Carova Beach
Carova Beach
4.5
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4.5
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Southern Globetrotter
29 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Imagine how exciting it was to return to OBX after surviving the pandemic only to spend a lot of money to rent a dump on Carova Beach. Avoid Sea What Happens handled by Twiddy Realty — nothing will be done to address the list of over 25 condition issues (the busted, out of order fridge pictured was visible as you entered the house … what original décor) except wait 4-6 weeks for a resolution because that’s their policy at a time when Tourism is begging for business during a time of hyperinflation.
The horses are stunning except for the tour groups hounding the herds along the beaches. This stallion was grazing near the house.
The horses are stunning except for the tour groups hounding the herds along the beaches. This stallion was grazing near the house.
Written 27 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina O
Norfolk, VA327 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
Honestly if I have to share the beach with cars driving by I might as well sit on the street corner. Not a beach for my family looking for nature and quiet.
And the beach access is leading to massive erosion.
And the beach access is leading to massive erosion.
Written 17 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jim m
Charlotte, NC7 contributions
My family and I just returned from Carova Beach and we had a great time. Below is some information that may be useful for anyone traveling there.
Driving on the beach: We were 9.8 miles up the beach. Unless you are prepared to get stuck, you will need a 4wd drive vehicle. Most AWD vehicles will not work because of the clearance, not the traction. During high tide you must drive close to the dune line and ruts in the sand can be 1ft or more deep. My brother-in-law drove a 2WD Yukon and got stuck twice on the way in. I pulled him out easily with my 4wd, but a tow truck company (A-1 Towing [--]) is close and often "patrols" the beach. He drove his 2wd out during low tide without any problems. Also, I initially lowered the air pressure in my 4wd vehicle to 20 psi (Infinity QX56) but once I refilled the tires on a trip into town I never lowered the pressure again and had no issues.
We had 5 young children with us (ages 2-8) and worrying about "traffic" on the beach was not really an issue. We did have to keep our eyes open and occasionally remind our kids a car was coming, but the drivers were courteous and overall drove fairly slow. Of course we were 9.8 miles up the beach, it may be more of an issue closer to Corolla.
Horses and wildlife: We saw wild horses daily when driving into town. We also had one wonder down the beach past our house and within 15 feet of me (see pics). Be advised, there are posted signs where you could be fined $500 for approaching any horses. We also saw groups of dolphins every day swimming and jumping just 100 yards of shore. My kids loved it! Because you are in a remote area, expect to see other critters as well. We had a 6ft black snake visit the deck of our house 2 days in a row. We also had a mouse living in the bottom floor of the house. There are lots of bugs in Carova (mosquitoes, flies etc.), but it was never really an overwhelming issue or made our stay unpleasant. Once we left the door open for a while and several mosquitoes got into the house. Another time my wife was reading on the beach after at dusk and she got a few bites from sand fleas or flies. So there are lots of bugs, but it wasn't a big issue for us as I've read it has been for others.
Cell phone reception: Those of us with verizon had good (not excellent) cell phone reception. Nextel and Sprint did not work at all.
Activities: We played golf at Kilmarlic and The Pointe Golf Club. It took us 1 1/2 hours to travel the 35 miles (10 on the beach). The Currituck Club is a closer course in Corolla but a round was $180 compared to $90 at the courses we played. Kilmarlic was a great course with a great staff and a newly constructed club house. I would really recommend it.
We also enjoyed a trip to TimBuck II (www.timbuckii.com) in Corolla. A large shopping center with lots of restaurants, shops and fun things for the kids to do.
We also visited the Currituck lighthouse in Corolla and went crabbing under the bridge at the park-like area on site. It was a great day trip and crabbing or fishing supplies can be bought at the shops across the street. On another day we also ventured in Duck for lunch and souvenirs. We ate at the Sunset Gille on route 12. Although the food was nothing special, the service and atmosphere was excellent.
Overall we really enjoyed our trip to Carova Beach. While I am not sure if it would be our ideal vacation spot every year, I would return again. My family has a hard time relaxing so we seemed to head into town every day, which took 45 minutes one way. If you are looking for a place to bunker down and relax, you will really enjoy it. If you can't sit still like me, you may be better off staying in Duck or Corolla and then visiting the 4wd drive area. There are plenty of places to rent 4wd jeeps if you don't have one.
