Salvo Vacation Rentals - OuterBanks.com

Where to stay in Salvo

Vacation rental homes are the most popular way to stay in the Outer Banks. Rental homes are available in Salvo from:

Vacationers who love the beach and appreciate an expansive but quiet vacation rental home with all the amenities of an exclusive resort should consider a vacation rental in Salvo. This small town on the southern edge of the tri-village region boasts exceptional vacation rentals and miles of well-protected beaches that are wide open for exploring. With few amenities and fewer crowds to share the shoreline, Salvo vacationers will enjoy endless expanses of open water, but always have the option to return to their elite vacation rental for a dip in the private pool, or a family billiards tournament in the game room.

Salvo is located in one of the quieter sections of the Outer Banks, and for many vacationers, this is an exceptionally noticeable benefit. With relatively few visitors sharing the beaches, and ample room to spread out, a Salvo vacation is the perfect excuse to escape from the rest of the world or a while. While the vacation rentals here generally offer everything a visitor could need for rainy day entertainment, the village itself is quiet, peaceful and the perfect retreat for visitors who need to tune out and spend an afternoon or two listening to nothing but the sound of the Atlantic Ocean waves in the background.

The Salvo Beach Scene

The town of Salvo can be easy to miss. Located at the southern end of the tri-villages, the town's borders are indistinguishable with the neighboring town of Waves, and subsequently the town of Rodanthe, and it is entirely possible to drive through the small village en route to a southern Hatteras Island destination along NC Highway 12 and never notice its existence.

As the southern tri-villages' anchor, Salvo offers ample access to local amenities and restaurants, but is located a good 15-30 minute drive from the major services, stores and Outer Banks attractions. The central Outer Banks attractions can be found 30-20 miles to the north, while the island's major chain grocery store and medical services are located 15 miles south in the town of Avon. While visitors will find a handful of local tackle shops and convenience stores that stock the staples, and several restaurants in the tri-villages for an evening out, there isn't much else to disturb the natural landscape, and frequent vacationers wouldn't have it any other way.

The Salvo beaches are some of the widest in the southern Outer Banks, with a double dune system that protects vacation rentals from storm-related ocean over wash, and wide sandy beaches that stretch for many yards between the high tide line and the breaking waves. While this terrain means that even an oceanfront vacation rental may be located somewhat far away from the breakers, it also enables Salvo vacationers to enjoy a wide expanse of shoreline with plenty of room to play volleyball, Frisbee, football, or simply go fly a kite. The beaches in Salvo are among the quietest on the Outer Banks, and visitors will find ample room to claim a stretch of shoreline all to themselves.

The soundside is an equally appealing destination for visitors, and in recent years, has become notorious for its exceptional windsurfing and kiteboarding conditions, with nice long plains along the Pamlico Sound to ride out and explore. Soundfront and soundside vacationers will likely find both private and community public launches to set sail into the open waters, while visitors in all areas can simply head to the southern outskirts of town and enjoy an afternoon or evening at the Salvo Day Use Area, an expansive soundside parking area with a wide grassy Pamlico Sound beach, public restrooms, picnic tables, and plenty of access to those incredible waterfront views.

Just across the street from the Salvo Day Use Area is a 4WD beach access ramp, Ramp 27, which is seasonally open to visitors with a 4WD vehicle who want to explore the beaches in between Salvo and its neighbor to the north, Avon, located 15 miles away. In between the two towns, adventurous vacationers will also find handfuls of soundside paths and nature trails that are always open for exploration, and lead through dense patches of maritime forests and even marshes before reaching the Pamlico Sound.

As for entertainment, most visitors embark on a ghost crab hunt or a nighttime stroll around the beach, although there are a handful of restaurants and activities located in neighboring villages. Salvo has a convenience store, tackle shop, several gift shops and watersports companies, and not much else, and this only adds to its allure as a quiet beach town.

Essentially, Salvo is an ideal destination for outdoors lovers of all genres. Here, visitors can find exceptional fishing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, and decent surfing, shelling and body boarding, and most all of Salvo's vacationers spend the majority of their days on the water. Visitors who love the ocean, the sound, and have no problem losing track of the rest of the world while they enjoy the ocean breezes will feel right at home in Salvo, a small beach town located 25 miles off the mainland, and remaining virtually out of the public eye.

Types of Rentals Available

Visitors to Salvo will most likely stay at one of the vacation rental homes that are located throughout the village. While there is a small motel located in the town, there are no condo complexes or other similar developments, which only adds to the small-town charm.

The vacation rental homes can range from small 3-4 bedroom beach boxes or cottages that were built in the early 1980s to sprawling 5-10 bedroom estates that were newly constructed in the last decade or so, with the latter comprising of the majority of rental homes available. Considering that Salvo is located far off the map, and features generally limited entertainment options, these larger rental homes are perfect retreats for families who like to stay connected, and still have ample options of things to do. The majority of these homes feature game rooms, private pools, expansive entertainment centers if not entire media or theater rooms, and a host of other amenities to allow guests to happily fill up the hours off the beach.

Considering that the tri-village area hosts a limited supply of restaurants, the kitchens in these vacation rental homes are generally quite grand, with all the big and small appliances needed to whip up fresh seafood feasts for the family. In addition, vacationers will find multiple master bedrooms for private accommodations, as well as secluded lofts or dens for quiet areas of the home to call their own. Considering the wild landscape and the proximity to both the ocean and sound, it should come as no surprise that all vacation rentals have decks, with many featuring multiple levels of both shaded decks, sun decks, and screened-in porches which are ideal for dining al fresco.

