow getting onto the island on a Saturday it could have been worse. We at at several good eateries but did not get to explore the whole island.

Walking around the southern end of Topsail Island is the most dazzling walk on the Island. You will be amazed at the views of the sound, inlet, uninhabited Lea Island. Watch the birds, play in the tide pools. Go at low tide. Drive to the southern most part of the Island and there is a parking lot on the sound side. You can walk all the way around the end and walk over the public beach access one the ocean side and walk on the street to your car. Or you can back track on the beach. The sound side is also a place to fish.

We stayed in South Topsail. We loved it! The beaches are great for kids. It's a nice quiet Private Island.

We rented a house on the sound side of the island and had private access to a dock that we crabbed and fished off of every day that we were there. The walk to the beach was short only about two blocks, so easy walk for sure. We went in April of 2017 and the beaches were empty and the weather was gorgeous!! Make sure you visit the local seafood market and cook your own, its so fresh there is no way to mess it up. Drove up to North Topsail about 20 minutes and combed the beach for sharks teeth and we found a big one and a few small ones. Great time, beautiful sunsets in the sound side of the island and so peaceful. We also saw dolphins every day strolling by. Great vacation.

We rented a house on Topsail Island in North Topsail for a week in July. The beach was wonderful and is better than most due to it’s length and cleanliness. However, there is NOTHING to do other than go to the beach. The clostest grocery is a food lion located on the mainland 15 minutes away along with the closest gas station. Furthermore, there are few suitable dining choices. Definitely a tranquil place for a vacation, just be wary of the lack of activities and attractions, if that is something you look for.

Topsail Island offers a 20+ mile long beach access without all the commercial clutter. North Topsail, Sunset Beach and Topsail Beach provide a family beach getaway for all ages. It's close enough to golf, fishing, etc and plenty of good restaurants for night outs. If commercial noise is your thing then Topsail Island is not for you.

This was our first visit to Topsail. Not knowing anything about the island, we rented a condo in Surf City because it was centrally located. After exploring the entire island, we have decided that if we return, we would rent in the southern portion of the island. Surf City is the typical beach town with shops, restaurants, etc. At high tide, the beach becomes extremely narrow and in some places non-existant. The southern end is quieter (which we prefer) and the beach is huge! We enjoyed our visit and hope to return again.

Do not use Treasure Realty if you are interested in a rental in the area. Expect neglected properties and indifferent service. Here is how it works with them: find an issue with the rental. If you choose to report it, expect to spend your vacation having a troop of maintenance people come to the property to ruin your stay. They are very defensive and will try to blame you for not doing their job. I'd recommend VRBO if you choose to stay here. Stay clear of Treasure Realty if you want to enjoy your stay.

My family rented a house in the lower part of the island. Very satisfied with the accommodations with a nautical motif which fit the location perfectly. We were one block from the inter coastal bay and two blocks from the ocean. Ideal location. The only drawback to this location was it was on the southern section so that it was approximately eight miles to Surf City with the attractions and restaurants. A lovely beach community with an interesting history with the US military. One other drawback is that if you were a golfer it was about seventeen miles to the nearest course from my residence. However, if you stay in Surf City everything is a lot closer.

This beach has become a family tradition: not crowded, very laid-back, perfect for families of all ages. It's clean, quiet and a piece of paradise.

I Love coming here year after year! I can not say enough about Topsail Island! I guarantee my little description will by no means do justice to this wonderful place! We look forward to getting to the island more than anything else we do. It is perfect to get away from our everyday life and just chill! Sure it may not have all the activitiea and amisements of a Myrtle, Hilton Head or Virginia Beach but, that is what makes it perfect! A place to get away, enjoy the beach and enjoy the local southern hospitality. The locals are awesome. You treat they with respect and they will treat you with kindness. I feel blessed to be a part of this slice of heaven and look forward to being able to come down as much as possible!

Nice relaxing vacation for our family. The beach is very clean. I would say it isn’t a very wide beach but is long so room to space out from others. For things to do you may need to drive to the next town. But overall for just a laid back vacation it was perfect.

