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Discovering a sandy hideaway

Kate Whiting
10/ 6/2008

IN Ocracoke harbour, the pelicans perch on wooden mooring posts in the setting sun, as if to welcome the fishing boats back after a long day out at sea. And they couldn't have found a better - or more secluded - place to rest.

Ocracoke, one of the narrow sandbar islands that run down the coast of North Carolina, was for years one of America's best-kept secrets.

In 2007, however, it was thrown into the global spotlight when its virgin beach beat more than 650 sandy havens to be named the best beach in the entire United States.

It was the first time a beach outside of the more popular sunspots Hawaii and Florida had been chosen, and sitting on the warm white sand I could easily see why.

Ocracoke island boasts 15 miles of uninterrupted, undeveloped, pristine beach with gently sloping sand-dunes and spectacular views stretching out over the Atlantic.

There are none of the oversized chain hotels, beach bars or banana boats of built-up resorts. Ocracoke defines understatement and simplicity.

Sand quality

US beach expert Stephen Leatherman (fondly known as Dr Beach) selected Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on the basis of 50 criteria, ranging from sand quality and colour to wave size and even traffic.

There certainly aren't many cars in Ocracoke, mainly because the island has only 700 residents and because its location, 26 miles from the mainland, means many visitors fly into this unspoilt paradise instead of struggling with the three-hour car ferry. But the journey is well worth it for those seeking a real American treasure.

Besides its beach, the island, and the surrounding Outer Banks boast some of the most extraordinary history, set in a carefully preserved landscape.

One exciting way to explore is by kayak. Ride The Wind surf shop, in the centre of Ocracoke's snug historic town, offers guided Eco Tours, which take you to the very spot where the notorious pirate Blackbeard met his demise.

Blackbeard, an Englishman known as Edward Teach, had often used the island as a refuge when taking a break from smuggling and pillaging.

He was finally killed by Lieutenant Maynard, who chopped off his head in a ferocious battle, just off Springer's Point in 1718.

Paddling through Teach's Hole, you could almost sense the battle, which had once rocked the now still waters.

Eerie

But perhaps more eerie was the legend that Blackbeard's headless body had swum around his boat three times before it sunk to Davy Jones' Locker.

The kayak tour, led by friendly Ocracoker Bob Chestnut, took us away from the ocean and up some of the island's natural inlets too, where we found oysters, hermit crabs, turtles and even a sea snake darting among the reed beds. Our sunset return to the harbour was shadowed by a continuous line of cormorants migrating south for the winter - a most incredible sight.

Later we would meet another islander, Philip Howard, who leads historical ghost walks around Ocracoke's closely woven network of paths.

As a descendant of William Howard, who first bought the land in 1759 for 105 British pounds, Philip perhaps lays most claim to knowing the island's history.

As we wandered slowly through the dark town, Philip gently conjured tales of an unknown diver who haunts the main street, chairs that rock by themselves and townsfolk who had been buried alive.

Among the many small cemeteries dotted around the island is one dedicated to four British sailors from HMS Bedfordshire.

The men were laid to rest on Ocracoke in 1942 after their ship was torpedoed on May 11 by a German submarine.

Culinary gems

After bidding farewell to Philip we went for dinner at the Back Porch restaurant and wine bar - one of the island's culinary gems - offering such delicacies as steak with Roquefort and an excellent range of seafood dishes.

We stayed at the Captain's Landing, a wooden hotel in keeping with the traditional 18th century houses, which had spectacular views over Ocracoke harbour and lighthouse.

The next morning, we took bikes offered at the hotel and cycled round to the harbour to catch a boat over to the deserted town of Portsmouth on a neighbouring island.

Once a thriving port town with more than 685 residents in 1860, Portsmouth lost its purpose when shipping lanes moved north, and saw the last residents leave it shores in the early 1970s.

A handful of the buildings are open to the public, including the US Lifesaving Station, General Store and Methodist Church - all immaculately preserved by volunteers exactly as the community had left them.

We were powered back to Ocracoke by Rudy Austin, who was born and raised on the island and spoke in its distinctive brogue, a bit like a UK West Country accent, where `high tide' is pronounced 'hoi toide' and `there' is `thar'.

The accent is derived from the Scots-Irish settlers who came to the island in the 18th century. They were exposed to decades of geographical and social isolation from the mainland, which marshland had made virtually unreachable.

Own culture

Over time the islanders developed their own culture, as well as the soft-sounding dialect.

To give ourselves some geographical perspective, we headed to the historic town of Beaufort on the mainland, which lies at the heart of North Carolina's Crystal Coast.

From Beaufort, it's easy to take day trips to other sandbar islands, which make up the Outer Banks, and one of the most spectacular is Cape Lookout.

Just a quick powerboat ride away, you're on another wild beach that could almost rival Ocracoke's, with warm currents making the sea as tempting as a bubble bath.

Cape Lookout's lighthouse, with its large black and white diamond pattern, is iconic of the Outer Banks and so are the wild ponies, which roam nearby Shackleford Banks.

Legend has it that they swam ashore from Spanish shipwrecks hundreds of years ago and have gone on to colonise swathes of land across the Crystal Coast.

Beaufort itself is the third oldest town in North Carolina and was considered a health resort by Victorians, who drank its special seawater tonic with honey.

Double decker bus

You can see the town to its best advantage from the top deck of a vintage 1948 double decker bus, which takes you through the Beaufort Historic Site and includes Hammock House, which was built in 1709 and where the notorious Blackbeard once stayed.

North Carolina's coast has become a hotspot for diving - with some 2,000 ships found wrecked in its rocky waters. Understandably the coastline is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort boasts artefacts said to be salvaged from Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, found in 1996.

Sharks and sea turtles happily swim through a replica of the sunken pirate ship at the North Carolina Aquarium, a short drive from Beaufort in Pine Knoll Shores.

As the sun glinted off the Atlantic at the end of another beautiful day on the Outer Banks it was easy to see why North Carolina is so justifiably proud of its unique coastline.

Factfile: Kate Whiting flew to Raleigh Durham as a guest of American Airlines. A package from £575, flying from Manchester and including seven nights' car hire with complimentary satnav is bookable through operator Bon Voyage: 0800 316 3012/bon-voyage.co.uk. Accommodation can be arranged at Beaufort Inn (001 252 728 2600/ beaufort-inn.com); Captain's Landing (001 252 928 1999/ thecaptainslanding.com); and The Cove B&B (001 252 928 4192). Destination information is available from North Carolina Division of Tourism: 0207 367 0937/ northcarolinatravel.co.uk