Trip of the week: the elemental beauty of the Outer Banks in North Carolina
This ‘fragile chain’ of barrier islands are well-known for their rich folklore and ‘postcard sights’

A “fragile chain” of barrier islands that shadows the mainland coast of North Carolina for 200 miles, the Outer Banks are well-known in the US for their “sandy, windswept beauty” and rich folklore. And yet they still feel “quiet” and “remote”, says Jacqui Agate in The Daily Telegraph – and make for a wonderful escape from the pressures of modern life. Algonquian-speaking tribes had lived here for 1,000 years when, in 1587, the English established a colony on Roanoke Island – their first in the New World – that later mysteriously vanished. The islands became a playground of the pirate Edward Teach – better known as Blackbeard – and in 1903, the Wright brothers achieved the first controlled, powered flight here.
In the south, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretches for 70 miles, its national park status prohibiting development. There are no “tacky souvenir shops” – just miles of woodland, golden beaches and “grass-flecked” dunes. At the park’s southern tip lies Ocracoke, where Blackbeard was slain by Lieutenant Robert Maynard and his crew in 1718, his severed head “hung on Maynard’s bowsprit as a grotesque trophy”. In Ocracoke Village, tree-lined Howard Street is named for the Howard family, descendants of the pirate’s quartermaster. Today, they run Village Craftsmen, “a charming shop filled with curios” made by local artisans. Heading north, you might stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, where there’s an interesting museum. Drawn here from Ohio partly by the islands’ steady wind, the brothers then fell in love with the area.
The land where the Lost Colony of 1587 stood is now the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and another small museum. Still further north, development has “boomed”, but even here there are “postcard sights”, not least the wild horses of Currituck County, most likely the descendants of working horses that escaped from a Spanish expedition in the 1500s.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
El Palace Barcelona: old-world luxury in the heart of the city
The Week Recommends This historic hotel is set within a former Ritz outpost moments from the Passeig de Gràcia
-
The best history books to read in 2025
The Week Recommends These fascinating deep-dives are perfect for history buffs
-
July 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include the danger of talking politics at a family picnic, and disappearing Medicaid entitlements
-
The Anatomy of Painting: Jenny Saville's 'stunning' retrospective
The Week Recommends Saville's new collection features 'masterpieces' from throughout her career
-
M3GAN 2.0: riotous action sequel to the comedy-horror hit about a killer doll
The Week Recommends A 'ridiculously' entertaining 'hyper-camp mash-up' of Terminator 2 and Mission: Impossible
-
Properties of the week: bright and cheerful houses
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Cornwall, London and Norfolk
-
Shami Chakrabarti picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The politician and human rights activist shares the polemics that inspired her
-
6 sleek homes for modernists
Feature Featuring a concrete-and-steel home in South Carolina and a renovated 19th-century former carriage house in Pennsylvania
-
The Genius Myth: a 'fresh and unpretentious' book from Helen Lewis
The Week Recommends This 'angry, witty book' by Helen Lewis is a valuable critique of the 'flattering fiction' of genius
-
From Hilde, With Love – the 'moving' story of an accidental revolutionary
The Week Recommends Liv Lisa Fries gives a 'compelling' performance as the soft-spoken heroine.
-
Exploring Georgia's southern highlands
The Week Recommends Visit Javakheti, Georgia's 'lake district', and meet the last-remaining 'spirit wrestlers' in the region