I took my first vacation in Topsail the summer of 2014... I was hooked. The house that we rented was perfect. The beach was glorious...NO crowds, pristine coastline and endless sun. I left the north and moved to Wilmington,NC...so that I could be closer to Topsail and relive the experience of that first time, the time that changed the direction of my life. We rent the same house and go to dinner at the same favorite spots and are always able to enhance the trip with doing something new. Retired from 17 year teaching career and went back to school at 47 years young with a masters degree to get my massage therapy license. Now I am a sole proprietor of my own massage therapy studio, Hands in the Sands, LLC. I am living my dream and it all began in Topsail!

1st time in NC, we found our selves in TopSail Beach Island. We rented a place on the Bayside for 2 weeks. Beautiful place to bring your family, laid back, relaxing, quite and the locals are super friendly.
Southern Hospitality at its Best.
We are hooked!!!
Must do for Vacation Spot!!!

We were down to assist in hurricane recovery efforts. Met lots of nice people facing high stress personal circumstances, yet maintaining the famous Southern hospitality. We rented a house just off the beach, with great sunrises and sunsets, even with the particles from the far away California fires. Strong winds and pounding surf when the weather got rough. Met contractors from many states like Texas, Louisiana, south Dakota, so island culture got mixed with a touch of cultures from other states. We really hope this nice community recovers. The opening of the new bridge is a symbol of renewal, but now we understand the emotional attachment the residents have for the old drawbridge. Wising them a speedycRecovery.

My family and I love it here. The beach is very clean and beautiful. It is never over crowded when we are here. It is honestly one of my favorite places.

It was really quiet and much less busy than other beaches, so it's easy to score a great spot on the beach. Mid August turned out to be great for us, with lower rates and more condo openings, as well as great weather and warm water. We found this to be a fantastic beach for shell collecting and scored some conch shells. The water really looks like crystals in the sun! We were 10 minutes from Sneads Ferry and 20 minutes from Surf City, so if you plan on eating out a lot it will be a pain, although there is one place that delivers.

Nice place for families and couples. Condos, duplexes, cottages for rent along with several trailer parks. We stayed in the far North End at the St. Regis Resort. It was a wonderful place with Awesome views of the Ocean. Few restaurants and no shops up that way. You need to drive about 20 minutes to Surf City for nice gift shops & more selection of restaurants or drive over to the mainland about 10 minutes from the North end for more restaurants & surf shop shopping.

Topsail is a true beach vacation -- no glitz and glitter. The main attraction is the beach. There are just enough restaurants and small shops to keep it enteratining. It is getting more built up and crowded but still provides a relaxing, family frienldy environment.

Topsail Beach is outstanding!! Second year our family has been there. Wee have a wonderful time each year. Hope to be back next year!

This is my favorite Beachs because it is quite, but I would not recommend it to just anyone. If you have kids, love the night life, like shopping and enjoy recreation/amusement activities you might want to consider somewhere else.

Topsail Island is beautiful. Quiet and peaceful, Have been coming here many years. Worst part of my vacation is the long drive from PA., but worth every mile!

Spent two days here and was totally worth it. Clean beach and nice people. Watched kids taking surf lessons.

Love it at topsail! Beautiful views! 26 miles of amazing beaches! Family friendly! Lots of activities! Will be back! Saw a while and dolphins this year!

Best beach! Our family has been vacationing here for 12 years and love it. If you want a relaxing beach vacation, Topsail it your place!

This is our third visit to topsail island and love everything about it. It is quiet and safe for families and very pet friendly. Great little bar/grills with entertainment and typical coastal food and some trendy little restaurants as well.

Absolutely beautiful beaches. The water was clean, pretty blues and greens. Least crowded beach I've been to.

First I need to mention that I’ve vacationed at many beaches along the east coast. ~Myrtle Beach, OBX (Duck, KDH, Nags Head), Tybee Island, Hilton Head, Ocean City.~.

This is by far my favorite. I realize this will not be for everyone. It is very quaint with a small beach town feel. If you love Myrtle you will prob not enjoy the town feel as MB is large (and highly commercialized imo). I enjoyed the sandy beaches much more than OBX pebble beaches. It is smaller than OBX, but does have the single highway like OBX has at times. The sound is on one side and the Atlantic on the other.

Everyone was super friendly! Although this is a beach town and most ppl are relaxed, I even found employees and permanent residents to be kind and interesting.

