Top Places to Visit in the Tri-Villages

Things to do in the Tri-Villages

Tri-Village Business District

Visitors who have been coming to the Outer Banks for a while know that the Tri-Villages probably have the most laid back, slow-paced way of life around. Although there are some small shopping plazas and a few very nice locally owned restaurants, there is no one area that could be considered a business center.

Convenience Stores, but no Supermarkets

There are two very well-stocked convenience stores in the Tri-Villages but no supermarkets. The nearest supermarkets are 16 miles south in Avon or in Nags Head, 25 miles north.

Island Convenience is located on the north end of Rodanthe. In addition to carrying the necessities for stocking a home, the store also offers freshly prepared breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

Waves Market & Deliin St. Waves Plaza is small but manages to pack a lot into the space. Their deli sandwiches are huge and delicious.

Kiteboarding

Pamlico Sound is a wide, shallow, open body of water—perfect for kiteboarding. The Tri-Villages seem to have become the center of kiteboarding on the Outer Banks.

The two largest kiteboarding businesses in the Tri-Villages are located in Waves.

Kitty Hawk Kites Kiteboarding Resort and REAL Watersports have similar amenities, including well-stocked retail stores, instruction, lodging, entertainment and a restaurant.

REAL Watersports, opened in 2001, was one of the first kiteboarding businesses in the nation.

Rodanthe Pier

The Rodanthe Pier is on the north end of Rodanthe. The pier a beautiful 50 year old plus wooden pier with some great fishing. It has a reputation for being very family oriented.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge

Located on the north end of Hatteras Island, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 5800 acre wildlife refuge providing protected habitat for waterfowl, sea turtles and other animal species native to the Outer Banks.

It has a well-known as one of the finest birdwatching locations in the world with over 365 bird species sighted over the years. Birdwatchers from around the world gather in fall for the arrival of migratory waterfowl.

There is a visitor center with an easily navigated trail around an impoundment four miles south of the Basnight Bridge. In the summer, insect repellant is highly recommended.

Surfing

Rodanthe tends to have consistently good surfing waves. There’s one area, though, just north of Rodanthe that really stands out.

The S Curves—the highway makes an S Curve here—is a place with some of the best conditions on the East Coast.

It is a very high energy area—NC12 is regularly overwashes at the S Curves—so it’s not good for novice surfers. But with a light offshore breeze and a storm a few hundred miles offshore, the conditions are legendary.

The Beaches

In a word—wonderful. Although the villages are part of North Carolina, the beach is part of and managed by Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The sand is soft and for the most part the beach is quite wide. Pack a picnic with drinks, though. There are no stores or restaurants within walking distance of the beach.