With 2876 miles of coastline, hemmed by beaches and barrier islands, South Carolina is a dream for seekers of sun, sea, sand, and, yes, even solitude. Whether you’re looking for silent strolling, family fun, or a spring break vibe, you’ll find a beach in the Palmetto State that ticks the right boxes.
South Carolina entices visitors with cool, sparkling Atlantic waters and broad, sandy beaches that hide dazzling seashells and fossils (including fossilized teeth of the prehistoric shark Megalodon). You can admire the wildlife, dive deep into history, enjoy water sports, and dine, shop and enjoy the spa life in the best beach resorts in the Lowcountry.
Each of South Carolina’s beaches has its own vibe, and many are just a short drive from Charleston, a nostalgic nexus of southern charm. Consider South Carolina for your next beach vacation for memories that will last a lifetime; here are the state’s top beaches.
1. Folly Beach
Best beach for surf town vibes
Just south of Charleston, Folly Island has the Atlantic Ocean right outside the front door and the Folly River right out back. Eons of interaction between these two bodies of water created the six miles of broad sandy beaches that ring the island – great spots to surf and boogie board, kayak and fish, go boating or water ski.
Hailed as one of America’s last true beach towns, Folly Beach’s storied history begins with its original residents, the Bohicket Indians, who lived in the area until the 1600s when European colonists forced them to relocate.
Today, Folly Island has 2400 full-time residents, but the population swells on holidays and weekends. A charming and funky surf vibe pervades on Folly Beach’s Center Street, lined with boho clothing shops and seafood restaurants.
The surrounding island is dotted with ocean-focused attractions, including Folly Beach Pier, a pelican rookery and the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, with scenic coastal landscapes framing the Morris Island Lighthouse.
Folly Beach is a great place for culture, too. The Porgy House was home to Charleston authors DuBose and Dorothy Heyward in the 1930s. This is also where, in 1934, George Gershwin wrote Porgy and Bess, based on DuBose Hayward’s novel.
Planning Tip: For a fun family day out, explore the marshlands along the Folly River by kayak – it’s an adventure that’s safe and fun for kids of any age, and kayak excursions can be easily arranged in Folly Beach.
2. Hilton Head
Best beach for luxury
Famous for its stylish luxury accommodations, Lowcountry beaches and more than 23 world-class golf courses, Hilton Head was the first eco-planned resort in the United States, and it’s a favorite vacation spot for the ritzy set.
You can steep yourself in decadent luxury at Hilton Head’s spas, dine in four-diamond-rated restaurants and play a round or two in between bronzing and beach-combing, but you’ll need a budget to match.
Covering 42 sq miles, low-lying Hilton Head Island is bordered by 12 miles of stunning beaches, and many of the island’s exclusive hotels have their own private beach access. The Gulf Stream keeps the daytime temperature comfortably above 80°F from May to September, and the ocean waters are not much cooler in summer. Travelers on a budget will appreciate the public sections of beach; metered parking is available at eight of the island’s beaches.
While Hilton Head is famous for its high-end offerings, there’s plenty of pocket-friendly exploring for families and nature buffs. Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to deer and alligators, and myriad bird species throng its maze of salt marshes and lagoons. Moss-draped oaks, magnolias, pines, and palmettos make for wonderful photos.
Planning Tip: Plan your trip for September (after Labor Day), when the beaches are emptier, but temps are still pleasant. You’ll also have the best chances of seeing a sea turtle nest hatch. If you’re lucky enough to experience it, don’t shine any lights on the hatchlings as they make their way to the ocean (they’ll get confused!).
3. Edisto Beach
Best beach for nature lovers
One of four oceanfront state parks in South Carolina, Edisto Beach is a great rustic getaway for nature lovers. A vacation on the sand-fringed island of the same name invariably involves adventures in the great outdoors.
