The Outer Banks

Explore the Outer Banks of North Carolina

By Anne Jacques-Merle

The area is also famous for sport fishing. You can cast in the surf on beaches and the local pier, or charter a boat for deep-sea fishing. Commercial fishermen dock at Avon, and marinas at Hatteras Village, and Oregon Inlet. The catches of both sport and commercial fishermen are really something to see every afternoon. Wahoo, tuna, crabs, and mahi mahi, (locally called dolphin, but not the mammals you're thinking of), are weighed in all along the docks.

Another favorite pastime here is eating! You can't go wrong here. Whether you cook your own fish on a grill outside your cottage, or go to one of the vast assortment of restaurants, the taste of fish only hours out of salt water is the best. The eateries range from a couple of fancy spots to super casual, with a wide variety of fare. No fast food chains down here. But the local version of fast food, North Carolina barbeque, a mouth watering vinegar-sauced pulled pork, must be tried.

Don't miss Bubba's in Avon, and Frisco for barbecue, or our secret family spot, The Fish House, on a little dock in Buxton. Have the hush puppies and crab cakes here, even if you never eat fried food elsewhere. You can thank me when you get home.

When you need to work off those newly acquired calories, golf, biking, hiking and horseback riding are available from the northern villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo, to Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village, at the southern tip of the island bearing its name.

Want to see more?

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• Disney in the Off-season: Less Crowds, More Time for Fun
• Watching Over the Waters: Lighthouses of the Outer Banks of North Carolina
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