I hope this helped. I would be happy to answer any specific quesions -- just send me an email.
Have a great vacation!
Jim
Driving on the beach: We were 9.8 miles up the beach. Unless you are prepared to get stuck, you will need a 4wd drive vehicle. Most AWD vehicles will not work because of the clearance, not the traction. During high tide you must drive close to the dune line and ruts in the sand can be 1ft or more deep. My brother-in-law drove a 2WD Yukon and got stuck twice on the way in. I pulled him out easily with my 4wd, but a tow truck company (A-1 Towing [--]) is close and often "patrols" the beach. He drove his 2wd out during low tide without any problems. Also, I initially lowered the air pressure in my 4wd vehicle to 20 psi (Infinity QX56) but once I refilled the tires on a trip into town I never lowered the pressure again and had no issues.
We had 5 young children with us (ages 2-8) and worrying about "traffic" on the beach was not really an issue. We did have to keep our eyes open and occasionally remind our kids a car was coming, but the drivers were courteous and overall drove fairly slow. Of course we were 9.8 miles up the beach, it may be more of an issue closer to Corolla.
Horses and wildlife: We saw wild horses daily when driving into town. We also had one wonder down the beach past our house and within 15 feet of me (see pics). Be advised, there are posted signs where you could be fined $500 for approaching any horses. We also saw groups of dolphins every day swimming and jumping just 100 yards of shore. My kids loved it! Because you are in a remote area, expect to see other critters as well. We had a 6ft black snake visit the deck of our house 2 days in a row. We also had a mouse living in the bottom floor of the house. There are lots of bugs in Carova (mosquitoes, flies etc.), but it was never really an overwhelming issue or made our stay unpleasant. Once we left the door open for a while and several mosquitoes got into the house. Another time my wife was reading on the beach after at dusk and she got a few bites from sand fleas or flies. So there are lots of bugs, but it wasn't a big issue for us as I've read it has been for others.
Cell phone reception: Those of us with verizon had good (not excellent) cell phone reception. Nextel and Sprint did not work at all.
Activities: We played golf at Kilmarlic and The Pointe Golf Club. It took us 1 1/2 hours to travel the 35 miles (10 on the beach). The Currituck Club is a closer course in Corolla but a round was $180 compared to $90 at the courses we played. Kilmarlic was a great course with a great staff and a newly constructed club house. I would really recommend it.
We also enjoyed a trip to TimBuck II (www.timbuckii.com) in Corolla. A large shopping center with lots of restaurants, shops and fun things for the kids to do.
We also visited the Currituck lighthouse in Corolla and went crabbing under the bridge at the park-like area on site. It was a great day trip and crabbing or fishing supplies can be bought at the shops across the street. On another day we also ventured in Duck for lunch and souvenirs. We ate at the Sunset Gille on route 12. Although the food was nothing special, the service and atmosphere was excellent.
Overall we really enjoyed our trip to Carova Beach. While I am not sure if it would be our ideal vacation spot every year, I would return again. My family has a hard time relaxing so we seemed to head into town every day, which took 45 minutes one way. If you are looking for a place to bunker down and relax, you will really enjoy it. If you can't sit still like me, you may be better off staying in Duck or Corolla and then visiting the 4wd drive area. There are plenty of places to rent 4wd jeeps if you don't have one.
I hope this helped. I would be happy to answer any specific quesions -- just send me an email.
Have a great vacation!
Jim
Written 23 July 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hburgref
Charlottesville, VA1 contribution
Unless your perfect vacation involves parking in the median of a very busy devided highway and constantly being harrassed by local law enforcementr STAY AWAY!!! We have been vacationing here for years and this year the local deputies have decided for the first time ever to enforce a local ordinance put on the books in 1986. We love Carova Beach but have constantly been harassed by local deputies making us park accross a very busy roadway on the beach putting our small children in grave danger at every moment. It would not be so bad if they also enforced the 15 MPH speed limit but apparently that law is not important to local officers. It certainly appears that the local government officials, who obviously don't have small children, have absolutly NO concern for the safety of the visiting vacationers who pour thousands of dollars into their local economy. It truely is unfortunate that such a beautiful place to vacation is being ruined and made copletely unsafe by Barney Fife and his fellow one bullet band of wanna be officers. If you have children that love to SAFELY play on the beach under your close supervision you no longer want to choose Carova Beach as your destination!
