New to Hampton Roads? Here’s Why the Outer Banks Belongs on Your List

If you’ve recently arrived in the Tidewater area and still haven’t crossed into North Carolina to explore the Outer Banks (OBX), you may be wondering what you’re missing. Or perhaps you’re weighing a trip to Virginia Beach against one to OBX. These two coastal destinations sit near each other geographically, yet the travel experience feels completely different.

Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks Shoreline Compared

Tidewater beaches, including Virginia Beach, often become busy during the summer. The area draws from a 1.7 million metro area population, while over 19 million people visit Virginia Beach each year, with nearly 9 million arriving as day visitors, many headed for the beach. Travelers looking for sun, sand, swimming, or surfing generally concentrate along about 26 miles (42 km) miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay.

The Outer Banks, by comparison, is a chain of barrier islands with 100 miles (160 km) of sandy ocean beaches, along with roughly the same amount of shoreline on the quieter Sound side to the west. That long coastline is home to about 35,000 year-round residents, giving the islands a small-town character even with their popularity among vacationers and day-trippers from Virginia. With so much shoreline per person, there is usually room to settle into your own stretch of sand. Depending on your preferred way to unwind, the Outer Banks, or OBX, may become your go-to weekend getaway.

How OBX Stands Apart from Tidewater

If spending the day stretched out on the sand is not your idea of a perfect trip, there are still plenty of reasons to drive two hours south into this part of North Carolina.

For Hampton Roads residents, the Outer Banks (OBX) offers a range of distinctive experiences and places worth discovering.

The source includes a Native American proverb that frames care for the earth as a responsibility shared across generations.

Nature and Wildlife

The natural setting of the Outer Banks is one of its defining treasures. A visit surrounds you with quiet rivers, sweeping wildlife habitats, and the untamed energy of wind and waves.

Just south of Tidewater, these North Carolina barrier islands include over 300 square miles (777 sq. km) of uninhabited nature preservation areas. Among them are three national wildlife refuges, the first national seashore in America, an ecological preserve, and a distinctive state park.

Outdoor recreation in OBX nature and wildlife areas is often grouped as the "Big 6," - fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, environmental education, hunting, and interpretation. Visitors can experience these protected places independently on walking and paddling trails, roam long stretches of pristine beach, or enjoy the landscape from Wildlife Drives. Guided outings are also available by canoe, kayak, van, or open-air tram. As you explore, watch for wildlife ranging from Black Bear, Red Wolf, White-tail Deer, sea and land turtles, alligators, birds, and many other species.

Lighthouses

Lighthouse enthusiasts can add several iconic American light stations to their Bucket List while visiting OBX. The black-and-white spiral pattern of Cape Hatteras Light Station wraps the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, standing at 193.2 feet (59 m). Since 1803, it and earlier lights have helped warn mariners along one of the Atlantic coastline’s most hazardous stretches.

On the approach to Bodie Island Light Station, pronounced like “body”, tall pine trees line the roadway. Its boardwalk leads not to the ocean, but out toward freshwater marshland. Though the setting is unusual for a light station, its location was essential for ships navigating the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”, where over 2000 shipwrecks have occurred.

Both light stations are operated by the National Park Service within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Visitor Centers are located onsite, and in warmer months guests may climb the 200+ steps for sweeping views from the top. Daytime climbs are offered, and full moon evening climbs are sometimes available. Ticketing differs by lighthouse, so visitors should review current instructions before going.

History

History fans should make time for the place where two Ohio brothers achieved the first-ever flight in a powered airplane. At Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, visitors can learn why the Outer Banks was chosen, how long the effort took, and what the brothers’ aircraft and methods involved. The site includes the route of the test flights and a close look at a life-size replica of the airplane that made history.

At Fort Raleigh National Historic Site near Manteo, the story expands to England's first New World settlements from 1584 to 1590, the first English child born in North America, and the Lost Colony that vanished from Roanoke Island. The site also shares the cultural heritage of Native Americans, European Americans, and African Americans who lived on the Island. The Outer Banks also served as a stop for enslaved people seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad and as the site of a Freedmen’s Colony during the Civil War.

In Hatteras, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum focuses on maritime history, including the dangers of this portion of the Atlantic Coast, piracy, and the effects of war on the waters off the Outer Banks.

Exceptional Culinary Treats

The Outer Banks serves plenty of North Carolina’s southern cuisine. Menus feature Carolina favorites such as authentic BBQ, shrimp and grits, pimento cheese, and fried green tomatoes.

Local restaurants also highlight fresh seafood such as Yellowfin tuna, mahi, or flounder caught that morning. Oysters harvested just steps from the dining room are hard to top, and crunchy soft-shell crab is a seasonal favorite from May to September.

Cool evenings are ideal for one of the seafood soups associated with OBX. Look for creamy she-crab soup made with blue crab, Hatteras Clam Chowder, a local clear-broth version with a touch of bacon, oyster bisque, and other creative dishes. In Manteo, Avenue Waterfront Grille’s Blue Crab & Smoked Tomato Bisque is worth seeking out. It comes packed with crab, accented with bourbon, and finished with Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry.

Outer Banks Beverage Creators

Hampton Roads has its local breweries and distilleries, but the Outer Banks is home to the first wind-powered brewery in the United States, at Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills. Guests over 21 can take the infamous “warts & all” Brewery Tour, which includes samples of their craft brews. Younger visitors can enjoy homemade root beer, ginger beer & Orange Vanilla Creamsicle Soda.

Outer Banks Distilling is a quick walk from downtown Manteo. It is the only craft distillery in the region focusing solely on rum. Visitors can stop by for a tour and enjoy an afternoon drink created by one of the skilled mixologists. You may also want to bring home a bottle of one of their award-winning flagship or limited-edition rums, along with a bag of rum-soaked candied pecans. Owners Scott, Matt, Adam and Kelly have built a relaxed, friendly, welcoming space that makes guests feel like locals.

If your ideal escape includes sipping a favorite drink from the deck of your vacation rental with salty air and an ocean view, or watching the sun drop over the sound, OBX offers a stronger chance of finding a hotel or vacation home with a water view than Hampton Roads, thanks to the barrier islands’ extensive coastline. Pack casual clothes, get in the car, and head to the Outer Banks for a day, a weekend, or a month. You may come back more rested and renewed than expected.

Author

Nancy Hann is a traveler, creator, adventurer, and founder of the travel and lifestyle blog “Traveling with Purpose” (soon to be “Life and a Compass”). She lives in Chesapeake, Virginia with her favorite travel & life partner and looks forward to many more adventures ahead. Nancy enjoys writing about new discoveries, nature, food, creativity, history, homemaking, and reflections on life. She has visited 17 countries and reached the halfway point in her bucket list goal of seeing all of America’s National Parks. She has also discovered that no matter how much time she spends in a destination, it never feels like enough.