Outer Banks Travel Guide
"Outer Banks, paradise on Earth." Alright, I couldn't resist. If you know what the quote is from, you are up to date on Netflix shows because that is from the hit series Outer Banks. I have grown up at the Outer Banks and find it to be a home away from home for me. Anytime I get to go to the beach I am a HAPPY girl! I know this is an extremely weird time right now and nobody is traveling and some of you may be wondering why in the WORLD are you sharing this right now? 1. I still get a ton of questions from people as to what to do and where to go when in the Outer Banks, 2. Some people are actually frequenting the beach and doing it safely, and 3. It's good to just have that positive thought in our minds that one day we are going to get to travel regularly again and go to the places we love.
With all of that being said..... There is never a boring day when you are at the Outer Banks with a ton of things to do for every type of beach goer. So today I am sharing some of my favorite places to eat, activities to do, and beaches to frequent when you visit the Outer Banks.
FOOD
Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe | If you want to have some of the freshest and best seafood you will ever have, you NEED to go to Lone Cedar because this place is truly incredible. They have fresh catches every day and even have their own oyster buckets and crab bins behind the restaurant-- I'm not kidding, really fresh. Every time we are in the Outer Banks, you can count on the fact that we will be there at least once!
Blue Water Grill and Raw Bar | We love this place because it is located in the Pirate's Cover Yacht Club where we usually reside when we visit and it overlooks the marina so you get to take in this beautiful view with all the colorful boats. They have such fresh food because literally they are located right in the marina. If you go fishing that day out of the Pirate's Cove marina, you can bring the fish that you catch that day and they will cook it for you and serve it to your group which is super awesome! They even have an outdoor bar you can sit at and listen to some live music every now and then.
Mulligan's | Close to the beach and close to Jockey's Ridge-- I mean come on there is no other perfect location to eat at. They have an upstairs and outdoors area that is perfect for a night out with your friends, but the actual restaurant is fantastic! It's a great and fun environment and the staff is truly so nice and love to be there and make the experience 10x better.
Nags Head Pizza Company | Snug waterfront counter serve for gourmet pies and slices and custom salads, with deck seating. Actually set up like a cafe, it has pizzas that are out of this world and some of the best you will find along the coast.
Sam and Omie's | Truly an Outer Banks staple! This is another perfect location and is straight across the street from Jennette's Pier and is such a great environment. They are more of a bar restaurant but do serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But if you ask anybody in the Outer Banks somewhere to go to eat, they will definitely tell you Sam and Omie's because it is such a fun and happy environment.
Tale of the Whale | Upscale dinner-only steak & seafood spot overlooking Roanoke Sound, with live lounge music. Located right next door to Lone Cedar Cafe and gets fresh catches every. single. day. I mean come on, who doesn't love a little surf and turf!
Fish Head's | Now we just found this place on this past trip and it is officially one of my favorites because it is on the pier sits right on the ocean so it is beautiful scenery. The staff is super amazing and you could literally not find another place like this one. My all time favorite thing about this place was that all across the ceiling is different koozies from all kinds of different events, weddings, and other restaurants. Highly suggest going to this place!
BEACHES
You can't go wrong with any of the beaches at the Outer Banks, though some areas might be more crowded than others. Whenever we go, we randomly choose one of our favorite spots to go to that day based on how we are feeling. Now I do have to warn you about a few things about the Outer Banks beaches-- because it is so famous for ship wrecks, there are still parts of ships out in the water so just be careful when swimming in some places. Most places will have signs warning you so you know, but please just be careful. Now besides that the ocean is so pretty and clear most days but it is a little chiller because this is a little farther north compared to other beaches like Wrightsville or Myrtle! But it is so refreshing and the sand isn't really that hot to walk on. As you go down farther South towards Coquina, you are actually allowed to drive your truck or Jeep out onto the beach, all you need is a pass!
Jennette's Pier
Fish Head's Pier
Coquina Beach
Rodanthe Beach
Random Beach Accesses
ACTIVITIES
Jockey's Ridge | The highest place in the Outer Banks-- if you think I am kidding, I'm not! It is just a fun place to go and something a lot of people don't know is that it is actually a State Park now. But the cool thing about this place is that because of the wind, these hills and cliffs change all the time. They will even let you parasail off these cliffs and hills and is really cool to just sit there and watch them do it.
Jet Skiing | Now this might seem like a simple thing but one of the coolest places to do is right as you go over the big bridge over into Nags Head because it is in this kind of cove area but you are able to go further down into the inlet! Super fun and you can definitely get a thrill ride out of it when really get going.
Parasailing | If you are feeling a little more on the adventurous side, parasailing is a great thing to do to take in the whole Outer Banks coastline and see everything from way up. There are two places that I really suggest going to for this and that would be Kitty Hawk Watersports and Causeway Watersports. Both places will take really good care of you.
Chartering A Boat For Deep Sea Fishing or Off Shore Fishing | Now I have never been Deep Sea Fishing but my dad has and the Outer Banks are his go to place to go deep sea fishing. It is an early morning but I can guarantee you, you will see one the most beautiful sunrises out there! The captains on all of the boats are amazing and will definitely help you and teach you the best techniques.The two biggest places to fish out of are Pirates Cove Marina and Oregon Inlet Marina.
If you are a frequent Outer Banks goer and have some other recommendations that I should add to the list, please comment them down below so I can keep updating this list.
As always, thank y'all for stopping by and reading! I will see y'all back here next time!
Love, Dani
