Only 15 minutes from Wilmington, the island of Wrightsville Beach is a small, laid-back community where tourists can blend in and feel right at home. There are four miles of sandy beaches with swimming, fishing, boating, and surfing. The island is home to a variety of beach shops and seafood restaurants, which sometimes host visiting movie stars. For accomodations, there are many vacation cottages and three hotels.
The most popular section of the beach is at the northern pier. This is where most of the metered parking is. For those who do not like the crowds, metered parking is also available at the southern pier, and southern tip of the island.
If you're willing to look, there is ample free parking up and down the side streets.
How to get free parking
The day before, look for surfers in the water. Surfers get to the beach at sunrise when there are waves. They also park on the same street and leave at about the same time every day, around 12:00. Their front row spots can be yours tomorrow mid-day.
