The Charming, Beachy North Carolina Towns Where 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Was Filmed

For millions of fans, Amazon Prime Video's "The Summer I Turned Pretty" has become the ultimate symbol of summer. The series, adapted from Jenny Han's best-selling trilogy, follows Isabel "Belly" Conklin, played by Lola Tung, as she returns each year to Cousins Beach with her mom Laurel (Jackie Chung) and her brother Steven (Sean Kaufman). There, they reunite with her family friend Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) and her sons: the reserved and brooding Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) and the open-hearted Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). What begins as a season of friendship quickly evolves into a triangle of love between Belly and the Fisher brothers, a story intertwined with moments of self-discovery, grief, and the supportive bonds of friends like Taylor (Rain Spencer).

Since the release of Season 1 in 2022, the story has continued to captivate viewers of all ages through TikTok edits and viral sounds like "This is a hundred percent your look, Connie baby," leading many to wonder where the legendary Cousins Beach actually is. Yet — plot twist — the town exists only in Jenny Han's imagination, and it was inspired by a mix of East Coast beach destinations, including Cape Cod, The Hamptons, Virginia Beach, and Nags Head, the chic beach getaway embodying the essence of the Outer Banks. "I had a lot of beaches in my head," Han shared in a Prime Video Book Club interview, "and I think that's part of the reason people can read the book and feel like it's their beach." To bring this fictional town to life, production filmed along the sun-drenched North Carolina coast, using dreamy locations like Wilmington, Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, and Wrightsville Beach. Not finished the show or books? Prepare for a few spoilers ahead.

What do the volleyball match in Season 1, the laser tag and go-kart scene in Season 2, and Belly and Taylor's coffee date in Season 3 all have in common? Simple: They were all filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. After all, this charming city, with about 440,000 inhabitants and one of America's best riverfront walks, is no stranger to the spotlight. In the past four decades, Cinespace Studios has hosted hundreds of movie and TV productions there, including early-2000s classics such as "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill," cementing its reputation as one of America's most cinematic coastal destinations. Not for nothing, you can often hear industry insiders refer to it as "Wilmywood." 

Plan a trip here and you will find many of the series's most iconic spots. Start at Casa Blanca Coffee Roasters on Market Street, the cafe where Conrad and his friend Agnes discussed their studies in medicine in Season 3. The cafe boasts a distinctive mid-1950s white stucco exterior, which makes it instantly recognizable on-screen — don't skip on the breakfast menu, featuring everything from breakfast burritos to egg wraps. Then, head over to Benny's Big Time Pizzeria, where Belly and her brother Steven shared a pizza before the latter confessed his love for Taylor. A 30-minute walk away, you will find Papercut Books, a charming independent bookstore that was the venue for Laurel's book launch.

Venture a little farther from downtown, and you'll discover more filming locations. Cape Fear Country Club, one of the longest-standing clubs in the state, served as the backdrop for Jeremiah and Steven's lifeguard and waitstaff summer shifts, while Porters Neck Country Club,  set near the Abbey Nature Preserve, hosted Belly and Conrad's prom scenes.

If Wilmington is the bustling heart of the show, then the nearby beaches expand the story's world, bringing both romance and summer fun to life. Carolina Beach's boardwalk is the setting for Season 2's summertime scenes — here, Belly and her friends spent an unforgettable evening racing through arcade games, sharing ice cream, and navigating the tensions of teenage life. A short drive north, Wrightsville Beach and Crystal Pier hosted the series' most romantic moments. The wide shores of lively Wrightsville Beach, one of North Carolina's best seaside towns, acted as the backdrop for Belly and Conrad's long-awaited first kiss.

Oceanic at the Crystal Pier featured the (somewhat unexpected) Season 3 engagement announcement between Belly and the youngest of the Fisher brothers. The restaurant, boasting a 4.3 rating with over 5,200 Google reviews, is a go-to spot if you want to savor some of the freshest fish and seafood in the area, from seared scallops to Carolina crab cakes and shrimp tacos. Going south down the coast, you can find the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, an almost 300-acre natural preserve that provided the setting for Season 1's moonlit beach parties, as well as the bike ride where Belly ended her summer romance with Cam Cameron.

If you want to walk in Belly's flip-flops, Wilmington and the other nearby locations are surprisingly accessible. The major flying hub in the area, Wilmington International Airport (ILM), offers direct flights from 31 East Coast cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the drive from downtown Wilmington to Carolina Beach takes less than 30 minutes via U.S. Highway 421, and Wrightsville Beach is just a short 10-minute drive away.