03/27/2025
When life gets busier than you’d like and to-do lists are a bit too long for comfort, it’s a good sign it’s time to pack up and head out on a much-needed vacation. This year, consider making your way to the scenic and exciting Outer Banks of North Carolina with a focus on time well-spent on Hatteras Island. Famed for its beautiful beaches, rich history, amazing food, and endless opportunities to slow down and relish time away, Hatteras Island is a place with something for everyone to enjoy.
Whether your passion rests with time in nature, time on the shoreline, or days out on the waves, you’ll find a trip this way is simple to customize to your personal sense of travel style. Because Hatteras Island is made up of a multitude of charming villages, travelers heading here have great choices when it comes to where to focus their fun too. If Avon is your destination of choice and you can’t wait to get your trip underway, be sure to utilize the following Avon guide as a starting point to your unforgettable adventures ahead.
Avon Is an Amazing Vacation Destination to Add to Your Must-Visit List
Making your way to Avon means finding yourself enjoying time away from the hustle and bustle of life in a place that’s just as inviting as it is beautiful. You’ll find Avon tucked tranquilly between welcoming miles of shoreline, giving those who stay here a wonderful sense of being off-the-beaten-path while still enjoying easy access to village fun.
Visitors of all ages and interests will find reasons to linger longer than they planned in Avon thanks to the many opportunities here to enjoy activities like fishing, strolling through town, checking out charming local restaurants, or shopping boutique storefronts. Of course, if nothing sounds better than time on the sand digging your toes in and soaking up the rays, that’s an option in Avon too.
An Incredible Area Boasting Rich History
History buffs who happen to set aside time on the calendar for a trip to Avon will love how accessible the area’s stories from the past are. Even the village name of “Avon” speaks to a bygone era. Originally, Avon was named Kinnakeet, a name which was given as the Algonquin word for “That which is mixed.” The name referenced the inevitable intermingling of indigenous tribes in the area with the incoming settlers who became making their way to Hatteras Island by the boatful.
Kinnakeet was made the official name in 1873 when the area post office first opened its doors, but by 1883, the name Avon had taken hold instead. Today, there’s still a chance that you might hear a local or two refer to the area as Kinnakeet, a name which has found a way of sticking around through generations.
Those who visit Avon today will also be able to spot the reasons why this area was once a thriving boat-building village. While other nearby villages on Hatteras Island were finding their stride in the fishing industry, Avon put the many forests of cedar and live oak to work on their behalf instead.
These resources lent themselves well to building boats that were subsequently used by anglers in surrounding areas and would go on to be useful resources during war times as well. Many modern boating-building techniques and approaches can be linked back to the processes put in place in Avon before and after the Civil War. For many years, Avon’s thriving economy made it the heartbeat of Hatteras up until the time the Hatteras Inlet provided a direct route from the ocean and Pamlico Sound to Hatteras Village.
A Decidedly Welcoming and Laid Back Vibe
If it’s a trip focused on fun, relaxation, and restorative moments you’re after, making your way to Avon is sure to please. This charming Hatteras Island village has a decidedly laid-back vibe for travelers to enjoy that’s just as much appreciated by those who call the area home year-round.
Avon is most definitely a vacation destination where visitors are invited to slow things down, unwind at their own pace, and really take stock of their surroundings. When cravings come calling, restaurants and food trucks alike can be accessed in this area, but a picnic on the sand could be just as inviting when you’re here to emphasize a slower pace at every turn.
A Haven for Surfing and Fishing Fun
It’s fair to say that Avon is a place that appeals to those with a passion for angling. A top destination to enjoy casting a line in the area is always the Avon Fishing Pier. This iconic structure welcomes thousands of anglers between late spring all the way into early fall. When you’re not reeling in something exciting from the pier at 41001 N.C. Highway 12 in Avon, you can spend some time watching talented surfers take to the waves nearby.
The Avon Fishing Pier extends around 600 feet out into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and was originally constructed back in 1963. Today, the pier remains an excellent place to fish, surf, and soak up the scenery at your own preferred pace. It’s often pointed to as one of Cape Hatteras’s most popular and frequented destinations by travelers! The pier works as a picturesque backdrop for family photos, a great base for wildlife watching, and a must-visit if you’re in the area to enjoy birding as well. There’s a snack and bait shop nearby where anglers can stock up on fishing essentials and grab a bite and many annual fishing tournaments use the pier as a starting point too.
Find the Flavor You Crave in Avon
No matter what you end up adding to your itinerary when Avon is your vacation destination of choice, the fact is that at some point, you’re going to find yourself with an appetite to attend to. The good news is that Avon is home to a wide variety of great restaurants to check out and whether you’re in the mood for fresh seafood, beach bites, or a more elegant sit-down dinner by the water, you’ll find what you’re looking for and much more. Places like Burger Burger Island Bites at 40618 NC Highway 12 offer up custom-topped burgers in abundance that are best paired with fries, wings, salads, onion rings, and more!
If you feel like matching your burger with a tasty milkshake, that’s an option here as well. The Froggy Dog Restaurant and Bar at 40050 Highway 12 is another terrific area eatery to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the summer months. This family-friendly restaurant has a menu that hosts everything from steaks and pastas to prime rib, seafood, sandwiches, and more. Over at Duck Donuts, you can satisfy your sweet tooth at a charming locally owned donut shop where specialty treats are always at your fingertips. A meal at the Mad Crabber is a must when nothing sounds better than fresh caught fare enjoyed in comfortable and welcoming surroundings. Whether you like your seafood steamed, grilled, or fried, this is a place you won’t want to miss in Avon.
Fuel Up at Uglie Mugs Coffee House
A highlight experience for anyone who travels to Avon is time fueling up for fun ahead at Uglie Mugs Coffee House. You’ll find this iconic stop at 40534 NC Highway 12 in Avon and it’s a charming one-stop-shop for everything from coffee and local photography to t-shirts, jewelry, baked goods, ice cream, smoothies, and beyond! There’s an on-site bead shop for visitors to explore as well, and when you aren’t sipping a latte in good company, you can take time to check out the custom mugs and wind chimes for sale. Uglie Mugs Coffee House is a fun and friendly addition to your Avon itinerary and they’re open daily from 7:00 am until 3:00 pm.
Book Your Avon Vacation Rental Through Midgett Realty
No matter when you arrive in Avon in the name of a great vacation, how long you stay, or how many others you’re traveling alongside, at Midgett Realty, we have a spacious and luxurious retreat for you to enjoy. Our portfolio of vacation rental options in this area is vast and varied, making it easy to find a home-away-from-home that suits your needs and exceeds your expectations too.
Whether you’re looking for a cozy abode by the sand or a multi-level place to stay with stunning waterfront views, we have it covered. Reach out today to learn more about our inviting and exciting property options available to book in Avon as well as our homes located across Hatteras Island. We can’t wait to help you craft a stay to remember and look forward to seeing you in Avon soon.
