Currituck Vacation Rental Homes

Outer Banks Fishing Charters & Fishing Guide

2025 Takeout and Delivery Guide

Hotels

For postcard-perfect long weekends, or full week stays that have exceptional access to indoor and outdoor pools, restaurants, and amenities, there's nothing quite like the convenience of a stay at a local hotel or motel. A number of area hotels have been welcoming guests for decades, and as a result, vacationers have come back year after year for the fantastic service and the million-dollar views.

Vacation Rentals

Visitors are often surprised at the number and variety of weekly vacation rentals throughout the area.. Vacation rentals are, in fact, an increasingly popular accommodation available to vacationers, and visitors will find that the sheer number of rentals available allows them to find an ideal retreat to fit their crew, from quiet condo complexes to brightly colored oceanfront sand castles.

Knotts island & Knotts Island Ferry

The Knotts Island Ferry is a year-round free ferry that's managed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation's ferry system. An instrumental mode of transportation for Knotts Island locals, and a fun on-the-water day trip for Currituck County visitors, the ferry is accessible, scenic, and allows visitors to explore new and wild regions which are otherwise hard to access.

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Currituck National Wildlife Refuge

It's easy to see why vacationers fall in love with Carova. Located almost literally off the Outer Banks map, while other towns along the barrier islands of North Carolina grew and developed over the decades and became popular East Coast tourism destinations, Carova never really changed.

Bells Island

Bells Island is one of two populated "island" communities that are found in the Currituck Sound. Small but easy to access and explore, the island is a good side-trip for visitors who want to uncover every corner of Currituck County.

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Currituck Banks Reserve

Vacationers adore the Outer Banks for its unspoiled stretches of undeveloped shoreline, and some may not initially realize that this sporadic lack of development is completely intentional, and is the result of decades of careful environmental planning. While tourism flourished on the beaches, for generations, locals and visitors alike made inquiries and partnerships with government branches to ensure that certain areas of the Outer Banks would always remain pristine, unspoiled, and open to everyone.

Corolla
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Currituck Beach Lighthouse

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse, located in the heart of Corolla, borders the historic Whalehead in Historic Corolla and still functions as a guide for passing mariners. At 162' feet tall, the lighthouse's First Order Fresnel light, (the largest size available for American lighthouses), can be seen for 18 nautical miles as the light rotates in 20 second increments.

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Scenic Spots on the Outer Banks

There's a reason why so many aspiring and professional photographers flock to the Outer Banks. Ocean sunrises, sound sunsets, and miles of quiet wildlife in between create some breathtaking landscapes, ideal for photographers, painters, or plain-old vacationers who love an astounding view.

Surf Fishing Guide

When it comes to surf fishing, it’s hard to beat the coastline of North Carolina. Well known for hundreds of miles of beaches where record-breaking catches are landed on a regular basis, the North Carolina shoreline is arguably one of the top destinations for surf fishermen from all across the country. So if you are new to the N.C. coastline, or just want to brush up on your surf fishing insight, take a closer look at everything you need to know about casting from the coast, and get ready for plenty of opportunities to reel in the catch of a lifetime.

Whalehead in Historic Corolla

The prestigious Whalehead in Historic Corolla has been a dominant attraction to Corolla visitors since it was renovated and opened to the public in 2002. As part of the Historic Corolla Park, the Whalehead in Historic Corolla serves as a northern Outer Banks icon, and a living testament to Corolla and Duck's heyday as a secluded oceanfront retreat for the country's wealthy hunters and conservationists.

Corolla

Vacationers can stay in Corolla for a night or more at a hotel or generally for a week or more at a vacation rental home or condo.

Boating

Boating is exceptionally popular in the Currituck Sound, both for mariners passing through on the ICW, and for anglers and kayakers who want to explore the open Currituck Sound waters.

Currituck Sound

Currituck County is effectively comprised of more water than land, thanks to the 30-mile long Currituck Sound.

Outer Banks Real Estate

After a few days of sunny beach afternoons, fantastic local attractions, and all the amenities that attract people to the Outer Banks, many visitors find themselves daydreaming about a more permanent vacation. Whether your ultimate goal is to own an investment property, a retirement or vacation home, or simply a year-round home on the beach, the Outer Banks is filled with incredible opportunities and a variety of properties for sale.

Rainy Day Activities

Need a little inspiration on how to have fun during the occasional rainy day in Currituck County? Then check out these museums, shops, attractions and "at-home" activities that will appeal to visitors of all ages.

Moyock

Moyock is located on the very edge of the Virginia and North Carolina state border, and often serves as the first introduction to Currituck County and NC in general for Outer Banks visitors who are driving to the area from the northern half of the country.

Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal

Travelers along US 158 will cross the famous Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal en route to the Outer Banks. This historic waterway, which was conceived more than two centuries ago, continues to be a useful route for commercial and leisure mariners who are passing through Currituck County.

Outer Banks 2025 Vacations - Wide Open Spaces

The Outer Banks offers plenty of opportunities for a healthy, family fun vacation. Visitors can spread out over more than 100 miles of pristine shoreline. Local restaurants and eateries are providing abundant take-out and delivery options. Kids are distance learning from the beach! Also, there’s no risk of boredom with our list of social-distancing compatible activities! It’s no wonder that vacationers are turning to the Outer Banks for a fun, relaxing, and safe vacation during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Here are our picks for outdoor attractions, parks and activities where it’s easy to maintain social distancing guidelines while having 100% of the fun.

