10 Greatest Seaside Cities in South Carolina

Folly Seaside

“As somebody who lives 10 minutes from Folly Seaside, I definitely really feel like I’m on trip the place I stay,” Katie Hirsch, the director and chief curator of the Halsey Institute of Modern Artwork, tells Journey + Leisure. It’s one of many closest seashore cities to Charleston, so it’s an excellent possibility for a day journey in case you’re visiting the Holy Metropolis; simply you should definitely arrive on the sooner aspect if you wish to beat the crowds and have a neater time parking. Plus, “in case you’re an early riser,” says Hirsch, you may wish to “strive discovering shark enamel throughout a morning seashore stroll.” She additionally recommends grabbing some meals at native favourite Jack of Cups Saloon for “surprising bites impressed by Asian delicacies.”

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Hilton Head Island

“Hilton Head Island is without doubt one of the greatest locations to flee to if you wish to be close to a seashore city however desire a totally different setting from Charleston,” explains Hirsch. “It has fashionable touches however nonetheless retains its Southern appeal, interesting to each vacationers and locals alike.” Hilton Head is understood for its golf programs and bike trails, however there’s one thing for everybody on the 12-mile-long, five-mile-wide island. Gullah heritage excursions, boat rides, paddleboarding, and birding are all itinerary contenders, and Hirsch additionally says the vacation spot has “a number of the greatest thrift shops.” If that’s up your alley, save a day for exploring the products at The Cut price Field, My Sister’s Closet, and The Church Mouse.

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Isle of Palms

I’ve spent numerous days on Isle of Palms, a small barrier island slightly below half-hour from downtown Charleston. It’s one of many extra family-friendly seashores within the space, with many guests opting to remain at Wild Dunes Resort or hire a roomy oceanfront dwelling. Irrespective of the place you might be on the island, although, its leisurely tempo, huge seashore, and basic small-town options will entice guests of all ages. One in every of my favourite issues to do on “IOP,” because the locals name it, is to seize dinner at Islander 71 and watch the boats come out and in of the marina. I’d additionally advocate testing the stay music schedule at The Windjammer — or selecting up a to-go frosé from The Co-Op.

Sullivan’s Island

Named one of many greatest seashore cities on the East Coast, Sullivan’s Island continues to be a favourite — particularly for Charlestonians. “The seashore may be very relaxed, and the marsh views are second to none,” says Betsy Fuller, proprietor of A Maker’s Submit. “Should you’re visiting, I’d advocate taking an extended seashore stroll ending at Station 22.5, so you possibly can head into ‘city,’ aka Center Road, to perform a little purchasing.” This a part of Sullivan’s Island is in style for its numerous eateries; there’s every part from Mexican and barbecue to burgers and seafood. Fuller recommends getting a desk at Excessive Thyme or The Obstinate Daughter — then grabbing a nightcap at Dunleavy’s.

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Beaufort

The second-oldest metropolis in South Carolina, Beaufort is commonly in comparison with Charleston; it’s historic, lovely, and stuffed with oak timber and superb structure. Its proximity to the water can be a perk. Equally to Charleston, you’ll should drive a bit out of the principle hub to get to the seashore. Should you don’t thoughts parking your seashore chair by Battery Creek, relatively than the Atlantic Ocean, make your solution to the Sands Seaside on the southern finish of Port Royal. The seashore is free to the general public, and there’s a lot to maintain the entire household entertained, together with shark tooth searching, a boardwalk, and an commentary tower. For true oceanfront seashores, you’ll have to drive to Searching Island State Park, the place 5 miles of gorgeous seashores stay alongside marshes, a saltwater lagoon, and maritime forests. 

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Pawleys Island

Rest is paramount while you’re visiting Pawleys Island, a barrier island seashore city situated between Myrtle Seaside and Charleston. That is the kind of place the place time mechanically slows, the place you’re inspired to sign off, and the place you possibly can see the unparalleled pure splendor of South Carolina’s coast. Spend your days crabbing, browsing (if the waves allow), fishing, {golfing}, or eating on basic Lowcountry staples; simply don’t neglect to avoid wasting time for the artwork of doing completely nothing. For a very rejuvenating getaway, ebook a room at The Pelican Inn, an eight-bedroom bed-and-breakfast with a variety of studying nooks and locations to take a nap. 

Murrells Inlet

Murrells Inlet, or the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina,” makes this checklist for just a few causes. For starters, the historic fishing village has a function generally known as MarshWalk. The wood boardwalk spans a half-mile alongside a pure saltwater estuary and a number of other eating places, together with Bovine’s, Wahoo’s Fish Home, and The Claw Home. In between journeys to the far-from-crowded Huntington Seaside State Park, guests ought to make some extent to cease by Brookgreen Gardens, a zoo and 9,100-acre sculpture backyard. Murrells Inlet was additionally beforehand the situation of Goat Island, which Hirsch calls a “spectacle to see,” however as of 2023, the resident goats have been changed with metallic goat replicas as excessive tides posed an excessive amount of of a risk to the animals.

Edisto Seaside

Edisto Seaside isn’t your typical, buzzy seashore city — and that’s the fantastic thing about it. There are not any stoplights, excessive rises, or chain eating places on the whole thing of Edisto Island, and the seashore city itself wholeheartedly embraces the magic of sluggish residing. For leisure, guests can (respectfully) discover the 4.5 miles of shoreline, take a dip within the ocean, and seek for shells, shark enamel, and different fossils that will wash up on shore. Biking, kayaking, and dolphin excursions are additionally favourite trip additions. But when there’s completely one factor you possibly can’t miss whereas visiting Edisto Seaside? The fantastic sunsets. Convey a blanket to Edisto Seaside State Park, sit again, and benefit from the present. 

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Myrtle Seaside

Myrtle Seaside might technically be a metropolis, nevertheless it has all the trappings of your basic seashore city. There’s a bustling boardwalk, golf programs, go-karts, memento purchasing, and, after all, a variety of public seashores. “I’ve all the time been drawn to the nostalgia that yow will discover on Myrtle Seaside,” says Fuller. “One in every of my favourite motion pictures, “Shag,” is ready there, and at any time when I watch it, I daydream about going again to go to the seashore city within the Fifties.” And whereas it could be synonymous with spring break crowds and households on summer season trip, it is a vacation spot that delivers — whether or not you’re hoping to spend the day by the water or protecting your schedule full, from sun-up to sunset. 

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Kiawah Island

“Seaside city” has totally different associations for various folks. To me, a seashore city is someplace that’s simply navigable by bike; it’s a spot with only some retailers that every one, for probably the most half, promote some type of solar hat or location-specific t-shirt. In South Carolina, a seashore city additionally evokes a nostalgic mixture of humidity, salt water, and the odor of pluff mud. Kiawah Island meets all of those standards — after which some. A majority of the island capabilities as a gated non-public neighborhood, accessible solely to residents, their visitors, and people with reservations, although there are a few areas open to the general public, particularly Kiawah Beachwalker Park and Freshfields Village. On the latter, you possibly can load up on all of your trip necessities — groceries, seashore reads, bathing fits, and extra. 

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