NOW TRY OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA, US

Only accessible by boat or plane, Ocracoke is lost in time: cedar-shaded lanes crunchy with seashells wind past wooden homes and mosscovered English cemeteries dating back to the 1700s. Pirate Blackbeard met his death here in 1718, but the Atlantic-facing beaches are the draw: Caribbean-blue waters, white sands and surprisingly few tourists. The entire island (population 542) appears to gather at Ocracoke Coffee Co on Back Road.

Ocracoke Island Realty (ocracokeislandrealty.com) offers one, two, three and four-bedroom homes from £607 for seven days.

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