Best and Cheapest in the Off-season
Written: Nov 27 '05
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Pros: Off season no crowds, no traffic, great deals, secluded beaches
Cons: Lots of stuff closed until a certain date - check before going
The Bottom Line: I love Outer Banks in the off-season. No crowds, secluded beaches, great deals on vacation rentals.
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| ymb5v's Full Review: Outer Banks, NC |
I've been going to Outer Banks for about 20 years. I always go in the off-season (that's pretty much any time except June-August). It's peaceful and practically deserted - miles and miles of empty beaches, no crowds, no lines, no noise. The optimum time to go is in May, because everything is open, it's warm, and prices are still low and crowds are still absent. I've also been there in March and April. These are the cheapest months, but if you're not careful you might end up finding that everything from restaurants to tour outfits are closed, and there isn't much to do. Call around to find out when the tours and water activities open.
Where to stay: If you like seclusion and untouched beaches, stay in Corolla. The neighborhoods of Villages at Ocean Hill and Ocean Hill are some of the nicest, most uncrowded areas. Generally, the further you go out on the peninsula, the less people and buildings you'll see. These are the northern-most areas before the 4-wheel drive access-only beaches (more about those below).
You can rent a gigantic home (5-7 bedrooms)in Corolla for $975 - 1,600 October - April. You can get an ocean-front home with stunning views from every room for as little as $1,000 a week. After that prices triple or even quadruple for these properties. The homes in these areas are absolutely beautiful. Most are less than five years old, have comfortable beds and lovely decor. The average home boasts at least three master bedroom suites with private baths, gameroom, at least one tv/vcr or dvd, a hot tub, and a pool (pools open only after 4/29 at most houses, but hot tubs are generally year-round). Most homes also include one or two bedrooms with bunk beds and twin beds for children. As a couple, it's still a great deal, but imagine sharing a home with two or three other couples - you can pay as little as a couple hundred dollars for a whole week in one of these amazing homes!
Of course, you have to book early to get the best deals - many of the best homes at the most reasonable prices book as early as December.
Obviously, for an even cheaper stay, you can book an oceanside, semi-oceanfront, lake-side or sound-side home. Don't expect ocean views from anything but an ocean-front home, though, regardless of what the pictures or the brochure show. These tend to be very misleading. Unless you have an oceanfront home, the best you can hope for is a glimpse of blue in the distance, between the oceanfront homes that are blocking the view. Again - DON'T trust pictures or brochures that show or say there is an ocean view from any house other than oceanfront. Also, when booking a non-oceanfront home, check where the closest public beach access is. Even from a short distance from the actual beach, you may find you have to walk over several streets to reach a place where you can actually walk through to the beach. Outer Banks is very strict about not walking on the sand dunes. You simply cannot enter except at a designated beach access area. All oceanfront homes have their own, or at least share one with the home next door. Still - we've stayed at some really beautiful oceanside homes and had a wonderful time, regardless of not being right on the beach.
If you have a few more bucks to spend, or maybe a lot of friends to take with you, and you want to step up the luxury factor, homes in Pine Island, in the southern part of Corolla, are probably the most opulent in the Outer Banks. You can find 9-bedroom homes with decor worthy of a home design magazine, fully equipped "theater rooms" and other over-the-top luxuries for as little as $3,000 - 4,000 a week.
Other areas of Corolla, such as Ocean Sands and Whalehead, are generally priced a little lower than those mentioned above, possibly because they are a bit more developed, with more rows of homes and some restaurants and grocery stores. I've never stayed on one of those beaches, but from a distance they look nice enough. At some of the real estate sights (like Twiddy Realty), you can view an aerial map of the different areas and see just how the houses are laid out and how many there are. This is helpful if you are particular about your surroundings and want to find just the right vacation rental.
Two real estate agencies I've used and had good experiences with are Caroline Designs and Twiddy Realty. They both have their properties online, also, with lots of pictures and information.
I recommend avoiding the southern parts of the peninsula, such Nags Head proper, altogether. These are suburban-looking areas today, with many highways, gas stations, and stores (they were not many years ago), and just don't have the charm and seclusion of the northern parts of the peninsula.
Finally, if you really want to get away from it all, and you have a really tough 4-wheel drive vehicle, you can stay north even of Corolla at one of the Ocean, Swan, Seagull or Carova beach. Some of these areas are still almost completely untouched, and you may see wild horses roaming the beaches as far south as Ocean Beach (which you can walk to easily from Ocean Hill, by the way). But be warned - I've seen even people with big 4-wheel drive trucks get stuck on the beach road. Because of the limited access, you can get an even better deal on a home in one of these areas.
Things to do in Outer Banks: As long as you are there while things are open, there are lots of things to do. Aside from restaurants and beach walks, I recommend an ATV or other tour to the wild horse sanctuary on the northern beaches. In May there are dolphin watching tours by jet boat and other eco-tours. You can find eco-tours by kayak and jetski, etc, in April, but check ahead to make sure they are open the week you plan to be there. You can rent a jet ski, kayak or canoe at various locations.
I also recommend getting a map and taking a drive around to the various lighthouses. Hatteras is a good one to see, and ther is also Bodie. The beaches there are also good for shelling.
Other good day trips are: Ocracoke Island - (you can take the ferry there year-round), but the lighthouse is tiny and you can't go in, so don't count on that as a major attraction; Roanoke Island - there is a lot to do here, lots of shops and sights, an English garden, and don't miss the lost colony theater. Whether the theater is in season or not, it's a fascinating place to walk around (there are marked trails and ruins of the fort to see).
Also, don't miss local Currituck lighthouse. Climb it an enjoy and awesome view. If you're staying in Corolla, you may be able to walk or ride a bike to it.
There are dozens of other things to do - airplane rides, all kinds of local tours, parasailing and wind-surfing, etc. Much more than you can do in a week. Although I've never in 20 years actually gone swimming in the ocean (water's always been too cold for me), I've never been sorry for vacationing there. Again - just make sure that if you're going in the off-season, stuff will be open.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
ymb5v
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Reviews written: 1
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