The ocean was stunning and we witnessed many nature’s ocean life just from the shoreline. There were many fish, horseshoe crabs, crabs, starfish, dolphins, and pelicans. There are tons of seashells, but I only found one piece of sea glass. The water was incredibly clear and the swell was calm each day. These are generally things no one has control over though.

There were many public beach entrances, however not all have ample parking. The beach areas were never overcrowded.

My only issue with the beach is that there are no stationed life guards. I never noticed any warning flags either.

We love this beach. Very quiet and spectacular surf and sand. We have also been lucky enough to see a turtle hatching which was a very exciting experience for our family.

We will keep coming back here and love it.

Rental:Sweet Ole Bill, had couches that looked like they were pulled from the garbage-torn cushions. Damaged chairs, door locks, stained carpets, broken floor vent covers and rat trap behind TV. Had to cover couches with sheets-Topsail Realty -Excuse after excuse: “we are busy”, “we are sorry” , blames everything on hurricane-yeah right.....neglectful homeowners, and poor management from Topsail Realty-refused any financial compensation....”sorry it didn’t meet your expectations”- manager Danny Williams quote. Absolutely pitiful.

Went in fall. Overall the area doesn't offer a lot to me. I wasn't bowled over by any warm fuzzy feelings anywhere that I went. The few vendors I visited really weren't all that friendly. The seafood market was the worst. Guy I bought from couldn't have cared less. Treasure realty was a major disappointment as well and it was two trips in one. First and last

We have rented two houses on Top Sail Island for our very large extended family, but because of Hurricane Florence and the mandatory evacuation we cannot get on the island this weekend. We asked Treasure Realty for another week or part of our money back (the house rent was paid in full). We were informed that there are no refunds. $3200 and no refund for a natural disaster? We have vacationed at this island for 9 years and always used this realty company. However, we will NEVER use them again. Such a lack of integrity in a business. Not only have our vacation plans, that we've waited a year on, been put on hold, we're out $3200 for a business that was rude on the phone and had little care for their clients.

I have vacationed on Topsail Island for three summers: once at the estreme Northern Tip, once close to Surf City and lately at Serenity Point, at the Southernmost tip.
The beach at Serenity Point is without doubts the best, less crowded and with a choice of Ocean side and a more protected beach on the inside. In the North of the Island you'll see the effects of beach erosion, and the beautiful New River inlet.
Sure, there is not much to do, there are few restaurants and if you want a supermarket you have to drive to the mainland, but if you really want quiet, sun, beach and sea, this is the place.

We have been visiting topsail for 10 years. We love topsail! We have had extremely positive experiences at the St Regis in the past.

This was by far the worst property we have ever rented. Besides general unkept and dirt on the walls and floor: dishwasher front panel smashed in, blinds in all the bedrooms so broken that people could look into my daughter's room and bed, urine on the bathroom floor , closets piled with items (one pile of items waist high with sand in the toys), some lights did not work, the advertised outdoor seating on the decks were not there, a weird pile of various used cleaners and paper products under the bathroom sink, and twice in the first 20 minutes while unloading, people thought they reached the basement by mistake because the entry area was so dark and unkept. We found out there is noone to talk to since we arrived after 5pm on Saturday (arrived at 6) on checkin day. That leaves my family stuck without support until Monday.
Renter beware.

We are disgusted and disappointed. We look forward to this family time every year.

Personally, I love it here. I am a local and have lived here all my life and rented countless beach houses and they are all nice and clean. The seafood is amazing and fresh and there are a lot of good ice cream shops and bars for adults. The water is not always clear but on good days when there is no rain. Yes it is hot in the middle of summer and the UV index is going to be very high but the water is refreshing. There are lots of kids and teens here and lots of things to do for them like parks and boardwalks and laser tag. There are put places, escape rooms, and laser tags. Probably the best place I have ever been to. There are lots of boat docs and many sports complexes. I recomend

This was our first visit to a North Carolina beach, and we loved it! Our big family stayed for a week in a house on front beach. Our house had its own beach access, but we did notice that there were many nice public access points. The current seemed to be a lot stronger than SC beaches, so it was hard to use a boogie board.

Topsail Island is so peaceful and beautiful. If you want a vacation spot away from all the hustle and bustle then Topsail is the place for you.

This is my favorite beach in North Carolina!!! I am in love!!! The sand is nice and clean, the ocean is beautiful, and not too many people.

