Hilton Head Island

An island resort in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with 19 km of beaches, golf courses and bike paths everywhere, and the red-and-white lighthouse as Harbour Town's landmark.

Hilton Head Island lies in Beaufort County at the southern tip of South Carolina. A shoe-shaped barrier island about 19 km long, it's roughly an hour's drive from Savannah, Georgia. Before the 1950s it was mainly home to Gullah communities; then Sea Pines Resort pioneered a resort model built around "living in harmony with nature," and to this day the island limits building heights and has little neon, leaving shady greenery and beaches to set the tone. The climate is humid subtropical: April–May and September–October are warm and fairly dry, the best times for cycling, golf and other outdoor activities; June–August is hot and humid, the peak beach season, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms; and hurricanes are a concern August–October. Areas to explore: first, Sea Pines Resort at the south end, home to the Harbour Town Lighthouse and marina, Harbour Town Golf Links, Sea Pines Forest Preserve and South Beach Marina (a vehicle gate fee applies); second, Coligny Beach and Coligny Plaza in the Forest Beach area on the south end; third, Shelter Cove Harbour and Palmetto Dunes Resort in mid-island; and fourth, on the north end, the Coastal Discovery Museum, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, the Gullah Museum, the Skull Creek waterfront restaurants and Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. The island has about 130 km of bike paths, the beach is firm enough to ride at low tide, and dolphin cruises are the most popular outing on the water. For day trips, take a boat to Daufuskie Island, or visit Old Town Bluffton, the historic town of Beaufort, Hunting Island State Park, Penn Center and the Old Sheldon Church Ruins. Getting there: the island has a small airport, but most visitors fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (about a 50-minute drive) and rent a car; public transportation on the island is limited, but you can rent bikes and golf carts. Plan on 3–5 days. Tips: Sea Pines and some private communities (such as Palmetto Dunes) are gated; during sea turtle nesting season (May–October), lights are prohibited on the beach at night; and alligators live in the salt marshes and ponds, so don't approach or feed them.

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Where to eat

Itineraries