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Carova Beach or Carova is an unincorporated community in Currituck County in the extreme northeast corner of North Carolina, United States. The community, which is found on Currituck Banks, north of Bodie Island, can only be accessed by boat or by four-wheel drive vehicle. There are no paved roads connecting Carova to the town of Corolla, North Carolina. The neighboring settlement of Sandbridge in Virginia Beach, Virginia is not accessible by vehicle from Carova. There is a permanent fence from ocean to sound to keep vehicles from crossing but, more importantly, from keeping the wild horses from migrating to the Virginia side of the border. Four-wheel drive vehicles drive north along the beach from Corolla into the community, as access from Virginia is limited to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Map of Carova Beach, NC, USA
The community's name derived from the combination of the first syllables of Carolina and Virginia since the coastal community lies just south of the North Carolina-Virginia state line. Thus, it is the northernmost of the Outer Banks communities of North Carolina.
Banker horses and other wildlife roam freely on the beaches of Carova. There is an enforced law on the beach that states that no one is to get within 50 feet (15 m) of the horses. Commercialism is absent from this section of the Outer Banks; there are no restaurants, shops, or other attractions that often accompany beach communities. There are approximately 740 beach homes, and otherwise only a fire/ems station and a refuse station; developers continue to build in the area.