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The Crystal Coast is known for its sparkling, crystalline waters and miles of beaches and island sanctuaries. Salt water, white sandy beaches, breezes off the water and a casual atmosphere draw travelers by the thousands to the the Crystal Coast shoreline, and many people decide to stay and make the area their home.

Everything you want from a seaside vacation is here — dramatic sunrises on the ocean, egrets, gulls or white ibises lacing through blue skies, dolphins playfully break from inlet waters. As you stroll through towns in Carteret County, you hear songbirds call from surrounding live oaks. As you stroll the beaches, you can curl your toes in smooth beach sand and ease into evening as the sun sets in a copper disc. Away from the glare of bright city lights, you can gaze at a scatter of stars on a cloudless night.

A day can be as quiet or active as you desire. Each of the geographic areas — Bogue Banks, Beaufort, Morehead City, Swansboro, the Down East communities and western Carteret County — is different in its own special way and offers as much or as little activity as you want.

The Crystal Coast is located in Carteret County, a place that is off the beaten path, and many say that fact alone is exactly what makes it so desirable. By car you must travel approximately 100 miles from Interstate 95 before you reach the county. The nearest major city is Raleigh, a three-hour car trip away. Historic New Bern is just 40 miles away. U.S. Highway 70, the main artery running through the county, is a direct corridor to Raleigh, so the drive is easy.

Although not fast-paced, Carteret County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. Its year-round population is just 60,232. It contains 526 square miles and an ocean coastline of 81 miles, not to mention the miles of waterfront that stretch along Bogue and Core sounds and on the area's rivers and numerous bays, inlets and creeks.

The county is centrally situated on the North Carolina coast, perhaps the reason it was one of the first areas of the state explored and the third settled, giving it a rich history to blend with its natural beauty. To the north are the Pamlico Sound and the Outer Banks; to the south are the southern barrier islands, the city of Wilmington and the Cape Fear River.

Carteret County is at the confluence of the warm Gulf Stream waters from the south and cooler Labrador Current from the north. It provides a habitat for a widely varied mix of plants, a sanctuary for migrating birds and the northernmost point in the migration of exotic marine life such as the manatee. It is a place for visitors young and old to explore the wonder of a coast that on its brightest days is truly crystal.

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