Outer Banks Things To Do

If it’s on the water, the folks here can help you do it. On the sound at the backside of TimBuck II next to the minigolf course, Corolla Water Sports rents four-stroke Waverunners, pontoon boats, standup paddleboards, sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks and two and four-seat pedal boats. You can rent the pontoons with or without a captain – sunset cruises are perfect in one of these vessels. Guided kayak eco-tours are offered in the morning and afternoon and at sunset. They also offer banana boat rides and tubing. Parasailing adventures – fly double and triple parasail rides up to 1,200 feet – are available. They offer a "Corolla Downwinder" experience, which is a kayak and standup paddleboard adventure where you cruise with the wind at your back the entire time. You can also do guided fishing trips and rent fishing boats. Live blue crabs and select fresh seafood are available for purchase. Go to the sound and look for the watersports building and pier.

Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974. With 10 retail locations from Corolla to Ocracoke, Kitty Hawk Kites boasts an impressive selection of kites, flags and spinners, toys, apparel, gifts and games on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kites specializes in kites, from the single-lines for kids to high-tech stunt varieties. The stores also sell fun outdoor goodies such as flags, toys, boomerangs and games. You’ll find a wide selection of Outer Banks gear, beach sportswear and footwear from Crocs, Chaco, Hey Dude, Southern Fried and Life is Good apparel, t-shirts, sweatshirts, outdoor clothing, sunglasses and more. Kitty Hawk Kites also offers a number of adventure activities including hang gliding, kayak and SUP tours, lessons and rentals, parasailing, Jet Skis, dolphin tours, wild horse tours, historic tours and much more. The brand-new Whalebone Watersports Center on the Nags Head Causeway offers kayak fishing, Jet Skis, pontoon boat rentals and more. At Kitty Hawk Kites' Waves Village Watersports in Rodanthe, you can learn kiteboarding; buy and rent kiteboarding gear; rent a kayak, surfboard or standup paddleboard or climb the adventure tower/ropes course. Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding School at Jockey's Ridge in Nags Head offers private lessons, beginner lessons, advanced lessons and training packages for hang gliding, as well as retail merchandise and sand boards available for rent.

Manteo, the only incorporated town on Roanoke Island and the Dare County seat, is a small island town complete with a picturesque waterfront, a safe harbor, welcoming docks and a charming downtown historic area. 

Manteo’s waterfront downtown is an attraction in itself, with shops, art galleries, eateries, a lighthouse, a maritime museum, a waterfront boardwalk, a park and children's playground and boats sitting in the harbor of Shallowbag Bay. It’s also the home of Roanoke Island Festival Park, one of the Outer Banks’ most popular attractions. The Manteo historic district is full of restored homes and bed and breakfast inns that make for great sightseeing or overnight stays. It is perfect for exploring on foot or by bicycle. Park the car and walk around; the town is quite pedestrian friendly. 

The main corridor of Manteo is U.S. Highway 64. This road is lined with shops, galleries, restaurants, service businesses and places to stay. A bicycle/multi-use path runs parallel to U.S. Highway 64 for the northern half of this picturesque island. If you have a bicycle handy, we highly recommend using this path to explore Roanoke Island. The path ends at a beautiful soundfront park and beach. Also on the island are the attractions of Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre, The Elizabethan Gardens, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center, Island Farm and the fishing village of Wanchese.