AccommodationsArts & EntertainmentAttractionsBusiness OpportunitiesCateringEducationFestivalsGolfHealthcareCommunitiesRestaurantsSalons/SpasShoppingWater ActivitiesWeddingsWelcomeWineries

Figure Eight IslandHampsteadOak IslandCarolina, Kure BeachSouthportTopsail IslandWrightsville Beach

Where Is Pleasure Island?

What is Pleasure Island, and where is it? That might seem like a strange question to pose about a fairly significant land mass right here in the Cape Fear area, but the question often comes up from non-residents.

In reality, the island is the southernmost portion of the Cape Fear peninsula cut off from the rest of the peninsula by a narrow band of water called Snow’s Cut. Pleasure Island is also the location of two towns, Carolina Beach to the north and Kure
Beach to the south, along with many attractions and recreational opportunities.

Established in 1857 by Joseph Winner, who bought beachfront property and laid out plans for a town that subsequently became Carolina Beach, the first visitors to Pleasure Island were vacationers brought to the island by boat and then conveyed to the beach by a small steam railroad. Shortly thereafter, a Dane named Hans Anderson Kure founded Kure Beach.

Commercial Center At Carolina Beach

In 1929, Snow’s Cut was dredged to make it part of the Intracoastal Waterway. Pleasure Island was initially connected to the mainland by a small swing bridge, which eventually was replaced by the current high-rise Snow’s Cut Bridge. Carolina Beach developed over the years as the commercial center of the island, a tourism destination and a residential community. Kure Beach evolved as a residential community with relatively little commercial development and limited tourism.

In recent years, both communities have been experiencing enormous development as two of the few places along the coast where reasonably priced land near the ocean is still available. Kure Beach has seen extensive construction of upscale homes and condos while Carolina Beach, spurred by the building of a new oceanfront Courtyard by Marriott resort hotel, is enjoying considerable development of upscale condos and homes plus a number of other projects planned and underway.

The origin of the name, Pleasure Island, is uncertain, but it aptly attests to the wealth of activities and recreational opportunities available on the island for residents and visitors alike. For a while, some of the more conservative residents of the island objected to the name, feeling it negatively implied a hedonistic lifestyle was prevalent here. However, the State of North Carolina shows Pleasure Island on its maps, and the former Carolina Beach/Kure Beach Chamber of Commerce has become the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce, so it appears the name is sticking.