Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

Beaufort-SC.com logo

Find your perfect Beaufort

Vacation Rental

Featured Vacation Rentals

389 Wahoo Drive

Summary:389 Wahoo is a alluring two-story home located in the heart of Fripp Island. Just a short walk to the Marina and Bonito Boathouse, this six-bedroom, five-bath home is ideal for visitors who are interested in family get-togethers, weddings...

  • Fripp Island
  • 6 Bedrooms
  • 5 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 20
Beachfront, Remodeled 2bed/2.5bath with ...

**New bathrooms Winter 2025**Beachfront!  2 bed 2.5 bath condo in Captain John Fripp Villas with impressive beach vistas from Primary bedroom and back porch.  Walk out your back porch and onto the private boardwalk to the widest beach area on...

  • Fripp Island
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 7
Sweet cottage, Best Location, Close to E...

Our bungalow has a distant view of the Beaufort River and is located under the canopy of a 100-year old live oak tree that is delightfully uplit at nighttime. It is a 5-min. walk to some great restaurant options here on Ladys Island, and a short...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Remodeled Center Island Home, Marsh View...

Welcome to Marsh Oaks, a delightfully appointed central island home offering impressive marsh vistas and convenient access to the premier sections of the beach.Totally modernized in 2025, this property features a bright, open floor plan designed for...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
Bladen Hideaway - Downtown Southern Char...

Welcome to your beautiful home away from home in Beaufort SC’s historic district: giant open kitchen,dining, living room space. Constructed in 2023, designed in Beaufort’s 1930’s vintage period features additional peacefulrooms: 2/bed, 2/bath...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
MCRD Parris Island Grads & Families: Bun...

Tastefully refreshed with comfortable furnishings, Totally equipped kitchen, washer & dryer, living room with dining area to seat six, family room with Intelligent TV, main bedroom with Intelligent TV (there is NO cable for tvs), attached bathroom ...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Barrier Island Tour

High Tide Aviation - Beaufort

Book online
$120.00

description: About With this beautiful tour you get an overhead view of Morgan Island, Harbor Island, Hunting Island State Park & Lighthouse, Fripp Island, Pritchard’s Island, Bull Point Beach, St. Phillip’s Island, Parris Island, and Fort...

Big Fripper Dolphin Cruise

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$30.00 - $40.00

duration: 2 Hours meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: Cruise on our 42 foot Pontoon Boat. This cruise will take you into the backwaters of Fripp Island looking for dolphins. The Mate will talk about the area's history...

Ghost Tour

Tales of the Lowcountry

Book online
$10.00 - $22.00

description: Rates **Adult (Ages 13+):** $22 **Child (Ages 5-12):** $10 ____ Duration 2 Hours ___ About We visit all the local "haunts" intertwining ghost tales with the history of Beaufort. Come hear tales of folks buried alive, ghost trains...

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...

Sacred Sundays...EVERY WEEK; 11AM-12:30...no registration required.

meeting_point: The Arts Port Royal description: FIRST SUNDAY Meditation. A different teacher/modality every month! SECOND SUNDAY The Path of the Mystic with Bob Guinn THIRD SUNDAY TRANQUILITY ZONE-Sound Bath with Eric & Kitty Kat FOURTH...

Private: Oldfield Season Tune Up Clinic

Sporting Clay Xperiences

Book online
$225.00

description: Need a Sporting Clays tune up! Duration 3 Hours About Prepare for the upcoming Sporting Clays season. Shake off cob webs or address nagging habits that are holding you back. Learn how to consistently break quartering and crossing...

Mississippi Kite Flight

Carolina Safari Co.

Book online
$40.00

duration: 2 Hours meeting_point: West Columbia Riverwalk & Amphitheatre group_size: Maximum 8 people description: It’s Spring Time and you know what that means… Migration is upon us! This time of year hundreds of species of birds are migrating...

Private Marsh Kayak Tour

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$100.00

duration: 1-3 hours cancellation_summary: No refunds if cancelled within 24 hours of excursion meeting_point: Paddle Shack min_age: 8 max_age: 99 group_size: Maximum 8 people description: Share a tandem kayak with a buddy or paddle yourself in a...

History, Marshlands & Live Oak Expedition

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$499.00 - $999.00

description: TURN BACK THE CLOCK AND EXPERIENCE THE PAST! Options - **Semi-Private Tour**: Includes one non-shooting guest at no additional charge) - **Private Tour**: (1 -4 Guests) About MUCH OF THE SOUTH WAS DESTROYED, BUT IF YOU KNOW...

3 Hour Hilton Head Island Lunch Trip

Tallboy Fishing Charters

Book online
$600.00

meeting_point: Beaufort, SC description: Travel by boat to beautiful Hilton Head Island for lunch at one of three excellent restaurants. See the Town of Port Royal, Paris Island, and Port Royal Sound along the way as well as Dolphins, Sea Turtles...

Reiki-4-Kids (no class fee)

duration: 90 min. cancellation_summary: Full refunds available up to 24 hours before the class. Within 24 hours, a gift cert. will be issued. No refunds for no-shows. min_age: 7 max_age: 16 group_size: 9 accessibility: Second Floor description: ...

Giant Beer Pong Tournament at Adult Pool

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$4.00 - $6.00

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Adult Pool min_age: 21 description: Think you got what it takes to dominate in this oversized twist on a classic favorite? Join us for a giant beer pong tournament, where buckets and soccer balls replace cups and ping...

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