Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most famous pirates

No other state played a bigger role in the golden age of piracy than North Carolina. Today visitors to the state can trace this pirate history and separate truth from myth and the legends that have played out in movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Blackbeard’s Pirate Trail. The Trail showcases sites throughout the North Carolina coast where pirate exhibits, festivals and even invasions abound. Blackbeard, the world’s most famous pirate, lived and died in North Carolina and some even speculate he was raised here. On the Pirate Trail, visitors can retrace Blackbeard’s steps at several sites including the place off Ocracoke Island where he was killed and where his body may still lay. Blackbeard wrecked his flagship off the North Carolina coast and its remains are still an active dive site. Near the site, visitors can see the largest exhibit of Blackbeard artifacts. Visitors can also walk the same paths in the historic city of Bath where he took up residence. But Blackbeard wasn’t the only famous buccaneer to haunt the North Carolina coast. The Trail also highlights sites that relate to Stede Bonnet, Charles Vane and “Calico” Jack Rackham. Pirate adventures are always in season on the North Carolina coast with plenty of adventures ranging from attractions to historical exhibits.