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No matter what activities you choose during your stay on Roanoke Island, one thing is certain, you’ll never be bored.

Whether you crave relaxation or high-energy adventure, it’s all here. Sail or kayak along the sound or take a sunset or dolphin-sighting cruise. Go crabbing from a dock or fight a marlin on an off-shore charter fishing trip. Parasail high above water or take a bike ride along the island. Stroll along the Manteo boardwalk and enjoy the island’s quaint beauty or enjoy a soothing massage.

Outstanding, world-class attractions are what lure many people to Roanoke Island. Many of the attractions focus on the island’s history as the site of the first attempted English colonization of America. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, The Elizabethan Gardens, The Lost Colony outdoor drama, the Elizabeth II sailing ship, Roanoke Island Festival Park, a series of Elizabethan plays and others pay homage to this heritage. There are other attractions, too, that you will not want to miss, like the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, the summer musical performances by the North Carolina School of the Arts at a beautiful outdoor amphitheater, the North Carolina Maritime Museum and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. With all these attractions and more, you’ll find that a day trip is never enough on Roanoke Island.

Finally, Roanoke Island offers numerous special events, festivals, programs, performing arts, summer camps, children’s programs and more all summer long. See our Special Events. If you are here in the “off” season there are still lots of interesting events year round too. See our Annual Events.

Fitness

Island Wellness
105 Budleigh Street
(252) 473-1504
Island Wellness is a personal-training studio that gives you the personal attention you need to accomplish your health and fitness goals. Deb Taylor will teach you how to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle with services like personal training, nutritional programs, one-on-one support and wellness coaching.

Nautics Hall
Elizabethan Inn, 814 U.S. Highway 64/264
(252) 473-1191
Nautics Hall at the Elizabethan Inn is a fitness site offering fitness classes, yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, a regulation-size indoor pool, a weight room with free weights, machines and cardio equipment, a sauna and a whirlpool. Weekly passes are available; call for prices.

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Kayaking

Kitty Hawk Kites’ Kayak Tours (252) 441-4124 or (800) FLY-THIS (359-8447) To see a totally different side of Roanoke Island, slip back into the marsh creeks and coves on a kayak. Kitty Hawk Kites offers kayak tours leaving from the Manteo waterfront and winding through the salt marshes into the sound. Guides point out features of the area ecology and wildlife and talk about the history of Roanoke Island. Tandem and single kayaks are available. Expect to pay around $25 to $45 per person for a guided tour. Tours leave from the Carolina Outdoors store on the Manteo Waterfront. Kitty Hawk Kites offers kayak tours of many areas of the Outer Banks. One that we highly recommend is the Alligator River Tour through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the mainland; the meeting place is about a 20-minute drive inland from Manteo. You must make advance reservations for guided kayak tours.

Kitty Hawk Kites
307 Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo Waterfront
(252) 473-2357
If you’d rather explore Shallowbag Bay and Manteo’s surrounding waters on your own, you can rent single or tandem kayaks from Carolina Outdoors. You can put in right at the docks beside the shop from a convenient floating dock, and the views are spectacular.

The Outdoors Outfitters
406 Uppowoc Avenue, Manteo
(252) 473-1356
Pamela Malec Landrum, author of A Guide to Sea Kayaking the NC Coast, offers kayak tours for children and adults as well as beginning kayaking and advanced kayak touring lessons. Tours are held in the salt marsh areas around Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island. In the lessons, beginners learn about gear, basic strokes, technique and self-rescue, while advanced students learn in-depth techniques, trip planning skills and rescue techniques. Ask about the Children's Activity Tour, a family favorite, as well as the Everglades kayak trip offered in winter months.

Coastal Kayak Touring Company
North Beach Outfitters
Waterfront Shops, Duck
(252) 261-6262, (252) 441-3393
You haven’t seen the Outer Banks until you’ve seen it from the water, and Coastal Kayak can take you there. They offer trips to four different areas of the Outer Banks: Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary (between Corolla and Duck), Kitty Hawk Woods, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hatteras Island and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland. Tours last two to three hours. The guides offer kayaking instruction if you need it, plus they narrate about the local history and ecology along the way. Single and tandem kayaks are available. Children are welcome, as long they are at least 30 pounds, but certain trips are better for kids than others. Reservations are required.