Outer Banks Lighthouses

Each of the Outer Banks five lighthouses is unique. For a beautiful view, visitors can climb Currituck Beach Light, Bodie Island Light and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for a small fee in season. It's an unforgettable way to see the Outer Banks! Don't forget to bring your camera, as these unique structures and surrounding grounds are some of the most picturesque and iconic attractions in the area.

Activities for Kids

Young visitors will adore both the mainland and barrier island beaches of Currituck County for the endless array of activities and attractions designed with kids in mind. Explore any of these wild, educational, and altogether fun local destinations for a memorable excursion that kids will truly treasure

Currituck Maritime Museum

Take a day trip or an afternoon off the beach to explore the heart of Historic Corolla Park, and you’ll find one of the Outer Banks’ newest and most noteworthy attractions, the Currituck Maritime Museum.

Outer Banks Nature Spots

With 150 miles of pristine coastline, and some of the East Coast's largest swaths of undisturbed maritime forest, the Outer Banks is a popular destination for nature lovers. As an important spot on America's "Flyway," which is the route that migrating birds take on their northern and southern treks across the country, the Outer Banks is the temporary home to hundreds of species of birds. Combine this with the number of deer, foxes, waterfowl, fish, turtles, and even alligators, and it's clear that the Outer Banks is truly a wild vacation destination.

Best Surf Fishing Gear for 2025

Once you have your coastal recreational fishing license in hand, it’s time to start thinking about gear. Anglers will find tons of options when it comes to equipment for casting into the surf, from custom designed rods and reels at local tackle shops, to name brand varieties that are designed for multiple areas along the coastline. Here are just a few of the most popular gear options for surf fishermen. Keep in mind that there are endless options available, and your local bait and tackle store staff will be happy to point you in the right direction if you have any questions about what you’ll need for successful surf fishing in any given area along the North Carolina coastline.

The 7 Best Beach & Fishing Coolers 2025

Nothing beats an ice-cold beverage while relaxing on the beach. Nothing is worse than reaching for an icy drink and finding your cans swimming. Coolers are essential for family days on the sand. A good modern cooler will keep food and drinks fresh for days. In addition to beverages, fishermen rely coolers to keep bait fresh, and hopefully the catch of the day. Walk onto any beach or pier in North or South Carolina and you’ll see a plethora of cooler models and sizes. Cooler technology has advanced rapidly in modern years. Top-end hard-sided coolers can keep ice frozen for a week. Soft coolers are easier for one person to carry onto a beach, but can still keep food cool for days. Cooler materials and price points vary wildly, so we put together this guide with our recommendations for your coastal vacation.

Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education

Corolla, North Carolina is a must see nautical village scented with the spray of the salty sea. It's located on NC Highway 12 along a thin strip of land bordered on the east by the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the inland waterway of Currituck Sound. Corolla is home to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, whose beacon first beckoned to sailors at sea in 1875, and to art noveau Whalehead in Historic Corolla, a turn of the century hunt club for sportsmen. The quaint village is also home to one of North Carolina's natural history gems called the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. The center, which opened in 2006, is an impressive and marvelous 22,000 square foot interpretive center for young and old alike to explore the history and vast diversity of North Carolina's wildlife.

Historic Corolla Park

Most all visitors to Corolla will spend at least a sunny afternoon or two at the Historic Corolla Park. This 39 acre site is home to three of the Northern Outer Banks' biggest attractions, the Whalehead in Historic Corolla, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, as well as plenty of gorgeous soundfront grounds that are wide open for visitors to explore.

Kiteboarding

Spring and fall visitors will notice the popularity of kiteboarding on the Outer Banks the moment they ride down a stretch of soundfront highway. In the off-season months, it's not unusual to spot dozens if not hundreds of multi-colored kites lining the skies over the Outer Banks' miles of sound waters.

Featured Local Businesses

We love to highlight some of the best and most interesting Outer Banks restaurants, shops, attractions and activities. Read on to discover some of our favorites!

Sailing the Outer Banks

Vacationers will notice a handful of sailboats at every local Outer Banks port, either saddled up to the docks or breezing across the harbor, en route to the nearest sound for a cruise, or to the continent-spanning Intracoastal Waterway to continue a long coastal voyage. Some vacationers are even in it for the long haul, docking for a summer or a winter season at a number of local marinas that offer all the comforts of home. Clearly, sailing lovers of all varieties have plenty of options, but even newcomers to the sport can experiment with life on the water with a local sailing lesson, rental, or waterfront cruise.

Outer Banks Birding

For bird lovers, the Outer Banks is hard to beat. This delicate chain of barrier islands is not only home to dozens of different native shorebirds, but also thousands of migrating birds who make a rest stop on the Outer Banks every year. Add to this the fact that the islands have hundreds of miles of deserted beaches, maritime forest, and marshlands for species to quietly flourish, and it's clear that the Outer Banks is literally for the birds.