Written 9 June 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy D
Outer Banks, NC49 contributions
May 2013 • Family
Some can say I am a bit partial to this wild stretch of beach with its abundant wildlife and pristine beaches, estuaries and sound.
I could write a book on its beauty and the wild horses alone. But I choose to write this review for all you who may be planning a visit to our paradise.
Please for the sake of all that is holy, be respectful. Follow the rules which are posted before you enter the beach. Use the internet and educate yourself on the rules and regs before coming. Just google Currituck County and Corolla Wild Horse and read before coming.
Drive with caution when you enter the beach, no need to rush, it is not going anywhere. There are speed limits and the beach is both a playground for kids and dogs and horses as well as a roadway. And it is not your own personal roadway. Air down your tires, it is not a big deal to get air when you get back off the beach but you save your engine, the possibility of getting stuck and our beach and roads by not giving them the washboard rut effect from your overfilled tires. Turn off the a/c and enjoy the ocean breeze as you "slowly" traverse down the beach.
Don't drink alcohol and think it is okay to drive just cause you are on the beach and not the interstate.
Be respectful, take your trash with you.
Be respectful of others, just cause you saved all year and paid a lot of $$ for your vacation does not give you the right to be rude, low-class or think you are entitled. You are not.
Don't feed the horses, don't harass the horses, don't think it is cute to get close and take pics with the horses. Again, educate yourself and follow the rules. We have lost so many innocent creatures to tourists lack of common sense and respect. Just last year a self-entitled, low-class, speeding lady from Maryland decided to take out a beautiful stallion named Two Socks. Oh, and in addition, he suffered greatly because of her lack of respect.
If you own a jacked up, rednecking diesel smoking four wheel drive truck, then good for you! That is awesome and we love that you love your truck. I have seen some pretty sweet looking ones. BUT....do not use that giant vehicle to show off by digging holes, doing donuts or otherwise destroying the beach. Your giant clouds of black diesel smoke are not attractive nor are they exactly healthy to breathe.
Oh, for all you that don't know how to read, make sure to read the signs before you turn in or off somewhere. Not every road over a dune is public. there is refuge roads and then there is private property. You are not allowed on either. Read and respect the signs. You never know what you might encounter at the other end of that private road you just decided to trespass on. That sign that warns you that the owner possesses shotgun is there for a reason. Think about it.
Please be kind to the waiters and waitresses and sales clerks. They don't get paid a lot, the cost of living here is high and the least you can do is tip well, don't be a scrooge and smile and be kind to them. Remember, if they weren't here serving you, you wouldn't be coming here. Again, your vacation rental price does not cover the cost of a tip or being nice, that is ala carte.
Oh, and one more thing, get your grocery list on paper before you hit the store. Don't stand there with your whole family debating what brand of BBQ sauce to buy while those of us who work are trying to get our groceries and get out in under two hours. Better yet, leave the family at the cottage and only take two people to shop, that is all you need. Help stop the barbaric sport of 'group food shopping'.
Again, respect, revere and relax.
I could write a book on its beauty and the wild horses alone. But I choose to write this review for all you who may be planning a visit to our paradise.
Please for the sake of all that is holy, be respectful. Follow the rules which are posted before you enter the beach. Use the internet and educate yourself on the rules and regs before coming. Just google Currituck County and Corolla Wild Horse and read before coming.
Drive with caution when you enter the beach, no need to rush, it is not going anywhere. There are speed limits and the beach is both a playground for kids and dogs and horses as well as a roadway. And it is not your own personal roadway. Air down your tires, it is not a big deal to get air when you get back off the beach but you save your engine, the possibility of getting stuck and our beach and roads by not giving them the washboard rut effect from your overfilled tires. Turn off the a/c and enjoy the ocean breeze as you "slowly" traverse down the beach.
Don't drink alcohol and think it is okay to drive just cause you are on the beach and not the interstate.
Be respectful, take your trash with you.