Kitty Hawk Kayaks
Kayak & Surf School
MP 1, 6150 N. Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk
(252) 261-0145 or (866) 702-5061
Enjoy a kayak tour to some of the finest flat-water kayaking destinations on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kayaks offers 18 specialty tours across the Outer Banks, including tours in Kitty Hawk Woods, Nags Head Woods (hike and paddle), Roanoke Island, Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges and in Corolla. Kayak rentals are also available. The Surf School offers daily lessons and three-day surf camps throughout the summer. You can also take surf kayak lessons and ACA-certified kayak lessons. The friendly, professional staff promises your entire family will have fun.

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Movies

Pioneer Theatre
113 Budleigh Street
(252) 473-2216
The Pioneer Theatre represents all that was good about the good old days. Fair prices, wholesome entertainment and friendly folks are the hallmarks of this theater that dates back to 1918. (The original building burned, and this one was built in 1934.) The theater runs one first-run movie per week, with show times at 8 p.m. nightly. All of the movies are suitable for families. Tickets cost $5, and the snack prices are the best you’ll find anywhere. (We mean it — $2 is usually all you need for popcorn, candy and a drink!) Locals cherish this theater and go even if they’re not particularly interested in the movie. For a movie preview, call the number above and listen to the recording.

“Saturday at the Movies”
NCSA Summer Performance Festival
Roanoke Island Festival Park
(252) 475-1500
From June 28 through August 2, the NCSA Summer Performance Festival offers Saturday at the Movies. A variety of family-oriented movies are shown at 8 p.m. in the outdoor Pavilion. You can bring a picnic and enjoy the movie on the lawn. In case of rain, it’s held indoors in the Film Theatre. Admission is free. The 2008 schedule is June 28 Charlotte’s Web; July 5 The Kid; July 12 Howl’s Moving Castle; July 19 North Carolina School of the Arts Student Films; July 26 The Cameraman; and August 2 Finding Neverland.

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Paint Your Own Pottery

Art Glass n’ Fire 200 Sir Walter Raleigh Street (252) 473-6734 When you’re looking for something cool to do beyond the beach, Art Glass n’ Fire is a paint-your-own-pottery studio that’s fun for all ages. Besides painting pottery, you can work on beading, mosaics, glass fusion and silver clay jewelry. You can also buy gifts here, including pottery and custom-ordered painted pottery and signature wedding platters that make for an out-of-the-ordinary wedding gift (all the wedding guests sign the platter, Art Glass n’ Fire fires it in the kiln, then the bride and groom have a useful keepsake). Art Glass n’ Fire always has something going on — summer camps, after-school camps, birthday parties, scout badge requirements, art classes for home-schoolers, kids’ nights out, ladies’ nights out, story time and art time for preschoolers on Wednesday mornings (10:30 a.m.), ornament parties, painting classes and so much more. Drop in or call to ask about special events. The studio is open daily year-round, except for Monday mornings in the fall and winter.

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Parasailing

Fly the Wolf
Manteo Waterfront
(252) 441-4124, (877) FLY-THIS (359-8447)
Fly the Wolf takes several parasailing trips a day from the Manteo Waterfront, launching fliers anywhere from 600 to 1,200 feet above the water. You can fly solo or go with one or two other people. The hour-long trips accommodate up to six fliers at a time, with each flier getting about 10 minutes in the air. The price ranges from $75 to $275, depending on how many people go up and how high you choose to go. Observers can ride along for $20. Trips are booked through Kitty Hawk Kites, and advance reservations are recommended. The boat is docked on the Manteo Waterfront.

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Sailing

Outer Banks Community Sailing Program
North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island
104 Fernando Street, Manteo Waterfront
(252) 475-1750
If you’re interested in sailing or learning to sail, the North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island has a program just for you. The museum hosts Shallowbag Bay Sail-Abouts and Open Sails on Tuesdays starting at 6 p.m. throughout the summer, weather permitting. This is a great way to learn about the traditional watercraft of Roanoke Island and even get out on the water in one.

Adults and kids ages 8 and older can learn to sail with the Maritime Museum. Week-long youth sailing programs are held in June and July, Monday through Friday; morning or afternoon sessions are available. Children ages 8 to 12 are taught on the Optimist, the number one sail training boat in the world. Students should be good swimmers, but no previous sailing experience is required. Youth ages 12 and older are taught on the Vanguard 420, the boat used by most high school and collage sailing programs. Special courses on racing are offered in July for Optimist sailor. Students participate in a local regatta at the end of the course and will be eligible to participate in further regattas. Advance registration is required. You can register by emailing obxmaritime@embarqmail.com or by calling the museum for information and prices.

