Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

LATE SUMMER DISCOUNTED PRICES!!!    Cent...

Sorry, we do not have access to resort luxury cards. We appreciate the beach and grilling on our deck. There are great eateries off island, on Lady’s Island and in Beaufort. Check out our notebook of menus in our coffee table. ...

  • Fripp Island
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Stylish Downtown Cottage - Prime Histori...

Located in Beaufort's vibrant historic downtown, this bungalow is 2.5 blocks from Waterfront Park which is a enchanting spot to walk or sit on one of the many bench swings overlooking the water.You are steps away from Beaufort's best eateries and...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
FRIPP ISLAND/Hot tub overlooking lake/ C...

This peaceful, 3 bedroom/2.5 bath lake view home is the ideal hideaway ideal for a single family or various smaller groups. It is walking distance from the Deer Lake Community Pool and just a golf cart ride away from the most calming beach around...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Great views, close to cabana club, golf ...

Charming Charleston Style Beach Cottage with Ocean Vistas and Four Verandas. Appreciate the vistas of the ocean and Pritchards Island. The home is located on the southern most tip of Fripp Island on a peaceful cul-de-sac. Walk to Cabana Club Pool...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
375 Sea Bass Drive

Summary:375 Sea Bass! Stunning Location - Resort Access & Golf Cart Always Supplied!The Space:Location, Location, Location! Close to the Beach!Welcome to 375 Sea Bass, a gorgeously appointed 3-bed, 2.5-bath marshfront getaway just a 5-min. walk (or...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 10
Charming 2-bedroom house with Broad Rive...

Savor a relaxing stay at this alluring 2-bedroom home just mins. from Parris Island, Port Royal and Beaufort and only a 30 min. drive from historic Bluffton. This location is central to much this lowcountry area has to offer. The open floor plan...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 5

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Pat Conroy's Beaufort by Golf Cart
Book online
$20.00 - $45.00

description: *“I’ve come home to the place I was always writing about…. I’ve tried to make Beaufort, South Carolina, my own.”—Pat Conroy, The Death of Santini* ____ Duration and Availability - 1Hr15Mn - Monday through Sunday (7 days a...

Wednesday Camp Fripp-Wild Water Wednesday

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$57.00 - $65.00

duration: 3 hours meeting_point: Creekhouse min_age: 3 max_age: 12 description: Cool off and make a splash during Water Works Day! Enjoy a variety of fun water games and activities, including exciting relay races, splash challenges, and pool fun...

Private Farm Tour

Lowcountry Oyster Co.

Book online
$300.00 - $450.00

meeting_point: 15823 Bennetts Point Rd, Green Pond, SC, United States description: Reserve a farm & boat tour all to yourself with this exclusive option! Enjoy a private and personalized tour of our farm facilities followed by a boat ride out into...

Beaufort Tipsy Tour

Beaufort Gray Line

Book online
$55.00

description: Duration 2.5 hours Beaufort’s tour scene is about to get a whole lot better with Kelly Tours new Tipsy Tour! Beaufort’s “Tipsy Tour” is a brand-new tour specifically designed for adults! Enter this exciting experience...

TWO DAY-Reiki 3/Master Class

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$700.00

duration: 7 hours min_age: 15 group_size: 8 accessibility: Second Floor description: Day 1, Intuitive Healing...Day 2, Learn to Teach Reiki. On Day 1, we will go further into the process of Intuitive Healing and deep listening. We will do practical...

West End Walking Tour

Greenville History Tours

Book online
$25.00

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Corner of S. Main and Falls Park Dr. in front of the fountain description: Take a fascinating walk through Greenville's historic West End and hear some amazing stories about the evolving of this neighborhood from...

Two Hour Axe Throwing

Wolverine Axe Throwing

Book online
$25.00 - $35.00

description: Enjoy your time at Wolverine Axe Throwing throwing axes! Duration 2 hours About Welcome to Wolverine Axe Throwing in Woodruff, SC. If you have never thrown an axe before, there is nothing to fear. When you arrive our axperts...

Wait List for Golf Carts

Edisto Bike and Golf Cart Rental

description: Wait lIst for 3 Day or Week Long Electric Cart Rentals

Raw & Wet - Next Level

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$159.00

duration: 3 hours meeting_point: The Arts Port Royal group_size: 6 description: Let the canvas breathe - and watch what happens when paint is allowed to flow This is a TWO afternoon class to allow drying between layers. Some of the most...

Oak Avenues & Island Marsh Sunset

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$249.00 - $499.00

description: THE LOCATIONS YOU'VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT! Options - **Semi-Private Tour**: Includes one non-shooting guest at no additional charge - **Private Tour**: (1 -4 Guests) About THERE'S NOTHING MORE SOUTHERN THAN LIVE OAKS AND...

Beachcombing & Eco Tour (3 Hrs)

Beaufort Dolphin Adventures

Book online
$481.13

duration: 3 Hours cancellation_summary: Customers will receive a full refund with 24 hours notice of cancellation. Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances...

Family Feud *Adult After Hours* at the Sandbar

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$10.00

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Sandbar min_age: 21 description: Join us on TUESDAYS to play the spin off of the hit game show Family Feud. Play against another family and go head-to-head with questions winning the grand prize!! **Gameshow...

Beaufort, SC

Beaufort is a historic waterfront town in South Carolina's Lowcountry, known for its antebellum architecture, moss-draped oaks, and scenic coastal views.

Founded in 1711, Beaufort is the second-oldest city in South Carolina and offers a rich blend of Southern charm and history. Visitors can stroll the walkable downtown, explore art galleries and boutiques, or take a horse-drawn carriage tour through the historic district. The nearby Sea Islands - including Hunting Island, Fripp Island, and Harbor Island - offer beautiful beaches, nature trails, and wildlife viewing, while the town itself is a favorite for boating, kayaking, and enjoying fresh local seafood.