Many places to get to the beach through Public Access. Be ready for humidity, but the beach is wonderful.

Perfect day on our girls trip. The weather was great, it wasn't too hot, the waves were beautiful and the kids had a blast!

If you love white sand never got, clean clear water with no big hotels and buildings then you must visit this beach .

We traveled to North Topsail Island, NC last week. The trip was amazing!! The weather was low 80’s and sunshine, there was one day of scattered rain but was still able to enjoy the beach. We stayed at the “Hyacinth” home and it was right on the beach. Perfect location and not super busy. Several wonderful seafood restraunts- The Crab Pot, Topsail Steamer and Low Tide to name a few. . There is also an amazing donut shop- the Fractured Prune. We highly recommend this area to anyone vacationing with young children and teenagers.

They have been lying to us and holding our vacation money hostage for 3 weeks. Continually telling us to call back when our vacation is only 2 weeks away . Knowing full well the island is closed to all vacationers & is still under a state of emergency ! I only found this out after I had to call the Mayors office of N Topsail. Horrible company of liars !

This vacation spot is a true quiet and relaxing area of the North Carolina coastline. Places to eat out, fish markets, fishing boats, ice cream, and small shops to enjoy. Just a fun, nature centered area.

Used to be one of the best places to go for a beach vacation but now the power's that be are turning this wonderful place into another Myrtle Beach. Have been coming here for years not sure how many more trips there will be before it's turned into just another tourist trap.

Topsail beach is an awesome place for families to vacation. There are no big 1000 room hotels to crowd the beaches and plenty of mom and pop places top eat and shop. Definitely go back again.

The beach is beautiful and the locals are friendly and welcoming. The views are amazing for both sunrise and sunset!

My family started coming to Topsail Island over thirty seven years ago. It will forever be a treasure island of wonderful memories and joyful adventures. The people so incredible and strong.

Outstanding vacation in Sept. Weather was fantastic and this time of year you have the beach to yourself. Water was nice and warm, and lots of dolphins to watch swimming by. Restaurants are not crowded, just a great time.

This was our first year going to another location in NC. In the past we vacation at Ocracoke but the rental prices have gone threw the roof and we decided to try another spot. Topsail proved to be a beautiful beach and it wasnt too crowded. We weren't far from the grocery store or shopping (about 8 miles). My kids had a ball fishing from the pier.

Friendly folks, clean, sugar sand beaches. Piers for fishing, surfers, and sun bathers. Great for walking on the beach at dusk. Several bars, but not a major night life destination. Near Camp Lejuene, occasional helicopter overflight and distant artillery. turtle sactuary

Nice island. We had hoped to find some shark teeth but no luck.Did find a few small shells. Some of those houses are SO close to the water. Much more erosion and they will be in the ocean. The only negative was the lack of parking.Can't imagine what it must be like in season. There would be walkovers to the beach then signs saying no parking. Confusing.

Beaches, beaches, and more beaches!!! We had a ton of fun hanging out on the beach for several days of our vacation. A perfect, relaxing way to get away from the daily grind!

Great town and beach, not too commercialized. A little cold and rainy in February but looking forward to visiting again in a few months!

So the beach is nice. It's clean and easy to walk along. I'd caution in the water as there are a lot of stingrays, crabs (especially in the tide pools of low tide), and sharks. I prefer to see my feet and what is around me but it is nice to have the waves and wind that comes with the beaches here. Great place for collecting shark teeth (little ones) and shells.

Surf City is the heart of the island with shopping, restaurants, taprooms, pier and of course free parking for beach access.

We had a big family reunion and wedding to attend memorial day weekend. This was a huge reunion as some of the family traveled from Alaska and California to attend. I made my reservations in March at St Regis through Treasure Realty. I received my rental package in the mail a few weeks later and paid my deposit. Then received another email in April that the remainder was due which I paid promptly. I also called the week before my arrival to confirm linen rentals. I received a call the day before my arrive informing me that my unit would not be available to rent that weekend. I was told by the rental agent that the unit I thought I was renting was never available. I know there was hurricane damage but I received several emails stating that the building I was in would be ready in May and our rental would be ready. They offered me two alternatives, neither of which were comparable to what I thought I was renting nor was it even close to where we had rented which meant I was not going to be close at all to the reunion and wedding which is why I was there in the first place. They were EXTREMELY rude and unprofessional to work with. I was completely shocked in the way I was treated. I was lucky that I was there with extended family the day before and I was able to find another unit through a different realty company, SeaShore. I would have been completely in a mess had it not been for SeaShore who was a pleasure to work with. Treasure Realty was the most unprofessional and rude realty company I have ever worked with in my history of renting. During my weekend stay, I met several locals who I told them my story. They informed me Treasure Realty had a reputation of being dishonest. Do your research before do business with them!!! I would highly recommend you not use them.