Adult sailing instruction is offered by appointment. Call for more information if you’re interested. Also ask about other workshops that are offered at the museum, such as Build a Kayak in A Day, Simple Rigging and Watercolor Workshops. See Attractions for more about the North Carolina Maritime Museum.

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Sailing Tours

Downeast Rover
Manteo Waterfront
(252) 473-4866, (866) SAIL-OBX
The Downeast Rover is a 55-foot topsail schooner offering three two-hour sailing tours into the Roanoke Sound every day. The tall ship’s home berth is right on the Manteo waterfront, and though reservations are recommended they aren’t required. Capt. Mark and his first mate, Schooner the dog, make daytime trips at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. into the Roanoke Sound. You’ll see Roanoke Island and Nags Head from the water plus birds of all kinds and perhaps some dolphin. They also take a sunset cruise in which you’ll watch the sun setting into the sound…beautiful and quiet. Daytime cruises cost $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 2 to 12. Sunset cruises cost $40 for all passengers. The Downeast Rover is also available for private charters for parties, weddings and celebrations. Call for details.

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Spas and Massage Therapy

Bodywork for Balanced Health
(252) 216-8072
Massage Therapist Shaena Hollomon treats clients to relaxing massages in styles like Swedish, deep-tissue and sports massage. Hollomon also offers skilled specialties like Thai massage. Call for an appointment and she will come to you.

The Waterfront Salon and Day Spa
103-A Fernando Street
(252) 473-5323
The Waterfront Salon offers salon services of all kinds and a full menu of day spa services, including manicures, pedicures, facials, microdermabrasion, massage, body wraps and La Stone therapy. Ask about the day spa and wedding packages.

The Retreat Spa
Corner of U.S. Highway 64/264 and Hariot Street
(252) 599-0104
The Retreat Spa is a full-service spa housed in a sweet little cottage. Owner Monique Vann offers nurturing and relaxing treatments that are affordable for all women. Each woman is greeted with complimentary slippers and snacks or chocolate. Services include massage, facials, steam treatments, manicures and pedicures, and there are two hair professionals offering the full range of hair services. The upstairs loft is available for spa parties. Locals should ask about Monique’s Pink Pajama Club, which rewards students who make good grades with mini spa treatments every nine weeks.

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Swimming

Dare County Old Swimming Hole
Airport Road, next to the Aquarium
(252) 475-5910
For a soundside swimming session, head down Airport Road to the Old Swimming Hole. The entrance is just beyond the North Carolina Aquarium on the right-hand side, just before you get to the airport. This family-oriented access is the perfect place to go after a tour of the aquarium. The Old Swimming Hole has a great sandy beach, picnic tables, grills, a picnic shelter, a playground, a volleyball court and restrooms. A lifeguard is on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

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Tennis

Tennis players will find courts at the College of the Albemarle on U.S. Highway 64/264, at Manteo Middle School on U.S. Highway 64/264 and at Manteo High School on Wingina Avenue. The COA courts are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. The school courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis after school hours and when the students are not practicing.

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Walking, Running and Biking

Manteo Bike/Multi-Use Path
U.S. Highway 64/264
A wonderful asset to Roanoke Island is a paved, 7-mile multi-use pedestrian path that runs the entire length of the northern part of the island alongside U.S. Highway 64/264. It’s perfect for bicycling, walking, jogging, in-line skating, baby strolling and dog walking. On all but the nastiest days, the path is filled with a blend of Roanoke Island residents and visitors greeting one another. The path winds all the way to the north end of the island, canopied by shady trees along much of the route. At the north end, the path ends at a little beach on the Croatan Sound. There are a few picnic tables, a sandy beach, a pond and a National Park Service interpretive exhibit about the Freedmen’s Colony.

About midway along the path, you come to an entrance to Roanoke Gardens on Mother Vineyard Road. This neighborhood, known as Mother Vineyard, provides a delightful detour from the main path. In this neighborhood grows the largest scuppernong grapevine on the island, the mother of all vineyards, said to date to the 1500s. If you turn east onto Mother Vineyard Road, you’ll do a nice loop through this beautiful and serene section, getting a peek at some local homes, well-manicured yards and the vineyard, and also catching views of Roanoke Sound, Nags Head and Jockey’s Ridge along the back stretch. The full loop will bring you around to Scuppernong Road, which leads back to the bike path.

