2025 Manteo Scenic Spots Guide

With Coastal Helicopters, OBX Biplanes and OBX Warbirds, you’ll have your choice of aerial adventures over the Outer Banks! Our high time pilots are very experienced so rest assured that you are in very capable hands! Soar the skies in our ultra smooth, air conditioned Robinson helicopter. Ride in our open cockpit WACO biplane…you and a friend can get great bird’s eye views of sea life, shipwrecks and lighthouses from the front seat of this beautiful airplane.

Sportfishing for inshore and offshore species. 

A living history farm that interpretes mid-1800's island life. 

At the end of Queen Elizabeth Avenue, and within easy walking distance of Manteo’s unique shops and restaurants, you’ll find the Waterfront Park. It features a playground and picnic area and lots of benches along the waterfront boardwalk, which connects the park to other waterfront attractions. From the park, a short stroll on the boardwalk in different directions will take you to the waterfront gazebo, the Roanoke Marshes Light House, the Town boat ramp and marina or the George Washington Creef Boathouse - or farther for a nature walk though the marsh areas of Shallowbag Bay. Also from the park you get a great view of the Elizabeth II docked at Roanoke Island Festival Park.  The park is the perfect place to set out a blanket or chairs on July Fourth to enjoy lots of music, food and a front row seat as the fireworks shoot and explode over Shallowbag Bay.It also joins a number of other events year-round including fun and festivities on the First Friday of every month,Dare Day in June, August’s New World Arts Festival, a Bluegrass Festival and Wooden Boat Show in the fall, and the Lighting of the Christmas Tree and Santa’s arrival at the Town Dock by boat. Aside from all the attractions and activities, there's no prettier place to enjoy a lazy afternoon, especially during the off-season.

Discover what makes the Outer Banks the most haunted beach in America! You'll be entertained as a guide leads you through down town Manteo by lantern telling the spooky stories and haunted history of the Outer Banks. Whether you believe it or not, you'll enjoy your time at OBX Ghost Tours. Book now for the time of your afterlife!

See a different side of the Outer Banks by boat with Outer Banks Excursions! Relax and enjoy the scenery, escape to a sandbar, see the islands from the water or marvel at our breathtaking sunsets. You’re in safe hands with Captain Len. Experience the Outer Banks by boat! Captain Len has been on the water all his life and comes from a long line of captains. His vast experience will show you a different side of the islands. Our tours will take you to the most beautiful parts of the Outer Banks. Take a loop tour, relax on a sand bar or enjoy our famous sunsets and see some sights along the way.

Listen to nature speak through the howling of the red wolves!

Celebrate the origins of America with a fascinating and purely entertaining visit to the Roanoke Island Festival Park. This 25-acre historic site, an easy stroll from the downtown Manteo waterfront, is a popular summer attraction for visitors of all ages. With four distinct attractions that wind through the wooded and grassy regions bordering the Roanoke Sound and Shallowbag Bay, patrons will find acres of history to explore, and plenty of engrossing hands-on exhibits to keep everyone purely entertained.

Looking for a private sail charter? Call the folks at Sail Outer Banks. They offer a variety of year-round trips with low minimum fees to make it within reach of many folk. Dan and Katherine are your crew. Dan is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain maneuvering their 41 foot Gulfstar ketch, Sea ‘Scape through Roanoke and Albemarle sound waters.

A full-service diving and outdoor sports center.