Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

Patterson's Paradise - Fripp Family Retr...

Patterson's Heaven is a six-bedroom, four-bath home with ocean vistas, along with two separate living areas, making it an ideal choice for more than one family. Guests can take advantage of beach access located close by, impressive Atlantic Ocean...

  • Fripp Island
  • 6 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 13
The Wren Guesthouse

This guest home and courtyard were added to the property of a restored circa 1920s historic home in Beaufort's downtown historic district. This peaceful street is two blocks from the Beaufort River at Bellamy Curve as well as eateries and stores of...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Oceanfront, Steps from the beach, 706 Wh...

Plan your island hideaway in this handsome, oceanfront home freshly modernized in early 2024.  Appreciate the fantastic ocean vistas from numerous rooms and the cool ocean breezes as you relax on the huge deck, screened porch or the dune-dock...

  • Fripp Island
  • 6 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 14
NEW LISTING \

Located in Beaufort, this enchanting home features 3 comfortable bedrooms - 2 with queen beds and 1 with a twin bed. With amenities like a washing machine, AC, WiFi, and a hair dryer, guests will feel right at home. The 2 bathrooms are equipped with...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 5
Newly Remodeled chic 2-bedroom townhome ...

CENTRAL LOCATION! This bright, freshly refreshed & gorgeously decorated home is just a few min. drive from downtown Beaufort & Parris Island, ideal for visiting your marine graduate! Sleeps up to 6 + babies. Located in downtown Port Royal with...

  • Port Royal
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Charming 2-bedroom cottage in Historic B...

Welcome to Gallery 1897, your beautiful historic bungalow located in the heart of downtown historic Beaufort, South Carolina! Constructed in 1897, this home offers a blend of vintage appeal with modern comfort, ensuring a memorable and calming...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Surf Lessons

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$95.00

duration: 9am-12pm Monday - Friday meeting_point: Club 15.5 min_age: 10 max_age: 100 group_size: 8 description: Fripp Island Surf Lessons offers a fun, safe, and supportive introduction to surfing for ages 10 and up! Kids, teens, adults, and...

Day Camps

Camelot Farms Equestrian Center

Book online
$100.00

description: Join us! Duration 4 Hours About Our day camps at Camelot farms give children the opportunity to learn about horses, ride, and meet new friends. Each camp can vary slightly, but they all offer riding and learning opportunities as...

Beaufort Sandbar Concert
Book online
$40.00 - $1,400.00

duration: 5 hours meeting_point: 1 Port Royal Landing Dr, Port Royal, SC 29935 group_size: 6 Passenger maximum description: Experience the Beaufort Sandbar Concert from the best vantage point on the water. We’re taking the LowCo Tiki straight to...

Carolina HydroFly Parties

Carolina Hydrofly

Book online
$800.00 - $1,600.00

description: Private Party About Enjoy a 4 or 8 Hour Group Lesson. Can have up to 8 people (Half day) & 16 people (Full day) in your party. - Includes 10 minutes of instruction time, fuel, life jacket, and helmet **What's Included** ...

Tandem Kayak Rental

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$45.00 - $360.00

duration: 1–8 Hour Rentals meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: - Sit-on-top style - 12 feet long - 35 inches wide - 80lbs - Usable weight capacity 400 lbs. what_is_included:

Bentley Switch

Santee Boat Rentals

Book online
$350.00 - $500.00

meeting_point: 401 Bass Dr. Santee, SC, 29142 description: Enjoy a day on the water on the Bentley Switchback! Duration Full Day - 8 Hours Half Day - 4 Hours About It’s a 22 foot Tritoon with a 140Hp Suzuki outboard on the back. This...

CFT Merchandise

Columbia Food Tours

Book online
$2.00 - $30.00

meeting_point: Columbia, SC description: We have products we'd love to share with you to help you remember the great time you had on our Columbia Food Tour.

Simple Figure Painting in Watercolor

duration: 3 hours min_age: 14 group_size: 8 accessibility: second floor description: Learn how simple lines, and little color can create the illusion of a human figure. No drawing required. You will also learn how to transfer images for faster and...

Embroidery on Clothing

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$75.00

duration: 3 hours cancellation_summary: Full refund for cancellations 24 hours or more before class. Day of class, a gift certificate refund, and no shows, no refund. min_age: 14 group_size: 8 accessibility: Second Floor description: Learning how to...

Fripp Fest 2025

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$45.00

duration: 4 Hours meeting_point: Beach Club Complex min_age: 21 description: Join us for our annual Fripp Fest! Enjoy live music from 77th Street Revue! Food, drinks, and fun! Reconnect with old Fripp friends or meet new ones while mixing and...

Screen 1

Highway 21 Drive-In Theater

Book online
$6.00 - $11.00

description: More Info - Ticket Window and Concessions Open at 6:00PM - The first show will start when the sun goes down - Please arrive early on Friday and Saturday nights - Double Features on Friday and Saturday nights only PLEASE OBSERVE...

Special Tours

Tales of the Lowcountry

Book online
$7.00 - $20.00

description: Rates **Adult (Ages 13+):** $20 **Child (Ages 5-12):** $7 ___ About Our specialized tours focus more on specific areas of history. **Gullah Tour** Our Gullah tour goes into great detail of the contributions of African Americans to...

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