The state park is crosshatched with hiking and biking trails, including the state’s longest system of ADA-accessible hiking and biking trails. Edisto Beach provides affordable beach fun, from furnished cabins in the woods to oceanfront and forest campsites. Hike, bike, explore the beach, fish and splash in the shallows to your heart’s content.
The park also has an environmental education center with exhibits on the natural history of Edisto Island and the surrounding ACE Basin, which includes the watersheds of the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Rivers. The park is a nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles from May to October.
Planning Tip: To keep kids engaged, search the palmetto-lined strip of sand on Edisto Beach for colorful seashells and keep an eye peeled for fossils. Petrified bones from mammoths, saber-toothed cats and other prehistoric mammals have been found here.
4. Bull Island
Best beach to avoid the crowds
Stepping onto Bull Island – also known as Bulls Island – is like setting out on an east coast safari. Accessible by ferry or kayak, with 16 miles of trails and seven miles of undeveloped shoreline to explore, this is the perfect island to avoid the crowds and enjoy the unspoiled scenery of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
Bull Island is a famous haven for migrating birds, with more than 293 species recorded here. Kids will love spotting a regal American bald eagle. If observing alligators, catching a glimpse of black foxes, or spotting bottlenose dolphins is on your bucket list, naturalist-guided tours are great for all ages.
The 66,000-acre island is the largest of four barrier islands within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, which preserves saltwater estuaries, marshlands, freshwater impoundments and maritime forests. Bottlenose dolphins raise their calves in Bull Island’s protected creeks, and loggerhead sea turtles nest on the island beaches.
Boneyard Beach, named for the bleached skeletons of oaks, cedars, palmettos and pines that litter a three-mile stretch of beach at the island’s northeast corner, is popular with photographers.
Planning Tip: Bull Island is a great day trip from Charleston, which is about 50 minutes by road from the ferry launch in Awendaw. Contact Coastal Expeditions for a variety of island excursions by kayak, stand-up paddleboard or ferry.
5. Crescent Beach
Best beach for families
Myrtle Beach is South Carolina’s most popular beach resort, luring more than 19 million visitors annually. Tourists come for the family-friendly attractions, beachfront hotels, all-ages entertainment, and, of course, the white-sand beaches.
The sandy strip extends northeast towards North Myrtle Beach, where dreamy Crescent Beach is the city’s hidden gem. It’s the best spot to settle in under a beach umbrella with a good book as the kids boogie board in the surf or build sandcastles on the shore.
You’ll find plenty of adventure and water sports in North Myrtle Beach, from wakeboarding and jet-skiing to surfing and parasailing – perfect if you’re a water-loving adrenaline junkie.
Planning Tip: On land, kids will love the thrills and spills at Family Kingdom and the towering Skywheel Ferris wheel. Take a break from the commercial attractions with a boardwalk stroll in peaceful Myrtle Beach State Park.
6. Kiawah Island
Best beach for privacy
A private escape with 10 miles of white-sand beaches, Kiawah Island is a little slice of paradise. A world-class resort and a vibrant village coexist along a pristine coastline, flanking 10,000 acres of coastal woodland, sand dunes and marshes populated by whitetail deer, alligators, bobcats, seabirds and sea turtles.
While this is one of the best beach destinations for a luxury vacation, the natural setting is being preserved and enhanced for current and future generations. Most beaches are private and reserved for property owners, resort guests and
holiday-let renters, but casual visitors to the island can sun and swim at beautiful Beachwalker County Park.
The island is as welcoming to families as to couples. With kids in tow, soak up the sun and splash in the surf, then visit the 500-year-old Angel Oak Tree; for a grown-up experience, grab a meal or a drink at the Charleston Tea Garden or the Firefly Distillery.
Planning Tip: Kiawah Island is accessible by road from Charleston in around 45 minutes, so it’s an easy day trip if your budget doesn’t stretch to stopping over. There’s parking at the Beachwalker County Park, but the 150 spaces fill quickly in summer, so arrive early.
This article was first published Mar 31, 2021 and updated Oct 22, 2024.