Be respectful of others, just cause you saved all year and paid a lot of $$ for your vacation does not give you the right to be rude, low-class or think you are entitled. You are not.
Don't feed the horses, don't harass the horses, don't think it is cute to get close and take pics with the horses. Again, educate yourself and follow the rules. We have lost so many innocent creatures to tourists lack of common sense and respect. Just last year a self-entitled, low-class, speeding lady from Maryland decided to take out a beautiful stallion named Two Socks. Oh, and in addition, he suffered greatly because of her lack of respect.
If you own a jacked up, rednecking diesel smoking four wheel drive truck, then good for you! That is awesome and we love that you love your truck. I have seen some pretty sweet looking ones. BUT....do not use that giant vehicle to show off by digging holes, doing donuts or otherwise destroying the beach. Your giant clouds of black diesel smoke are not attractive nor are they exactly healthy to breathe.
Oh, for all you that don't know how to read, make sure to read the signs before you turn in or off somewhere. Not every road over a dune is public. there is refuge roads and then there is private property. You are not allowed on either. Read and respect the signs. You never know what you might encounter at the other end of that private road you just decided to trespass on. That sign that warns you that the owner possesses shotgun is there for a reason. Think about it.
Please be kind to the waiters and waitresses and sales clerks. They don't get paid a lot, the cost of living here is high and the least you can do is tip well, don't be a scrooge and smile and be kind to them. Remember, if they weren't here serving you, you wouldn't be coming here. Again, your vacation rental price does not cover the cost of a tip or being nice, that is ala carte.
Oh, and one more thing, get your grocery list on paper before you hit the store. Don't stand there with your whole family debating what brand of BBQ sauce to buy while those of us who work are trying to get our groceries and get out in under two hours. Better yet, leave the family at the cottage and only take two people to shop, that is all you need. Help stop the barbaric sport of 'group food shopping'.
Again, respect, revere and relax.
Written 28 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Big J
Goldsboro, NC3 contributions
Sept 2014
I have been to every corner of the obx. Carova is the absolute worst. The idea of it is great. Drive on the beach to your quiet house with horses, but it's not like that. Its more like a beach turned into an off raid park. Nobody drives the speed limit and there are not designated traffic lanes. Trucks everywhere going 50 mph. The only thing worse than the tourist traffic is the horse chasers in humvees with 20 people packed in. This is the worst beach in America. I couldn't relax because I was worried about my kids getting run over. I will never ever go there again.
Written 15 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim C
Chesapeake, VA10 contributions
June 2014 • Friends
This place is awful. Too many people on the beach. Our fishing poles got ran over by some redneck in a jacked up old truck. My kids got yelled at by some fake horse police people. We heard coyotes at night and saw big wild pigs running around peoples yards. Yes, the horses are cool, but one peed and pooped under our rental house and the entire house over the entire week smelled like a crap filled barn yard. Locals seem to dislike tourists, as I waved at several people only to be met with scowls. I haven't even started on the getting stuck in the sand part, just trying to get to the house. Our house's ice machine was broken and we had to drive literally 1 hour one way to pick up some basics. The bugs were vicious, take some Benadryl and the highest DEET bug repellent you can find. We were attracted by the desolation, but were repelled by the lack of friendly people, the bugs, the animals, the traffic, the lack of nearby stores, and the thick soft sand that buries 4x4 vehicles. Thanks, I'll go to another beach and I suggest you do the same.
Written 14 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike C
Bakerstown, PA7 contributions
Aug 2011 • Friends
When we finally arrived at Corova Bch (after a horrible & never ending expedition filled with bad directions, traffic gridlock & the dangerous drive in the beach sand) we were told we could get ice for our coolers at the Fire Dept only to find it was not open until the next day at noon.... never mind, the rental had a frig.... the next day we arrived @ the VFD only to find they were sold out ! "Sorry, come back tomorrow.".... Then the clouds of bugs arrived ! Not just mosquitoes, they were the least of the demons, the biting horse flies smelled the blood drawn by their first wave of attackers. Then it was on ! We thought we'd find refuge indoors and by daylight the attack would be relieved. No so ! The green headed monsters fought on during our attempt to make the quarter mile hike to the shore. We advanced within a hundred yards of the ocean only to be turned back in our futile efforts to consummate a dip to cool to the burned soles of our feet in the ocean. Never have we been so desperate to evacuate a forsaken, desolate isle. No respite could be found. No attractions, no restaurants, no grocery store, no public facilities no wonder there's no parking. Deposit be damned ! We're out of here ! Never again to return ! My recommendation is simple: "Don't go there !"
