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Ocracoke Lighthouse
(Photo courtesy of NC
Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development) |
Outer Banks Honeymoon on Ocracoke Island
Located at the tip of North
Carolina's Outer Banks (a long, thin strip of sandy barrier islands
stretching about 135 miles down the coast), Ocracoke Island is truly off the beaten path—it's
accessible only by water or air. But that same isolation has helped to
preserve the historic and natural charm of the island.
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Settled in the early 18th century, Ocracoke
Island has been isolated from the mainland for so long
(the first ferry service began in 1957)
that some residents still speak with a brogue that linguists
trace back to Shakespearean English. That isolation has helped to
preserve the island's rich history. It's possible to wander the streets
of Ocracoke Village and see homes so old that they have detached summer
kitchens and family cemeteries—in fact, the
whole village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A
herd of wild ponies are thought to have descended from horses that swam
ashore from Spanish shipwrecks. A graveyard for four British sailors is
a reminder of the island's role in defending the coast against German
U-boat attacks in the early part of World War II. And although the
island's most famous visitor left no artifact, his legend lives on—the
pirate Blackbeard attacked ships in waters off the island, and met a
dramatic end in those same waters in 1718.
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Ocracoke Village sits
on Silver Lake Harbor
(Photo courtesy of NC
Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development) |
The National Park Service is helping to preserve
the island's natural heritage as well. Much of the island, aside from
Ocracoke Village, is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore; as a
result, Ocracoke's 15 miles of beaches are unsullied by development.
Although the New York Times suggests that
Ocracoke Island is "a hidden treasure no longer" due to increasing
tourism, it's not nearly as crowded as the busy tourist communities of
Kittyhawk and Kill Devil Hills in the northern part of the Outer Banks.
Ocracoke Village's handful of historic inns, B&Bs, and rental properties
are generally well-rated by reviewers on the web, and the national
seashore's campground provides a more rustic alternative for
honeymooners on a budget. Between its rich history and its austere
natural beauty, Ocracoke Island remains a romantic honeymoon retreat,
especially during the off-season.
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Rates at the island's various hotels generally run
about $100 - $200 per night, although cheaper and more expensive
accommodations are also available. For example, 2004 rates for The
Castle on Silver Lake ranged from $109 to $359 depending on the
accommodation and the season (summers are most expensive on the Outer
Banks). Ocracoke Island vacation rentals range from $400 - $1250 per
week, depending on the season (off-season rates can be $300 - $500
cheaper than summer rates). Camping at the Ocracoke Campground in Cape Hatteras National
Seashore costs $20 per night. Save money with an Attractions Pass or
Getaway Card from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (see link below).
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Activities &
Attractions on Ocracoke Island
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Catch the music at Deepwater Theater. The
theater is home to the bluegrass band Molasses Creek as well as
other musicians.
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Visit the ghost town of Portsmouth Village.
About 20 minutes south of Ocracoke Island lies Portsmouth Village, a
settlement dating to 1753 that began a slow decline with the onset
of the Civil War. The last residents left in the early 1970s, but
the village is maintained by the National Park Service. Visitors can
wander the village, including a school, post
office/general store, church and life saving station, as well as old
homes with summer kitchens and dairy houses.
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Explore the legend of
Blackbeard. Explore the history of the island at the
Ocracoke Village Visitors Center and Museum, including the legend of
the pirate Blackbeard. You can look out over the waters where
Blackbeard met his end in 1718; ask locals for directions to Teach's
Hole. Also visit Teach's Hole Blackbeard Exhibit and Pirate
Specialty Shop. The exhibit includes "a life-size recreation of
Blackbeard in full battle dress, a weapons display, old bottles,
original art, woodcuts of Blackbeard, old coin and pirate flag
displays, and an eight-minute documentary about Blackbeard's death
here at Ocracoke," according to the shop's website.
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Visit the wild ponies. Ocracoke is home
to a small herd of wild ponies that probably descended from horses
that swam ashore from Spanish shipwrecks. The National Park Service
has penned them for their own protection; visitors can watch them
from a viewing platform.
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Hike Hammock Hills Nature Trail. Hammock
Hills Nature Trail, located north of the village, takes visitors
through salt marsh, maritime forest, and sand dunes.
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Take a walking tour of historic Ocracoke
Village. The National Park Service and others publish suggested
walking tours of Ocracoke Village, which is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places (see links below). Among the places
worth seeing are old homes with family cemeteries and outbuildings,
historic churches, Ocracoke Lighthouse, a working general store that
retains its 1920s charm, the coast guard station, and a graveyard
for British sailors whose ship was torpedoed by German U-boats in
waters off the island.
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See Ocracoke Lighthouse at night.
Ocracoke Lighthouse is one of the oldest working lighthouses in the
U.S. Its light flashes intermittently from a half hour before dusk
to a half hour after dawn. Visitors are not allowed to enter the
lighthouse.
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Hang out on the beach. Much of the island
is a national seashore, so besides swimming, look for the island's
natural inhabitants, such as sea turtles, brown pelicans, and white
ibis; dolphins may be spotted offshore. Or watch fishing boats come
into Silver Lake Harbor.
Activities & Attractions on the Outer Banks
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Four historic
lighthouses, including Bodie Island Lighthouse, stand
watch over the Outer Banks.
(Photo
© Creative Honeymoon Ideas) |
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Explore the rest of the Outer Banks. If
you travel the length of the Outer Banks on your way to or from
Ocracoke Island, be sure to make time for other activities and
attractions. Among the highlights are the Wright Brothers National
Memorial (site of the Wright brothers' first flight), Roanoke Island
Festival Park (commemorating the famous 16th century "lost colony"),
the Elizabethan Gardens, the North Carolina Aquarium, and Jockey's
Ridge State Park, site of the highest sand dunes on the eastern
seaboard. The northern beaches of the Outer Banks are lined with
plenty of tourist attractions, seafood establishments, and
beach-related outfitters. Be forewarned that during the summer
season, the northern portion of the Outer Banks can be quite busy.
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"A Hidden Treasure No Longer"
The New York Times visits Ocracoke Island, offering
a first-person tour and practical advice for potential visitors. Free
registration may be required.
Insiders.com: Ocracoke Island
An extremely detailed overview of the island,
including an excellent walking tour guide and insights into the island's
history.
ocracoke-nc.com
Good commercial guide to the island, mainly useful
for its listing of island businesses.
TripAdvisor: Ocracoke
See what other visitors have to say about
accommodations on Ocracoke Island.
National Park Service: Ocracoke Island
The National Park Service's overview of Ocracoke
Island.
Ocracoke Honeymoon: Anna & Jeroen
One couple's honeymoon visit to Ocracoke Island,
captured in pictures with captions. Anna and Jeroen camped on the beach
in Cape Hatteras National Seashore. (Scroll down past the air show
pictures to get to the part about the island.)
Outer Banks
Visitors Bureau
Provides extensive information about the Outer Banks
for tourists on a well-designed website.
Ocracoke Island Rentals
To rent a cottage or condo on the island, try
searching the following agencies:
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Your honeymoon story
Have you done this trip (whether on
your honeymoon or other travel)? We'd love to hear about your experience
so we can share it with others . . . just
drop us a line.
Last Updated:
June 9, 2004 |
