Beach Houses & Hotels

There are 12,000 rental houses on the Outer Banks, by far the most popular lodging option for those who frequent the islands. Houses generally rent by the week. Rental houses can accommodate groups of about any size—some have more than 20 bedrooms—with amenities from private pools to elevators to in-home theaters. We recommend renting through Twiddy & Company, twiddy.com.

If you need a shorter stay—or just prefer hotels and inns—try beautiful beachside Hampton Inn at Corolla, the Comfort Inn on Hatteras, or the chains in Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills. Beyond that, most lodging is locally owned and older construction, so don’t expect flat-panel TVs and WiFi. Try The Castle on Silver Lake, The Ocracoke Harbor Inn, or The Anchorage Inn & Marina.

Photo: Whalehead Club at Currituck Heritage Club in Corolla