Written 25 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olivia
1 contribution
Sept 2019
I would vacation at Carova again, but only with a group of friends. We stayed in a house on the beach in the off season last week for a group family vacation with a 2 year old and a dog. The beach is really nice and it's really convenient that you can bring your truck with all of your supplies right onto the beach. The only thing we did not like was that you have to park in the middle of the beach and trucks go flying past you on both sides. It seems the tourists tend to drive the speed limit behind the parked cars while the locals speed as close as they can to people out on the beach. It was very dangerous with a toddler and a dog. At one point a local stopped to yell at us for having chairs set up in his way. There is plenty of space to go around during low tide, but he threatened to tell his buddy the sheriff. He also told us that he could legally run us over if we were sunbathing on the beach. I just don't get the locals' hate for tourists on this beach.
Written 17 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim G
Columbus, OH1 contribution
Sept 2013 • Family
This is not the place to go if you have children! Speeding suvs day and night! There are two sets of lanes in front of you and behind you on beach. We were mislead because it was the off-season that traffic would be light but it was the opposite. Can't take chairs to the water can't set up a tent close to water. The speed limit is supposed to be 15 mph around people well nobody obeys that. When the sheriiff stops daily to tell you that your chairs are in wrong place ask him if anyone obeys speed limit. He told me "watch your kids very closely it's the off-season and people driving fast and crazy". The beach is just a roadway and most days completely full of tire tracks. I love OBX but if you want a relaxing beach stay DON'T go there. If you want to dodge 4lanes of 40mph traffic on beach all day then do go to Carava beach. You've been warned. Realty companies will lie to you but we lived it.
Written 1 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Id like to meet my family at Caribs beach but hate to ask them to drive to Corolla to meet me. Are there taxis or tour companies who will drop you off about 3-4 miles up the beach?
Written 6 August 2021
Where do you get ice to fill the coolers? We will have 15+ people and the only place I saw that has ice is the fire dept
Written 9 May 2021
I would like to find a nice place to stay between va beach and outer banks nc for one night august 31, 2019
Written 25 August 2019
We are traveling to Carova to stay for the week with several other family members. They have 4x4 vehicles and we do not. Last year the realty company we used had a place to park our non 4x4 vehicles and this year my sister rented from someone who does not offer parking. Where can we park our car for the week? I am sure we will have to pay I am just not sure where to park or how to find it. The only threads I can find are very old. Thanks!
Written 12 July 2018
Will an AWD Ford Edge with good clearance be ok to get to our place on Sandfiddler Road? Thanks!!!
Written 27 March 2018
Questionable depending how far back this road is....on the beach you should have no problem but when you go off the beach the sand can be unforgiving. We have had trouble in our four wheel drive truck with the loose sand and steep hills. We just returned from OBX ocean sands area and the beach still was not cleaned up from the storms. Lots of wood debris on the beach still.
Written 27 March 2018
We had no trouble finding the horses among the houses behind the dunes. As another response says be careful of the water holes as some are quite deep and will swamp your vehicle. A 4wheel drive is a must. If you are staying on the beach you have no worries about seeing the horses as early in the morning you will see them in your front (or back) yard and on the dunes. Also remember you are not allowed within 50 feet of them and yes there are horse police!
Written 9 February 2018
kymberlykaye
Baltimore, Maryland
Can you bring you boat to one of there house on the beach or is there a Marina you can keep it!??
Written 1 January 2018
You might pose this question to Corolla Outback Adventures. They would know. Look up the phone number and give them a call.
Written 14 February 2018
We are renting a house on Carova Beach in October and wondered if we could do some clamming? I see info for other beaches but not Carova. Any advice would be appreciated.
Written 27 September 2017
I would doubt it. The beach is protected due to the wild horses. I would imagine there is a restriction on the water access as well. I would check with NC Wildlife Resources Commission 888-247-6834.
Written 28 September 2017
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