My husband and I had dinner there tonight, and it was great. We arrived around 6:00 and the wait time was about 35 minutes for a table for two. Larger groups had much longer wait times. It was worth the wait. You can order from the bar and enjoy the water views from the porch and dock area. Beautiful setting! The waiter was courteous and efficient, and our food came out fairly quickly. My husband loved the fried shrimp, and I enjoyed the crab cakes. We had blue crab fritters for an appetizer, and they were great with the homemade sauce. The only thing that wasn’t amazing was the fried green tomatoes, but I guess no one can make those like Mama! Overall a great dining experience!

If you're looking for a place to kick back relax and enjoy the beach, this is it. You can walk for miles looking for shark's teeth in the surf or dolphins in the water. The beach is wide and you can walk way out into the water to swim with no drop off. Everyone is friendly and laid back. Bring a towel, a good book and lots of sunscreen.

Very secluded area of North Carolina. Beautiful Beaches. We stayed in Carolina Beach Area, but visited Topsail a few times while we were there. Great local Food and shopping.

Small quaint place. Great beaches. Good food. Fun. Worth a trip. The island is made up of North Topsail, Surf City, Topsail Beach. Each area has a unique but laid back atmosphere. It’s situated about halfway between Jacksonville NC and Wilmington NC. In Wilmington you have Wrightsville Beach and on the other side of Wilmington is Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. All of which are bigger and more crowded. But you can easily get the feel of them all within about an hour and 15 min. Once you are at Kure Beach You should take a ferry boat over to Southport and see where all kinds of movies were made. It’s another true gem. For me, I prefer Surf City to them all.

I love this place. I just think it’s beautiful. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a beach trip and a peaceful setting. It ticks all kinds of boxes. It’s great place for families and couples.

We are spending the week here in Surf City on Topsail Island, NC with two of our children and two grandchildren and it is the perfect place to spend time on the beach and relax.
Our son surfs - and although the waves are not huge there is ample opportunity to surf. The beach is family friendly and not crowded.
Highly recommended !

Five families came together to celebrate moms 80th birthday. Rented a house on the island that the backyard was the beach. We had 2 hills of turtle eggs just down from our house. Weather was perfect. Just the October before it was hit by Hurricane Dorian but only the back stairs and walkway were damaged. If you want to get away, Topsail, NC is the place to go.

This place is laidback and relaxing. It is great for a less commercialized beach experience. It is beautiful

We came here for a family vacation for a wedding. Beaches are not as crowded as myrtle beach as comparison. There is alot more shells at Topsail that take up the beach. When going into the water I recommend wearing a water shoe. There is a layer of large shells in the water that can hurt when stepping on top get to deeper waters. People were using pop up tents on this beach also.

Topsail is my favorite beach in NC. It is quiet and peaceful and no one bothers you. Great place to get away and relax with friends and family.

Topsail is by far my favorite island to stay on. I have stay in many locations on the North Carolina coast and Surf City has always been my favorite. Locals are very friendly and the beach is never over crowded.

This is the 3 rd year for top sail love this beach quiet friendly just the perfect place to get away and relax .be back in 2020

surf city beach in topsail island is simply damn good for families w/wo small kids. the ocean is magically much calmer comparing the other beaches on the same coast line like the writghtsville beach, outer banks and carolina beach. this beach has shallow banks for quite a long distance into the ocean, which makea it awesome for swimmers,non swimmers to enjoy the waves at low tides.
its quite, away from
the other popular crowded beaches and has come really good food. on top if that its bike friendly too.

We have been vacationing on Topsail Island every summer for the last 8 years. Love the area and the beaches are not crowded.

