The Outer Banks is the picture-perfect place to create memories with your loved ones. Because the OBX is such a unique area, families have been coming here for generations to celebrate milestones, discover new adventures, explore passions and have one happy OBX Moment after another. No matter your hobby or pastime and no matter your age, EVERYONE can come to the Outer Banks and find something they love! If you’re ready to experience your next OBX Moment with your family, we suggest trying out one of these activities:
Take to the Air:
- Biplane Tours – The Outer Banks is beautiful… imagine how awesome it must look from the air! Schedule an open cockpit style biplane tour and explore the Outer Banks from a point-of-view unlike any other. Get a closer look at the monuments and lighthouses, scan the sea for dolphins and shipwrecks, and learn all about the OBX from an experienced pilot tour guide.
- Windsurfing – Have you ever wanted to soar through the sky over the gorgeous waters of the Outer Banks? If so, you might want to give parasailing a try! This fun adventure doesn’t require prior athletic training meaning anyone can take to the sky at this popular water sport with the help of an experienced crew.
- Fly a Kite – Although you won’t be getting in the air yourself with this activity, you’ll get the chance to pilot your own kite through the vigorous winds of the OBX. Kids of all ages love kite flying and if the Wright Brothers thought this was a good place to fly a plane, you know it’s a great place to fly a kite! Grab a custom kite of your choice, pick the perfect spot, and launch your kite over the beach.
Get Out on the Water:
- Beach Outings – Perhaps the most classic and broad suggestion on our list, heading out to the beach for a day of fun in the sun is an OBX Moment just waiting to happen. Whether you love tanning on your beach towel, playing in the waves, building sandcastles, swimming in the ocean, playing volleyball, or reading under the umbrella, your possibilities are endless and all come with a breath-taking ocean view.
- Swimming Pools – The ocean isn’t always suitable for swimmers but luckily, you can still get your swimming in thanks to all of our Outer Banks Vacation Rentals that offer private pools! Whether you love the calm of soaking up the sun on your float or playing a fun game of Marco Polo, there is so much fun to be had in the pool!
- Surf Lessons – You don’t have to hit the West coast in order to try surfing thanks to the awesome swells that roll in and you don’t have to be a professional either since you can attend surf school! Sign your family up for surfing lessons and you’ll be taught ocean conditions, learn about ocean safety, and try your hand at catching a wave.
- Beachcombing – A favorite activity for locals and visitors, young and old, beachcombing on the Outer Banks is the perfect way to spend time together with your family. From seashells and sea glass to egg cases and fossils, the constantly changing coastline on the ocean and sound means you never know what treasure you may find with each new wave.
- Ghost Crab “Hunting” – The Atlantic Ghost Crab makes its home in the Outer Banks burrowing deep beneath the sand and popping out from time to time to explore. These shy creatures are most active at night so grab your flashlights and head out to the sand to try to get a glimpse of a ghost crab before they scurry away!
- Charter Boat Tours – The Outer Banks has awesome wildlife and gorgeous sunsets… and you can experience both with a charter boat tour. We guarantee you won’t forget the moment you spot a dolphin playing alongside your boat as you’re cruising the water and after a long day of fun, just imagine being completely immersed in an amazing Outer Banks sunset.
- Fishing – With 200 miles of coastline along the ocean and sound, several piers, offshore and inshore charter options and dozens of marina docks for personal watercraft, the Outer Banks is literally a fisherman’s paradise. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, the fishing is great here any time of the year so try your luck at reeling in the big one. And hey, even if you don’t catch anything, remember that “a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work!”
- Water Sports – With its serene waters and ideal wind conditions, the Outer Banks is the perfect spot to try a new water sport. From windsurfing, kiteboarding, skim boarding, and stand-up paddle boarding to sailing, kayaking, swimming and boogie boarding, you can try them all! With several rental equipment companies and experienced instructors available, your next water sporting adventure awaits!
Stick to the Earth:
- Wild Horse Tours – You can’t visit the Outer Banks without taking a Wild Horse Tour! You and your family will love cruising along the sand watching these graceful animals galloping through the waves and playing on the beach.
- Shopping – You might be saying, “I can shop anywhere,” and while that might be true, the Outer Banks has dozens of local shops offering everything from OBX gear, eclectic decorations, nautical home furnishings, local art and photography, and of course, tasty goodies made fresh by local chefs. Shopping in the OBX means taking a little piece of the Outer Banks home with you.
- Lighthouses – It’s no secret that the Outer Banks is filled with incredible and picturesque lighthouses that are recognized all over the world. Each with its own unique history, visiting these exceptional structures is the perfect way to learn more the area, take a great picture and maybe even climb to the top! Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Ocracoke Island Lighthouse can all be reached by car (but you do have to take the ferry to Ocracoke for that last one!)
- Trails – With miles of sandy beaches, sometimes visitors forget that the Outer Banks also has miles of accessible trails that wind through immaculate maritime forests and are home to all sorts of wildlife. If you love exploring the land, visit the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve or take the kids to “Turtle Park” at the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve.
Fire up your Appetite:
- Family Dinners at Home – We have dozens of great Outer Banks vacation rentals featuring large, fully-stocked kitchens with modern appliances so that you can cook up a gourmet meal right in your own beach house. Some of the best memories are made around the table over a home-cooked meal and with a variety of grocery stores and fresh seafood markets to shop from, you can create your very own masterpiece.
- Dining Out – If you love getting everyone together at the table but you prefer not to do the cooking, you’re in luck! The Outer Banks offers some of the best dining options on the East coast with menus available for every palate or unique nutritional need. With locally caught seafood options ranging from flounder and drum to crabs and oysters, the food is always fresh and cooked with care from local chefs who want to help you make a fantastic (and delicious!) memory.
- Beach Bonfires - Evenings on the beach are cooler, calm, and the perfect time for a bonfire on the beach. Grab some roasting sticks, marshmallows and enjoy a classic S'more while you watch the waves crash the beach... what could be more fun? Just remember that bonfires are only allowed on the beaches of Nags Head, Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras, and Ocracoke during certain months and times. A permit is required and will depend on the wind conditions.
