The best beaches in the world
South Carolina is bounded by Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, along the North Atlantic Coast. It is one of the top tourist sectors in the country, acclaimed for many varied aspects, including the Blueridge Mountains, crystal clear lakes, historic cities, and hundreds of championship golf courses. Yet even with all the natural beauty, it’s impossible not to wander the Atlantic Coast and explore the dozens of uniquely beautiful South Carolina beaches. From North Myrtle Beach, where families and anglers congregate, to well-heeled Hilton Head Island, these two destinations and everything in between create a list with incredible diversity.
The Grand Strand is the most obvious place for a beach getaway. The 60-mile-long Strand is home to popular state beaches of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, two of the friendliest communities on the coast. Luxury permeates Hilton Head and Pawleys Island where custom vacation homes and villas, upscale shopping, specialty cruises, golf courses, and shopping are at hand. Historic and always charming, both Charleston (a short drive from the Grand Strand) and quaint Murrells Inlet offer a wealth of history, interesting architecture, historic sites, and best of all, access to a bevy of incredible beaches.
Nature lovers have a lot to appreciate about the beaches of South Carolina, not only for a large population of loggerhead turtles but also for a nice array of waterfront state parks, encompassing the best of beaches and nature in pristine coastal settings. Edisto Beach State Park, on Edisto Island is a great place for seaside fun. It also borders on a beautiful island duo: Seabrook Island and Pawleys Island, both celebrated beach communities. Along the chain of barrier islands, Huntington Beach State Park is another coastal beauty to behold at Fripp Island and en route to Hilton Head Island.
Along this meandering coastal expanse, there are few seaside activities that aren’t possible, including deep-sea fishing, leisure boating, sunset cruises, and dolphin watching. Swimming, surfing, and sunbathing along with windsurfing, parasailing, and sailing are more to enjoy. Waterfront amusement parks, coastal golf courses, and an array of shopping and dining hit a South Carolina list filled with huge entertainment value.
Myrtle Beach State Park is just past the southernmost beach on Myrtle Beach, called Springmaid Beach, officially at 4401 South Kings Highway. The very beautiful, wide white-sand beach is the main attraction, but certainly not the only one. Spreading the days out for an extended stay is highly recommended when visiting this part of Myrtle [...]
Litchfield Beach is one of the oldest oceanfront communities in the Myrtle Beach area, inaugurated back in the 1700s. The beach is situated in an ideal location between historic Georgetown, where there are endless attractions to explore, and the entertainment and vacation capital of Myrtle Beach. Litchfield Beach is based in Georgetown County, a region [...]
Edisto Beach is south of Saint Helena Sound on the warm North Atlantic Ocean. These two major points in South Carolina are located between Seabrook Island and Huntington Island State Park. Lauded as one of the few remaining noncommercial beaches near the Grand Strand, Edisto Island South Carolina is an island geared toward families, and [...]
Charleston beaches are set along an unrivaled location on the North Atlantic Coast. Not only are Charleston South Carolina beaches ideally maintained and scenic, but they boast a great number of amenities, creating the perfect situation for all vacation styles. The many things to do on and around the beaches, added to many South Carolina [...]
Isle of Palms Beach is one of the most scenic places on the Atlantic Coast of South Carolina. It is perfect for both adventure and leisure and provides easy route to the rich history of nearby Charleston. The dispersed salt marches create diverse eco-systems attracting a range of wildlife, a major aspect to the natural [...]
Kiawah Island is a small barrier island between Folly Beach and Seabrook Island in South Carolina named after the first Native Indian settlers who discovered it in the sixteenth century. The quiet setting combined with close proximity to numerous points of interest in the region create endless opportunities for all kinds of entertainment and activities. [...]
Pawleys Island Beach is in Georgetown County, south of Myrtle Beach on South Carolina’s famous Grand Strand. The barrier island is also sometimes referred to as Litchfield Beach with which it shares the immediate area. Officially, Pawleys Island includes both the barrier island and the area just off the island on the mainland, where most [...]
Surfside Beach is located between Myrtle Beach State Park and Garden City Beach and north of Murrells Inlet on South Ocean Boulevard. As with most Myrtle Beach beaches, defining aspects of the quiet, seaside town include ideally developed community amenities, plenty of vacation and condo rentals, and a picturesque beach fringing the Atlantic Ocean. Surfside’s [...]
Folly Beach is a charming seaside town and beach area highlighted by a fun and funky atmosphere. The small peninsula juts out from the mainland with Folly River behind it and the Atlantic Ocean in front. Nearby, Robbins Creek spills into the river, which is a popular place for waterfront activities. To the north is [...]
Hilton Head beaches are fourteen miles of coastal landscape with the majority edging on the North Atlantic Ocean. Three separate areas featuring island beaches include the Port Royal Sound, Calibogue Sound, and one beach adjacent to Dolphin Head at Hilton Head plantations which also touches on the Port Royal Sound. Another park, called Fish Haul [...]