Topsail Island is my favorite place to vacation if I am looking for a low key and relaxing place. The beaches are pleasant, clean and very private. The water is warm and clean.

The Topsail Beach is just amazing not overcrowded nice clean just perfect for a Family Vacation! Scenery driving to the Beach is beautiful!

Topsail Island is a great beach spot in NC. Not a big honky tonk beach destination but close to Raleigh. Seems to be family oriented with just enough night life and restaurants. Unlike the Northern Outer Banks the Island is accessible from both ends so it is not an emergency to get on or off the Island, there is traffic especially on the Surf City end but not like Duck.

This was a fan tastic beach. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting a comfortable beach vacation without the commercial side of the usual big name beaches.

Every year we go to topsail island for spring break and our visit is always great but sadly this year it was not as good as it was in the past. For starters there is very little beach on some parts of the island. Due to global warming the sea has rose and during high tide the water almost touches the dunes. Some parts of the island are probably better than the part we visited this year but are visits in the past were spectacular. Also take note that they are doing construction on the dunes!

My family has been going to topsail/surf city area for 25 years and we love it. The beaches are great not overly crowded and we have stayed in many different condos and houses and have always enjoyed going.

I read about there is nothing to do in Topsail. However, this was one of the best relaxing beach vacation I have ever had. I travel with my son and his family, that included 5 year old twins and a 2 year old. We stayed at a home on the beach. It was so refreshing to have no people right on top of you, no crazy traffic , The ocean you can actually go into, and the kids loved the tide pools. If you want to relax this is where to go!

We love Topsail Island. Have been visiting for over 15 years. It is wonderful to be able to rent a house directly on the ocean! Such a wonderful island!

Came here for a wedding and love it. On our list for future vacations. Going to come this way from Pittsburgh to Florida to spend a couple days.

Went to Top Sail with two other families. Had an absolute fabulous time. So relaxing on the beach. Makin Waves Jet Ski rental was outstanding and if you like that sort of thing I would recommend them highly. The people were friendly as ever and very welcoming There are plenty of places to dine. You can do as much as you want or as little as you want but there is something for everyone..

My family has been coming to Topsail for 17 years now. North Topsail Beach has many beachfront rentals for your own piece of paradise. Plenty of shopping, restaurants and things to see. Whilmington is a short drive with a great historical area on the water.

Great sand. Water is amazing. Always a good time here. Never to crowded free parking at the public beach access points.

Love this beautiful place! It's so peaceful and calm. Very beautiful clean beaches! Not very crowded which is great. Lots of things to do! :)

We absolutely love topsail beach the island isnt commercialized like some other places it is a good place to come relax and enjoy yourself

We've been here a few times in the last few years. Apart from the Northern part of N. Topsail where erosion has gotten the better of the beach, the beach is about the same as on most of the other NC beaches. There isn't too much traffic and one can find a reasonable rental on a quiet street if they look. There are plenty of places to eat, both fine dining and casual. There are plenly of grocery stores. It isn't too far a drive to Wilmington if one needs to access something only available in a larger city, like a 24 hour emergency veterinarian (ugh). I'd avoid the part of North Topsail north of the bridge, just because it's so far to drive to civilzation and the beach is eroded, unless you're staying in those Spanish Stuyle condos with the pool in the center courtyard. That's a pretty nice complex and the beach in that spot was fine last time we stayed there. We are enjoying N. Topsail just over the line from Surf City, this year. I think next time we'll start looking for a rental earlier and try something in Topsail Beach as it looks a little higher end down there.

We visit regularly, over the years it gets busier and more crowded, but it continues to remain a clean and safe area. There are no major attractions like shows and entertainment, it's mainly about the beach, and is family friendly.

Topsail Island is the most peaceful and beautiful place to getaway from everything. If you are looking for boardwalks and entertainment Topsail isn’t for you. If you want miles of sand & ocean this is the place! You will see spectacular sunrises and sunsets and the waves are amazing!

Love the beach but Topsail Island is not ready for 2019 season!! Walkways not ready and beach not ready unfortunately. Visitors need to be warned!! Sorry!!

Really enjoyed our stay on this beach. It wasn’t crowded where we were. Lots of stuff to do here. And lots of places to eat.

