Kure Beach is the quieter end of Pleasure Island, south of Carolina Beach and just north of the Fort Fisher peninsula. It has the usual North Carolina beach pleasures -- pale sand, surf fishing, bikes, summer rentals -- but it is less noisy than the boardwalk scene up the road.
The pier gives the town its centre. It reaches out from the business district beside Ocean Front Park, with benches, swings, tackle, and the slow public theatre of people checking lines and watching the water. You can make a simple beach day of that alone.
What pushes Kure Beach past ordinary beach-town status is Fort Fisher. Within a short drive are the Civil War earthworks, the state recreation area, salt-marsh trails, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. That combination makes it a useful base for families, history-minded travellers, and anyone who wants the Cape Fear coast without giving the whole day to sunbathing.