Beaufort features a variety of lodging options, including historic inns, charming bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals with waterfront views. The area is ideal for those looking to relax and take in the culture, history, and natural beauty of the South Carolina coast. Whether you're exploring Gullah heritage, visiting the lighthouse at Hunting Island State Park, or simply enjoying a quiet evening along the river, Beaufort offers a peaceful and unforgettable Lowcountry getaway.

Beaufort is, at its heart, a small southern town with a big population, that's chock-full of historical sites, a thriving arts scene, and plentiful attractions, which are readily available for curious newcomers to explore. Smaller than its' northern South Carolina neighbor Charleston, Beaufort nonetheless has a far-reaching reputation as one of the most historically relevant and undeniably charming towns along the eastern coastline.

Beaufort SC Waterfront Park

Named by Southern Living Magazine as the "Best Small Southern Town," and featured by both American Style Magazine and the New York Times in recent praising articles, the secret about Beaufort's appeal is clearly out, but visitors can still enjoy miles of quiet waterfront, cool art scenes, or happening downtown streets at their leisure, during any time of the year. An easy day trip that combines the best of the legendary Coastal Carolinas and the modern southern scene, Beaufort, SC clearly deserves its glowing designation as one of the best big little towns in the Lowcountry.

Beaufort SC

The town of Beaufort was originally founded in 1711, as an integral part of the southernmost colony that originated with early English explorations and settlements. The initial growth of the town, (or rather the colony), was quite slow at first as the region was subject to a number of Native American attacks and threats by competing European settlers, (namely, the Spanish explorers.) After these initial growing pains, however, the city of Beaufort flourished as a shipbuilding center, die in no small part to its easy proximity to the Beaufort River, and later as an elite locale for local Lowcountry planters, who thrived in the booming Indigo and rice industries.

Beaufort SC

This affluent lifestyle would change significantly during the Civil War, when Beaufort was quickly seized and occupied after the Battle of Port Royal, one of the earliest battles of the war, which took place on November 7th, 1861. As a result of this early occupation, Beaufort attracted a large number of escaped slaves during the war, and a local Freedmen's Bureau worked with these new residents well into the Reconstruction period to provide an education and an overall preparation for full independence in the years to come.

Beaufort SC

After the war, the rich plantation era ended, but Beaufort slowly regained notoriety as a phosphate mining center. With the new mining industry, the town was slowly coming back to life until an 1893 hurricane brought the region to its knees, causing massive devastation that took Beaufort a full half-century to recover from. It wasn't until the second half of the 20th century, in fact, that visitors began to trickle into the area, and locals realized their town's inherent potential as a viable tourism destination. Today, the city is thriving with an eclectic mix of modern restaurants and galleries coupled with historic graveyards and historic sites, and visitors have ample room and centuries to explore. From the initial colonization to recent revitalization projects along key portions of the historic downtown, Beaufort, after a long recovery, is clearly a city on the rise.

Beaufort SC

The bulk of the city itself is situated on Port Royal Island, an interior island that features several local towns, (including the town of Port Royal), and which is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by St. Helena Island, Parris Island, and Hunting Island and the Hunting Island State Park. Despite these island borders, the city is essentially surrounded by water, primarily via the wide Beaufort River, which cuts through this mainland region and connects with the neighboring Atlantic Ocean. At a whopping 33.6 square miles in area, (including 6 square miles of water), the population of 12,300 residents or so in Beaufort almost seems somewhat small. In fact, the outlaying portions of the city are relatively quiet, while the downtown area has most of the action with plenty of sites and attractions for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

Local outdoor attractions like the Beaufort National Cemetery, the Spanish Moss Trail and the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park will keep visitors smiling at the prospect of staying outdoors and enjoying the scene, while local historical attractions like the John Mark Verdier House Museum, the James Robert Verdier House, the Thomas Hepworth House, and the St. Helena's Episcopal Church add a touch of Beaufort's legacy and long history to the surroundings.

Beaufort SC

Cultural outposts, including a world of art galleries, local theater groups and the USCB Center for the Arts, keep visitors and locals alike thoroughly entertained with one of the most acclaimed arts scenes in the region, while shoppers will find plenty of classic boutiques and treasured antique stores to go around.

Beaufort SC

The dining scene in Beaufort is equally exquisite, with more than 130 restaurants to explore within this Lowcountry area. Local waterfront cafes, barbecue joints, and even southern-style gastro pubs can be found side-by-side on some of the more populated city blocks, and visitors are encouraged to sample the local seafood, (especially the shrimp and blue crabs), for an authentic taste of this coastal town.

For accommodations, the lodgings of choice for most visitors are local hotels, motels, and B&Bs, and there are approximately 20 of these accommodation options within the city limits. With chic loft hotels and antebellum mansions converted into beautiful inns, potential visitors will find a wide variety of lush accommodations that are close to the local attractions, and fit in effortlessly with the laid-back southern atmosphere. There are also a handful of vacation rentals available as well, namely small cottages and townhomes, and travelers heading to the area by sea will find an ample number of marinas to dock for a night or two and enjoy a little inland exploring.

Easily one of the most peaceful and surprisingly varied southern destinations, Beaufort is rising to fame as one of the most accommodating and interesting communities along the East Coast. A small southern city with a big personality, Beaufort is sure to keep visitors entertained and smiling with its coastal atmosphere, gorgeous landscapes, local sights, and general warm southern nature that makes out-of-town guests feel welcome and essentially right at home.

Beaufort Vacation Guides