It's only fitting that the majority of Salvo vacation rentals are elite retreats with plenty of entertainment options to keep the whole family entertained. With no glitzy attractions in the area, but plenty of natural landscapes to admire, Salvo vacationers generally feel at home with a wide porch and a good book, an expansive kitchen and a new seafood recipe, or a family blockbuster and a theater room. With plenty of amenities to offer vacationers in every home, it should come as no surprise that most Salvo visitors don't miss the lack of big name attractions while they're enjoying their stay along one of the Outer Banks' most picturesque stretches of seashore.

Benefits of Salvo Vacation Rentals

Salvo vacation rentals fit the mold of the "all-inclusive-resort," as many of the larger estates feature everything a visitor could possible need to stay entertained off the beach. With ocean or sound facing hot tubs, private pools, game rooms, and extensive home entertainment systems, a trip to the local pool or movies is obsolete, and instead, guests can just enjoy being at home, and spending much needed time with the family.

Salvo, and Hatteras Island in general, prides itself on being a family friendly vacation destination, and this is evident in the vacation rental scene. Whether you are challenging the parents to a game of pool, or taking in an ocean sunrise or sound sunset on a wide deck, the vacation rentals in Salvo are accommodating enough to provide hours of fun both on and off the beach.

Meanwhile, the beach itself is one of the town's biggest claims to fame as it features endless stretches of shoreline with non-existent crowds and plenty of room for everyone to enjoy. Head south a mile or two, just past the outskirts of town, and visitors will find miles of wide open spaces to play in, and often enjoy a soundside or oceanside beach all to themselves. This abundant privacy, combined with vacation rentals that pack in all the fun amenities of a vacation in one home, is the reason why Salvo visitors keep coming back for more.

Considerations of Salvo Vacation Rentals

The biggest consideration for potential Salvo vacationers is essentially the locale. Salvo is a good 15 miles away from the nearest chain grocery store, and does not boast the bevy of local restaurants, attractions, or entertainment options that other beach towns may feature. For most visitors, however, the quiet nature of Salvo is a benefit, and ensures that there are few crowds to share the scene, enabling guests to enjoy miles of undisturbed and unpopulated beaches.

While not always considered a drawback, Salvo also has one of the larger dune systems along the Outer Banks, with a double-dune barrier protecting the front row oceanfront homes from the water. While this means that the homes in Salvo are virtually safe from any ocean over wash, it also means that Salvo visitors will have a good 2-5 minute trek to the oceanfront regardless of where they stay. Luckily, every oceanfront house or community has either a designated sandy path or wooden boardwalk to make the stroll easier, and the walk itself is incredibly scenic, passing through tall parcels of sea oats, bright red and yellow wildflowers, and an assortment of other local foliage that visitors can pause and admire.

Vacationers who like to be close to the action, and have big attractions and amenities available at their fingertips, will most likely not be fans of the small town of Salvo. This beach community is designed for families whose focus is on quality time on the beach and at the rental home, and who relish an opportunity to escape from the real world. With few distractions and ample space, Salvo is a quiet destination that is meant for visitors who want to relax and readjust to a new schedule set on Island Time.

Tips and Tricks for Salvo Vacation Rentals

Beach visitors should be on the lookout for shipwrecks, either buried under the beaches' surface, or located just offshore, peeking out over the ocean's waters. Thanks in no small part to Salvo's proximity to the Diamond Shoals, the town is notorious for its shipwrecks, and on a clear day, remnants of a Civil War steamer can be seen just offshore on the horizon.
History buffs should also be on the lookout for the "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" attraction of the Salvo Post Office. This replica of the original station, (which was burned down in the 1990s), pays homage to what was once the nation's smallest post office. With just enough room to enter and turn around, the small white building with red trim is easy to miss, but if spotted, is certainly worth a photo opt or two.
Visitors who want a beach all to themselves simply have to drive south. The stretch of National Park Service maintained Cape Hatteras National Seashore is filled with small sandy pathways leading out to the sound, and four oceanside parking areas in between Salvo and Avon that are seldom crowded. Any of these beaches are the perfect spot for Salvo vacationers who want their own private stretch of shoreline to enjoy, with no one else in sight for miles.
While Salvo is certainly miles away from the rest of the world, and the rest of the Outer Banks for that matter, it is still reasonably close to the majority of Outer Banks' main attractions. Located just 20-30 miles away from Roanoke Island's aquarium, Elizabethan Gardens, and Bodie Island's Lighthouse, and just 25 miles away from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Salvo vacationers will find they have a centralized locale that provides them with easy access to a good morning, afternoon, or full day trip to the other attractions along the Outer Banks.
For budget friendly accommodations, consider a trip in the off-season or shoulder season. Like the majority of Outer Banks vacation rentals, the rates for Salvo rentals drop significantly as the summer winds down, and the spring, fall and winter months are an ideal time to book exceptional homes at a drastically lower cost. Best of all, as the season winds down, the beaches become even more uncluttered, ensuring guests will enjoy all the privacy and seclusion in the world.

Salvo is a unique beach town that is nonetheless quintessentially Outer Banks. With unpopulated wide beaches, gorgeous parcels of soundfront, and a handful of amenities to provide the necessities to vacationers, Salvo is in essence a bare beach destination where the focus lies on the gorgeous stretches of shoreline.

At the same time, Salvo has some of the best vacation rental accommodations on the southern Outer Banks, ensuring that visitors can enjoy their own private retreat and a private world of entertainment options, even while staying miles away from the rest of the world. This combination of absolute seclusion and modern amenities is what keeps Salvo vacationers returning year after year to relish being cut off from the mainland, but still enjoy the good life. For a decadent vacation that entails the beach, a fantastic vacation rental home, and no other distractions, consider a Salvo vacation rental for your next Outer Banks beach stay.