Carova Beach, Outer Banks, NC
Location: 27 miles southeast of Virginia Beach

Part of what keeps this area so underdeveloped is the lack of paved roads; Highway 12 stops north of Corolla. Four-wheel-drive is a must, as the only route to this 12-mile stretch of beach is a ride on the sand or a primitive system of dirt roads connecting vacation homes in the wooded interior. Drive slowly to see the wild mustangs that roam the protected dunes.