This was our first time visiting Topsail Island. We enjoyed the quieter atmosphere. The beaches were clean and not too over crowded. The island has several nice parks. Traffic is a nightmare getting onto the island into Surf City on a Saturday due to a drawbridge, but they are building a bigger bridge which will hopefully alleviate that problem. Overall we enjoyed our stay, but prefer other beach locations better (Outer Banks, Ocean Isle).

We enjoyed the beach at Topsail. We did not enjoy the way we were treated when we arrived at Treasure Realty. Since part of our party had driven thirteen hours through the night from Upstate NY with a young child, we stopped by Treasure’s office prior to around 2PM PM to ask for some consideration to move into our condo as early as possible. Our situation was clearly and politely expressed to the Treasure staff. When we returned to the Treasurer office at 4:00 (the appointed time to pick up our keys) having not heard anything from the office before that, we were told that our condo had not yet been cleaned. After watching other parties stream into the office to get keys, we continued to sit and wait for another hour. No call to warn us that the cleaning crew was running late. That was not a friendly way to begin our relationship with a Realty Company we had never done business with before, and never will again. Attitude is everything and theirs was poor and unwelcoming.

I have been going to Topsail since I was a baby. Ashe Island is my favorite place on Topsail Island. It is a 560-acre island and it is beautiful. It is the best place in the world!

An absolutely wonderful town, with just the right amount of privacy and beautiful sights to enjoy, as a family or couples who are looking for a somewhat private getaway. We adored and will always cherish our time spent at this destination.

We have been vacationing here for the past 17 years and absolutely love it! Beach is never crowded, people are very nice, and very laid back. Many good restaurants on the island, grocery stores close, and other attractions near by. Nice golf courses close also.

We wanted to get away from the hustle & bustle of DC. Topsail Island fit the bill. Beautiful peaceful beaches.

Loved, loved, loved our quick trip. Everyone was leaving town on Labor and we were coming in for a day. Great day! Beach wasn’t crowded and there were shells for miles. We did not have to sit in traffic much. Bring your food.

This is one of the best beaches I have been to in years. Access to the beach is great where ever you stay. We rented an amazing house a few houses back and it was never crowded, no trash, just beautiful sand and sea! And what a place to find sharks teeth!! So much fun things to do on this island! We will be back!!

I have no words to describe how much I love this place. It is friendly, mostly quiet, and honestly healing. I have unlimited amounts of positive things to say about it! So many awesome restaurants, activities, and shops! Beaches are clean and not crowded. Beauty everywhere you look! My husband and I love it so much, we are making plans to move here in a few years!

Found top sail totally by accident. Now we visit every year for a day. Low key community with great beaches.

This a great family beach. No commercialism just the sand and ocean. Had a great time with 12 family members!!

Excellent place to vacation, we go at least once a year and sometimes more! We’ve always enjoyed our stay in an oceanfront home with our entire family and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately we booked (4346 Island Dr) with Treasure Realty in Sneade’s Ferry and the home was in extremely poor condition and unclean. Treasure Realty and its agents minimized our concerns and did not address the unclean condition of our vacation property during our week’s stay and only offered a discount after we filed a complaint with BBB. We chose to refuse their $200 and reserve the right to review the property. Our view was magnificent but you’ll see from the pictures of the property why we chose to spend the majority of our time outside even after all 9 of us thoroughly cleaned what we were able. We’ll definitely go back but won’t use Treasure Realty or book 4346 Isalnd Dr.

My wife and I were in a condo on the beach. High tide came up to our unit. Many large sand bags were evident and I am sure very much needed. Beach was not useable except at lower tides. Surf fishing was apparently good. I have been at many beaches and would not rate Top Sail highly due to limited beach useage. Seafood restaurants were sparse.

We have been coming to Top Sail for 4 years. We love it here, no other beach like it! One place to check out while you there: Sugar Island Bakery, all I can say, oh my!!! Goodness on your lips, they carry gluten free options!!!!!! Kick back, with no worries.

I was told that I should visit Topsail Island and I absolutely fell in love. The island consists of three beaches: North Topsail, Surf City, and Topsail Beach. There is a campground near Topsail beach. Surf City has everything you need as far as food and supplies and has a beach town vibe. Topsail is mostly cute residential beach homes. The beach was pristine and relatively private. Will definitely visit again.

