With its miles and miles of Gulf Stream-warmed beaches, North Carolina’s Outer Banks are a popular honeymoon destination for newlyweds looking for quick and easy access to surf and sun. But couples looking for a quieter getaway need only go a little bit farther along the barrier islands to find the perfect retreat: Ocracoke Island.
Sailboats at sunset on Ocracoke Island. (Photo: Jim Dollar, JimDollarPhotography.com)
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.
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.
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.
What to see and do
- Catch the music at Deepwater Theater. The theater is home to the bluegrass band Molasses Creek as well as other musicians.
- 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, includinga school, post office/general store, church and life saving station, as well as old homes with summer kitchens and dairy houses.
- 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.
- 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.
- Hike Hammock Hills Nature Trail. Hammock Hills Nature Trail, located north of the village, takes visitors through salt marsh, maritime forest, and sand dunes.
- Take a walking tour of historic Ocracoke Village. Ocracoke Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 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. You can find a good overview of the walking tour at Historic Albemarle Tour.
- 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.
- Hang out on the beach. Much of the island is part of the Cape Hatteras 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.
Other highlights of an Outer Banks honeymoon
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.
Useful links for your Ocracoke Island honeymoon
TripAdvisor: Reviews of best hotels, B & Bs, and things to do on Ocracoke Island
Compare what real travelers have to say about various places to stay and things to do on Ocracoke Island. Plus, compare prices and find the best deals.
Wikitravel: Outer Banks
A fairly extensive guide to the Outer Banks of North Carolina; to view the article for Ocracoke Island, scroll down and click on the link, under the “Hyde County” heading.
Ocracoke Village
The official website of Ocracoke Village, with extensive and detailed information about area attractions, places to stay, and how to get around.
OuterBanks.org
The official tourism website for the Outer Banks, with extensive information on where to go and what to do, plus a useful events calendar.
Ocracoke Island Journal
A personal blog by a resident of the island, detailing everyday life.
Ocracoke Island Videos
Here’s a 4-minute video tour of Ocracoke Island. A little cheesy, but still a useful overview of what to expect on your Ocracoke Island honeymoon.
Ocracoke Island: Map
Photo courtesty of Jim Dollar Photography.
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