Outer Banks – North Carolina – Wild horses, golden beaches and picturesque villages
Outer Banks
There are wild horses, golden beaches, and pretty towns.
Nothing is fancy about the Outer Banks of North Carolina’s chain of islands. They are just a great place to relax, with nature and the sea all around. There are wild horses, cute towns, beautiful lighthouses, windswept beaches with run-down “crab shacks” (small seafood restaurants), and a beautiful setting on four languid barrier islands. These islands look like they are a million miles away from “real” life, even though they are close to the coast of North Carolina. A lot of people go there to swim, lay out in the sun, and do water sports, but there is also a lot of history to learn about.
Take a trip by car
Highway 12 is a great place for a car trip because it connects a lot of the Outer Banks. The route goes through the islands of Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke, from the high-class town of Corolla to the famous lighthouse of Ocracoke Light. The beautiful Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Wright Brothers Memorial, and the Cape Hatteras Light Station will be on your way. You’ll also see the beaches of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills. If you’re lucky, you might see the wild horses of Ocracoke and Corolla.
Wonders of the water
In the Outer Banks, you can enjoy the golden sands and rivers in many ways. You can go on trips, fish, or dive in a rented boat, or you can take a two-seater kayak tour through the Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary. There are about 2,000 shipwrecks near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean that you can dive into if you like. If not, just put your cover down on the sand at Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, which was ranked by Dr. Beach as one of the 10 best beaches in America in 2016.
There are lots of things to do on land in the area if you don’t want to go out on the water. You can ride a bike in the Springer’s Point Preserve, walk along Jennette’s Pier or the Duck Town Boardwalk, look around the many gift shops in Nag’s Head, take the kids to the North Carolina Aquarium, or climb the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. You might also want to take a chopper ride to see the coast and sea life from above.
In the middle of history
Several places on the Outer Banks honor 400 years of history. These include the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (which is the oldest Coast Guard station in North Carolina), and the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.