the Circle
The heart of downtown is the Circle, the local name for the culmination of the Atlantic Beach Causeway in a traffic circle by the beach. The Circle is fringed with souvenir shops and a boardwalk along the beach; large groups of teens and young adults are often to be found playing volleyball, sunbathing or listening to music. The area is currently undergoing renovation, with upscale retail shops and restaurants joining the touristy kitsch.
Atlantic Station Cinemas
W fort macon road in the atlantic station shopping center mile marker 3, +1-252-247-7016. the only movie theatre in town, with four screens, snack counter and arcade games.
Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail
Go for a hike along the Hoop Pole Creek Nature Trail, located off Highway 58, in a 31-acre maritime forest.
Intracoastal Waterway
If you like sailing, there are plenty of opportunities for it on the Intracoastal Waterway of Bogue Sound, or in the Atlantic Ocean.
Captain Stacy Fishing Center
Atlantic beach causeway, +1-252-247-7501 or +1-800-533-9417, (http://www.captstacy.com/). deep-sea fishing cruises, shark fishing, 24-hour overnight bottom fishing trips, moonlight cruises and harbor tours, and privately chartered tours. deep-sea cruises are $45 for shark fishing, $60 half-day, $90 full day adult prices; overnight trips are $160.
Reel Screamin' Fishing Charters
+1-910-376-0970 email: [email protected], (http://www.reelscreamin.com). inshore & offshore fishing at it's finest! jump on board with reel screamin' and chase everything from tailing redfish to tailwalking sailfish!
There are miles of beautiful beaches where you can take a stroll or sunbathe; they can be fairly busy during the day, unless you walk beyond the crowds particularly around Fort Macon, but they're also quite pretty for moonlight strolls at night. Beach access points (http://www.thecoastalexpl...) are located all up and down the coast; some are only available to residents of the adjacent hotel or condo, but there are several with large parking lots for public access.
shag
By far the most popular dance with the Crystal Coast community is the amusingly-named shag, which some even claim was invented in Atlantic Beach. It's usually done to classic beach music. If you want to take shagging lessons yes, we know, they're offered at Memories Beach and Shag Club, 128 E Fort Macon Road mile marker 1.5, +1-252-240-7424.
If you're more of a fisherman, you can take a stroll down one of the local piers. Unfortunately, thanks to hurricanes Bertha, Fran and Bonnie in the 1990s, and real-estate developers in more recent years, the piers in the area are dwindling. Out of eight that once existed on the island, there are only two left today, one of which is in Atlantic Beach: