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Trip Ideas
Legends of Blackbeard and sunken treasures echo through North Carolina’s shores, where historic shipwrecks, maritime museums and pirate lore bring the state’s seafaring past to life.
Island Icons
Featured Local’s Tip
Be an Early Bird
Morning ferry = cooler temps, calmer water and prime wild horse watching. Call ahead to the Island Express Ferry Service for availability, pack the essentials and admire the Shackleford Banks’ herd from at least 50 feet away.
Explore morePoints of Interest
North Carolina’s seven coastal lighthouses do more than mark the shoreline — they anchor stories of shipwrecks, survival and centuries of maritime tradition. From the Northern Outer Banks to Bald Head Island, each tower has its own personality, history and reason for standing watch where land meets sea.
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