America's Best Little Beach Towns

Duck, NC

How could a place named Duck not be charming? Seven miles north of Kitty Hawk, this Outer Banks town offers beaches that are fairly uncrowded—and why? With no public beaches, you have to be staying here to access either the sand or water sports.

Stay: In a town with just three lodging options, Duck’s one B&B—Advice 5 ¢, a Bed & Breakfast—takes cozy to a new level, offering just four rooms and a short walk to the beach.

Eat: At the 88-room Sanderling Resort and Spa, the main resort in town, The Left Bank—a AAA Four-Diamond Award winner—gives entrées such as Carolina blue crab and Kusshi oysters a French twist. —Katrina Brown Hunt

America’s Best Little Beach Towns