Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

Beaufort-SC.com logo

Find your perfect Beaufort

Vacation Rental

Featured Vacation Rentals

266 Tarpon Blvd

Summary:266 Tarpon Blvd, Crab Cottage - Resort Access Supplied!The Space:Welcome to Crab Cottage: Your Fripp Island RetreatCrabb Cottage is being newly modernized, and new photos are pending!- All new stainless steel appliances, including a Enormous...

  • Fripp Island
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12
517 Sunsuite - New to VRBO! Resort Acces...

Freshly refreshed Sunsuite Efficiency! Centrally located in the heart of Fripp Island. Steps away from the Beach Club, Island Bites, Sandbar, Tennis Courts, Exercise Center and the new Fripp Arcade! This 2nd floor studio layout is ideal for...

  • Fripp Island
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
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 charmingly uplit at nighttime. It is a 5-min. walk to some great restaurant options here on Ladys Island, and a short walk...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Charming 2-bedroom cottage with Screened...

Chart a course to Port Royal SC. This Home features LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION and a comfortable layout for your Family to appreciate. If you appreciate Seafood , you are within walking distance to Seafood Eateries overlooking the Water at...

  • Port Royal
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Charming 4-bedroom house close to Parris...

Consider this home your home away from home while you visit Beaufort. This handsome property features 4 bedrooms, 2 with en-suite full baths - 3 queen beds and 2 twin beds, ideal for families or groups of friends. With 3 bathrooms equipped with all...

  • Beaufort
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
38 Davis Love Drive

Summary:38 Davis Adore Drive - Resort Access and Golf Cart Supplied!The Space:Feel the appeal of Fripp Island at 38 Davis Appreciate, a enchanting four-bedroom, three-bath golf bungalow located in the heart of the island. Ideally located near Ocean...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Kids Fishing Tournament

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

duration: 7 hours min_age: 5 max_age: 15 description: This is a sign up for the Kids Fishing Tournament on November 28th! Each child participating need to be signed up individually. You will have to attend the captains meeting on November 28th at...

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...

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...

Sky & Water Study in Acrylic

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$85.00

duration: 3 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: Learn what you can...

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...

Private Ashes Ceremony

Edisto Watersports and Tackle

Book online
$150.00

description: Rates **Private Group:** $150 *Up to 12 people* Duration 1 Hour About We offer a private one-hour boat cruise in the St. Helena Sound for families to spread the ashes of their loved ones. This trip can accommodate up to 12...

Learn to Sail Adventure

Otter Sailing Adventures LLC

Book online
$600.00

duration: 3.5 hours or more group_size: maximum of 6 description: Duration 3.5 hours About Experience the thrill of learning to sail on our Catalina 275 Sport, the perfect boat for learning keel boat sailing for the first time or honing your...

Sandy Bottom Boards - Grazing Box

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$34.00

duration: 2.5 hours meeting_point: 300 Tarpon Blvd. group_size: 1 description: Tides & Tunes Grazing Boxes Are Here! We’ve partnered with our friends at Sandy Bottom Boards to bring you the ultimate concert companion—beautifully curated...

Boneyard Beach Sunrise Adventure

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$249.00 - $499.00

description: A SPECIAL ADVENTURE TO AN OTHERWORLDLY LOCATION! Options - **Semi-Private Tour**: Includes one non-shooting guest at no additional charge - **Private Tour**: (1 -4 Guests) About COME EXPLORE SOME OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS AND...

Deck the Porch

Brice Herndon Draft Horse and Carriage Company

Book online
$100.00

description: Ride in our Vis-a-vis Carriage A more intimate and private setting with your own personal horse and driver. Enjoy private time with your family or make it a couple's adventure strolling through the Front Porch of the Lowcountry! ...

Summer Art Camp for Tweens & Teens-11 and up-Afternoons

duration: 2.5 hours min_age: 11 max_age: 18 group_size: 8 accessibility: Second Floor description: Cheryl Johnson has some great projects in store for this summer There will be sculpture, jewelry, collage, painting projects, and more!

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** ...

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