Ocracoke

Ocracoke Village and Lighthouse

At the southwest end of a tiny island thrusting into the Atlantic lies the second oldest operating lighthouse in America. Its beacon winks each night every ten seconds or so over Ocracoke Village, nestled around scenic Silver Lake Harbor. Ocracoke Island is a site where life exists on the Outer Banks as it was 30, 50, even 100 years ago. Here, interspersed among the old clapboard island homes, are a school, post office, two churches, and a sprinkling of stores, motels, and restaurants.

Approximately 700 people call Ocracoke Island home. Many of the native "O"cockers" still speak with the distinctive "hoi toide" accent, a dialect reminiscent of seafaring England from earlier times when the island was isolated from mainland North Carolina. Accessible only by ferry, a day trip to Ocracoke includes southern hospitality, unique shopping and wonderful seafood in its restaurants. The Hatteras Inlet ferry ride is free and promises 45 minutes of fun, excitement, and restful contemplation.

Ocracoke Island has a rich natural heritage. Its undeveloped seashore provides excellent beach combing and surf fishing. A nature trail meanders through maritime forest and across sand dunes to an extensive salt marsh bordering Pamlico Sound. Horseback riding, bicycling and kayaking all provide excellent means to explore out-of-the-way places flourishing with bird and marine life.

Recently declared a "National Historic District," Ocracoke is also rich with colorful history. Before the arrival of Europeans it was inhabited by Native Americans, members of the Croatan Chiefdom, who grew small gardens and harvested the bounty of the sea. Spanish explorers visited the island as early 1524, and in 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh's expedition from England to establish the first English-speaking settlement in the New World entered through Ocracoke Inlet. In 1715 the North Carolina General Assembly stationed pilots to guide ships through Ocracoke Inlet to accommodate the mainland ports of New Bern, Washington and Edenton and open up trade for North Carolina products with the world.

Pirates frequented the island during this period, the most famous of which was Edward Teach, aka "Blackbeard". He met his death in a grisly sea fight off the coast of Ocracoke at Teach's Hole in 1718. Some of Ocracoke's oldest families claim descendency from Blackbeard and his pirate crew.

Ocracoke Inlet played an important role in shipping supplies during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. During World War II, German submarines targeted merchant ships along the coast.

Ocracoke's past is preserved in the Ocracoke Museum and Visitors Center, in the historic lighthouse, and in the British Cemetery, which honors British sailors who died here in World War II. A walk down the sandy lane known as Howard Street leads you under spreading live oaks beside old island homes and small, well-kept cemeteries.

If you seek isolation and privacy, Ocracoke is the place for you. Hatteras Realty provides homes that will place you in a seashell's toss of this magical island and her many temptations. Stay with us, let us provide you your base to seek adventure and discovery and to revel in the beauty that is Ocracoke Island.

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Ferry to Ocracoke