A Secluded Coastal Village In North Carolina Is A Beautiful Getaway With Small Beach Town Vibes

Everyone has a picture in their mind of what the perfect Outer Banks getaway looks like. For many, it involves roaming down North Carolina Highway 12 and stopping by artsy beach towns with waterfront shopping and dining. Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Corolla, and Duck are popular spots along the way. But if you keep driving south, you eventually come to the tip of land known as Cape Hatteras on Hatteras Island.

It's marked by America's tallest brick lighthouse, a distinctive 208-foot-tall landmark that's hard to miss. Despite its name, the lighthouse is located near the town of Buxton. Several more villages continue along the island, but the last one, where the road ends at a ferry ramp, is a real treasure: Hatteras Village.

The village is located within the boundaries of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. With a permit, off-road vehicles (ORVs) can explore miles of the Outer Banks beaches in the area, leading to some remote and tranquil places that few people can see. Like the uncrowded and pristine stretch of the Outer Banks at the opposite end of the road, this southern part of the island is quieter, with miles of beautiful beach shaped by those incredible sea breezes.

Hatteras Village is a small community of homes and businesses tucked at the end of Highway 12. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway meanders around the island, lined with shops, restaurants, and a few inns. Residential streets branch off, some toward the beach, some along the inner sounds and marshes. Near the Hatteras Ferry Terminal, you'll find Beach Ramp 55 for ORVs and a parking lot for the rest of us. The beach here is wide open, with homes stretching east and nearly 2 miles of undeveloped dunes going west.

Despite the small size and quiet location, this little beach town has everything you need for a perfect getaway. The Village Market Red and White has your groceries and provisions, and several eateries have fresh, right-off-the-boat seafood. Hatteras Sol Waterside Grill is one of the top picks in town, with a near five-star rating on Google. As for accommodations, there are several inns available, including The Atlantic, which received the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award for 2024. Plus, countless rental properties are available, from bargain condos to three-story beach houses with wrap-around porches and ocean views.

Activities in Hatteras start with simply relaxing and unwinding — many rentals come with patios featuring outstanding ocean views. But once you've found the bottom of that cup of coffee, there's exploring and beachcombing to do, too. The village is a hub for deep-sea fishing enthusiasts, and charters are available at the marina area. There are more miles of beach than you can dream of, and day-trip and activity options abound. Visit the lighthouse or check out the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, which is dedicated to the countless shipwrecks over the centuries on the shifting shoals here.

It's a long drive to get to Hatteras Village. In fact, it's about the most remote island you can drive to without getting on a ferry. It lies at the southern end of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway (North Carolina Route 12) and is the departure point for one of the three ferries to Ocracoke Island, one of the Outer Banks' least visited spots. The nearest major cities are Norfolk and Raleigh, three and four hours away by car, respectively.

The Outer Banks is known for its vacation rental market. Many of the towns in the area are filled with properties, and some families return to their favorite spot year after year. Camping is another popular option, and there are several beachside campgrounds between the village and the neighboring towns of Frisco and Buxton. Holiday weekends and summer vacations mean crowds in most Outer Banks towns. That's not a problem once you get there, but traffic can be miserable if you hit the rush. There are only two roads in and out. Most one-week vacation rentals start and end on Saturdays, making travel on that particular day rough. For a more leisurely drive, try starting and ending your stays on a Sunday or even mid-week.

The weather makes the Outer Banks enjoyable year-round, but, like any beach town, it's most popular in the summer months. Crowds are thinned out between Labor Day and Memorial Day, so spring and fall are excellent times for a quieter escape. The ideal time to visit for maximum beach fun is August or September.