If you’re headed to Roanoke Island just to use the bike path, you can park your car at Roanoke Island Festival Park or in downtown Manteo. Downtown Manteo’s quiet residential streets are also perfect for running, walking and biking.

OBX Marathon, Gateway Bank Half-Marathon & Kelly Hospitality Group Fun Run www.obxmarathon.org On Sunday, November 9, 2008, you can participate in the third-annual OBX Marathon or the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon. On November 8 there is the Kelly's Hospitality Group Fun Run. If you’re a runner or walker, you don’t want to miss this event on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins near Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome, so there’s no excuse not to be involved. Register early because this event will sell out.

Kitty Hawk Kites
307 Queen Elizabeth Street, Manteo Waterfront
(252) 473-2357
You can rent bikes here for the whole family from early spring through fall. They have adult and kid bikes, tandem bikes and baby bike seats.

Manteo Boardwalk
Manteo Waterfront
A great place to stroll and pass some time is the boardwalk that winds along most of the Manteo waterfront. One end is quiet, with benches that look out over the sound and marsh grasses tickling the edges of the walk. Down the boardwalk a ways is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and a children’s playground with swings and a pirate ship for climbing on. Kids also like running out to the gazebo that hangs over the water. As you round the corner, activity picks up a little. Here are the waterfront docks, where transient and resident sailboats and motorboats fill the slips. Storefronts and restaurants line this portion of the boardwalk, and their customers spill out onto the boardwalk to enjoy the breeze. Boat and kayak tours leave from this area of downtown. The boardwalk ends at the Cora Mae Daniels Basnight Bridge.

A delightful stroll over the Cora Mae Basnight Bridge provides you with a commanding view of the Elizabeth II, Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, the Manteo waterfront marina and the working waterfront on Dough’s Creek. At the end of the bridge, follow the sidewalk to the boardwalk at Roanoke Island Festival Park. The trailhead is reached by a crosswalk to your left through the parking area. A sign announces the entrance to the boardwalk.

This relaxing nature walk weaves its way alongside a tranquil waterway used by local watermen to access Shallowbag Bay and Roanoke Sound. To your left, you will observe the expansive vista of a black needle rush salt marsh that provides habitat to numerous aquatic species. Continuing along, you are surrounded by a maritime forest of Atlantic white cedars, red cedars, loblolly pines, live oaks, myrtles and hollies before the boardwalk pauses at a dock overlooking Jockey’s Ridge and the soundside shore of Nags Head.

Continue left along the paved walkway that circles the Pavilion lawn to the second path to your left. A sign announces the entrance to the park’s award-winning Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration project. This shoreline restoration project is a collaborative effort among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Wilmington District, State of North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Division of Water Resources and the Roanoke Island Commission. Other federal, state, local and non-profit agencies played major roles in restoring the shoreline by building a rock sill, planting marsh grasses and maritime forest and creating a one-acre oyster reef outside the sill.

This pathway and boardwalk lead to a dock on Shallowbag Bay. Five interpretive signs placed along the path illustrate the unique components of the project through photographs, sketches and descriptive text. This self-guided tour provides visitors with an opportunity to learn more about the value of environmental restoration and management of aquatic and maritime forest resources, a first-hand look at the beneficial effects of restoration methods and information to assist in identification of aquatic plants, animal and native tree species found in and around the Roanoke Island Festival Park.

From here you can walk back to Manteo’s downtown area, or stay and explore all of the great activities at Roanoke Island Festival Park.

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Yoga and Pilates

Outer Banks Yoga and Pilates
Nautics Hall
Elizabethan Inn, 814 U.S. Highway 64/264
(252) 480-3214
Outer Banks Yoga and Pilates offers yoga and Pilates classes at the Nautics Hall fitness center at the Elizabethan Inn. They have mats and props available for your use, and they also have a studio location in Kitty Hawk where you can take additional classes or purchase comfortable yoga wear, OmBX original clothing or supplies such as props or mats.

Duck Yoga in Manteo
Marshes Light
(252) 202-2375
Yoga instructor Heather Vandermyde teaches Vinyasa-style yoga classes at Marshes Light on Wednesdays from 4 to 5:15 p.m. and from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Classes are $10 each. Call for directions.

Pilates on the Green
Waterfront Park, next to the Maritime Museum
(252) 489-1581
Patti Waller teaches all-levels Pilates classes on the Manteo waterfront from April 1 through September or October. The classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8:30, and the cost is $10 per class. Classes are held on the grass, so bring a mat or towel. Of course, classes are cancelled when it rains.

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