Romantic OBX Ideas for Making Memories

By Kathy Newbern & J.S. Fletcher
Jan. 01, 2023

The Outer Banks is deeply personal to us. This is the place where we first crossed paths in 1992, found love, launched our publishing company, built a home, married, and then came back a decade later to renew our vows beside the ocean. For anyone leaning into romance, these windswept barrier islands offer no shortage of places and moments made for it.

Here are a few ways to fall for the OBX again, one experience at a time.

1. OBX beaches everywhere

A walk together along the surf and sand belongs on every romantic Outer Banks list. Take in the warm sand beneath bare feet, the sunlight on your skin, and, of course, the famous OBX wind.

For us, the shared ritual is searching the shoreline for the ideal shell or a rare bit of beach glass while the waves roll in gently or crash harder, depending on the day. Listen for the soundtrack around you: surf keeping time beneath the cries of hungry gulls and the rush of wings overhead. Remember to glance up now and then, or you could miss dolphins moving past, pelicans flying in formation, or sandpipers darting back and forth at the edge of the water. During shoulder season, we have even seen whales offshore.

2. Sunrise, sunset, and skies full of stars

Because the Outer Banks sits between open ocean and peaceful sounds and bays, it is simple to seek out a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Jockey’s Ridge works wonderfully for either.

After dark, spread out a blanket and let the constellations pull you in. On one unforgettable night at Coquina Beach, waves had carried bioluminescent plankton ashore, making the sand glow neon green around every footprint we left. Try the water at night, even if you only go in ankle deep. Sitting in the shallows can be delightful, while the truly bold may choose a nighttime swim.

3. Naturally, the lighthouses

These coastal guardians send out beams that help keep mariners safe, while also inviting romantics to turn their own light toward each other. Every lighthouse in this area has its own character, and each recalls an era when brave surfmen faced terrifying seas, helping give the region the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. To learn more, visit Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site in Rodanthe.

Because these five lighthouses are spread far apart, you may want to choose one or two favorites for this visit and leave the others for a future trip:

Bodie Island Lighthouse, located south of Whalebone Junction in south Nags Head, requires same-day tickets for the climb rather than advance purchase.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, known for its black-and-white candy-cane pattern, is temporarily closed to climbers. Check their website for updated info.
The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on the Manteo Waterfront is a river lighthouse replica that welcomes visitors inside.
Ocracoke Island Lighthouse, the southernmost and shortest at 65 feet, cannot be climbed, though reaching it from Hatteras Village makes for a fun ferry day trip.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse, a brick tower that is easy to reach in historic Corolla Village, costs $10 to climb its 220 steps and makes a pleasant outing from the Northern Beaches.

4. Find romance in the past

The Lost Colony makes a memorable date-night experience and has been staged for more than 80 years. Its dramatic story follows the doomed first English settlement in North America and closes with the mystery that still remains: what became of the colonists.

For a more uplifting chapter, consider the romantic idea brought to these shores by a pair of Ohio Brothers: human flight. On a recent visit, we found the refreshed exhibits in the remodeled Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center well worth exploring, along with the climb to the 60-foot memorial on Kill Devil Hill. Pause there with your sweetheart, look out over the landscape, and consider how their daring achievement reshaped the world.

5. Let your playful side out

For us, Jockey’s Ridge still brings back childhood memories: the steep, hot, exhausting climb upward, followed by shriek-filled rolls down the far side and a plunge into the sound’s cool water. Today, it is an even broader playground where couples can connect through hang gliding, kite flying, and other adventures. Across the Outer Banks, more chances to bond await through windsurfing, especially at Canadian Hole, as well as kayaking, biking, horseback riding, and even skydiving.

Romance can mean many things, and like love itself, it depends on who is experiencing it. A person can be romantic, and so can a destination. Hold each other close and enjoy your Outer Banks journey together.

Author

Kathy Newbern & J.S. Fletcher

Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher are a husband-and-wife writing team based in Raleigh, NC. They have worked as freelance travel writers since 1994, with a focus on romance, luxury, spas, and cruising. Their travels have taken them to 76 countries, 81 cruises, and every continent. The Outer Banks is where they met, fell in love, married, and began their personalized romance novel company, YourNovel.com, in 1992. Fittingly, one of the titles couples can star in together is Love’s Bounty: An Outer Banks Romance.