Is Cousins Beach a Real Place?

Analysis Reasoning

In the story, Cousins Beach feels like a classic New England beach community — big shingled houses, boardwalks, Cape Cod hints, and the kind of summer-town warmth that makes you want to stay forever. The question is whether any of that is real. **The Fictional Town** Cousins Beach is a fictional town Jenny Han invented for her Summer I Turned Pretty book series and the Prime Video adaptation. Han has said directly that Cousins Beach 'is not a real beach' — it's a composite of East Coast spots she loved, blending elements of Cape Cod, Nags Head, Virginia Beach, the Hamptons, and other coastal communities. You cannot find Cousins Beach on a map or book a rental there. **The Real Filming Locations** For the TV series, production moved to real coastal locations in North Carolina. Most of the show was filmed in and around Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, with additional shooting at other North Carolina coastal spots. The Fisher family house — the iconic beach house at the center of the story — is a real property in the area that fans have tracked down and visited. The boardwalk, shops, and beach scenes were shot on location at actual North Carolina beaches. **TruthRadar Verdict** TruthRadar labels the claim 'Cousins Beach is a real place' as MISLEADING (95% confidence). The town name is fictional and cannot be visited as such, but the show is built on real coastal communities you absolutely can visit. Fans who want the Cousins Beach experience have found that Wrightsville Beach captures the atmosphere well. **What This Means for You** If you want to visit 'Cousins Beach,' head to the Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach area of North Carolina — that's where the show lives in the real world. Just do not expect to see the town name on any signage.

Cited Sources

• 01
  Realtor

  https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/where-is-summer-i-turned-pretty-filmed/

• 02
  Thesummeriturnedpretty Fandom

  https://thesummeriturnedpretty.fandom.com/wiki/Cousins_Beach

• 03
  Waterstonenc

  https://www.waterstonenc.com/2025/07/25/a-real-life-cousins-beach-from-the-summer-i-turned-pretty/