My friend rented this beachfront property last week and invited us down for a few nights. My friend was NOT happy with the house and when we got there, I understood. First, property says NO PETS, but when we arrived the place smelled of dog and my friend immediately had an asthma attack. Finally, we got Ward reality to admit the previous guests had a dog. The carpet was filthy and needs to be replaced. Ward offered to have a carpet service come on Monday, but this was a great inconvenience to us. The walls are dirty and beat up and need painting. The internet services was in and out. When all of us were using the internet, we hardly had service. The trim on the deck was peeling and the deck needs to be restrained. From the top floor to the beach, you have to walk 3 levels of steep stairs and the only way to the beach is through the house. The beds are very uncomfortable and swayed in the middle. When we got ready to put sheets on the bed, the mattress cover was covered in hair.
There is only 3 places to park cars as the house sits almost on the main road and parking inconvenient. The houses in this part of Surf City are built so close together that you can spit into the next house deck. When it is high tide, there is no beach. I would try another beach and carefully read reviews before spending your hard-earned money here.

Surf City has lots of shopping & restaurants. The pier is a fun place to hangout. There are lots of places to stay. The beach is nice & lots of room to walk on the beach.

A lot of work not much fun in the sun .
.sad but great place.coming back to vacation...hope to spend 3 weeks....

Yet another unplanned thing in my life. We decided to go to the beach early Sunday morning. It was a two hour drive but it was well worth it. Parking was plentiful and there were only a few beach goers. All in all a very nice day at the beach!

Topsail beach is beautiful, uncrowded, quiet, and peaceful. It is also one of only a few NC beaches allowing women to be topless. We just spent 10 wonderful days there and my wife did not wear a top at any time. We logged over 30 miles walking the beach. Authorities are totally cool with it. Expect no hassle as long as behavior is family friendly. People on the beach, street, and pier were totally accepting and supportive but VERY few women are topless and you may be the only one. Topsail is not a lewd beach! Take that elsewhere! It IS a family beach so be respectful and respectable.

If you want a family friendly beach with nothing to do but relax in the sun, surf and sand with top freedom for women this is the place to go. There is practically no shopping, restaurants, or entertainment in Topsail, and not much in neighboring Surf City. Topsail is not for you if you are looking to party.

Clean!! tons of space to spread out. Looking for a stress free destination?

Perfect for families.Pack a cooler,a chair or blanket,and lots of sunscreen.

We have rented a house on the beach at Topsail several years now. We love the beach house we rent and waking up to a great sunrise in the mornings is fantastic! Just a great place to visit.

Topsail is a great beach to go to and to fish. This is the one area where a person can fish for $10 a pole and on the pier there is a cleaning station and plenty seating. At dusk the pier lights up for night fishing. Small parking areas near the beach and plenty places to eat.

Topsail has changed a lot over the last 20 years but that means more great restaurants and shops. Still a great smaller beach destination.

Topsail Island is a wonderful beach for families, we have been going there for many years, using many realtors for renting, This year we triedTreasure Realty, what a nightmare!!!
I wish there were a way to choose negative 10 stars, that is what this company deserves. Renters beware!!! This agency cancelled our reservation 3 weeks before check in and did absolutely nothing to try to assist in finding an alternative rental. I had been pro active myself in contacting them every couple of weeks to get updates on the hurricane repair progress and was continually told that the home would be ready. I took our final payment to the agency in person, then two days later they called and said the home would not be ready and our reservation would be cancelled. Yet two days earlier they took my $6,000 but said nothing. When I asked if they had been following up on the repair progress I was advised that the agency worked for the homeowners, not the renters. I was told the week of rain slowed down repairs. This was a totally poor excuse. I am local and have driven by this home, all repairs are inside and not influenced by weather. This agency is totally unprofessional and treats customers with total rudeness and incompetence. If they work for home owners as they say, how will they serve home owners with no renters if they do business like this!

It was small and a quick visit but worth the weekend. Locales were very nice. Many small restaurants to visit

This was a community with little shops, resturaunts, beach and even skating! Everyone we encountered was extremely kind even the locals who lived there. My mother in law has an extremely hard time walking and the public access even offered a wheel chair ramp plus a grate all the way to the middle of the beach sand. Way to go! That's how you keep people returning to your gorgeous little town! We will be back!