Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

Beaufort-SC.com logo

Find your perfect Beaufort

Vacation Rental

Featured Vacation Rentals

Charming Cottage in Picturesque Habersha...

Welcome to 12 Hamlet, a impressive getaway in the award-winning Habersham community of Beaufort, SC. This inviting two-bedroom, two-bathroom home offers the ideal blend of comfort and convenience. The primary bedroom features a king-size bed, a TV...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
\

"Sunrise Oasis" -  Amazing Ocean Vistas with Golf Cart Brand NEW kitchen remodel just finished and beginning August 2024 will be available to rent as a 3 bedroom!Wake up to mornings filled with beautiful ocean vistas, so close to the ocean in fact...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
Sea Glass Cottage on Duke - Three Bedroo...

Welcome to Sea Glass Cottage! Soak up everything that Historic Downtown Beaufort, SC has to offer from this 1890's home. Located on Duke Street in the historic district, you are a short walk to downtown stores, eateries and the waterfront. This...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Parris Island Grad Retreat - Beach - Pet...

Welcome to your roomy, pet-friendly coastal getaway just mins. from Parris Island and historic downtown Beaufort. Designed with Marine graduation families and beach travelers in mind, this private home offers comfort, convenience, and room to...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Views..Views..Views! Sleeps 21 !  8 Bedr...

Family Reunions- Multi Family Vacationers and sizable groups! Welcome to Porpoise Circle! Our home is one of a kind on Fripp Island! Single Family home - 8 bedrooms- 3 Living Rooms- Dining for 25 - 2 Full Size Kitchens on top floor with vistas..One...

  • Fripp Island
  • 8 Bedrooms
  • 6 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 21
1 Fiddlers Cove. Pet friendly and golf c...

This sweet beach home is loaded with appeal!The pillar and post structure is extraordinary in its open design and functionality. There is a welcoming, covered front porch with a great fan and rocking chairs. The ideal place to sip a cool drink and...

  • Fripp Island
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Fripp Island Milky Way Photography

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$100.00

description: About Join us for an opportunity to photograph the Milky Way. We'll meet for a brief classroom session to discus settings and composition and then head to the beach for photography. This tour is highly weather dependent. We may...

Beaufort River Tour (3 Hrs or More)

Beaufort Dolphin Adventures

Book online
$457.55 - $683.96

duration: 3 Hours (Longer trips can be booked via phone and email) 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...

Family Feud *Adult After Hours* at the Sandbar

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$10.00

duration: 1.5 hours 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...

Sunset Cruise

Beaufort Boat Charters LLC

Book online
$320.00

description: Please note, we may need to slightly adjust the trip departure time to ensure we are in the right time window to catch the Sunset for the day you choose :) Duration 2 Hours About Come enjoy a beautiful Lowcountry Sunset with us...

Wait List for Golf Carts

Edisto Bike and Golf Cart Rental

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

Daydream Cruise

Beaufort Boat Charters LLC

Book online
$320.00

description: Join us for a Lowcountry Adventure! Duration 2 Hours About This trip offers a bit more time to settle in on the water. Some options include dolphin and bird watching, stopping at a local waterside restaurant for a drink...

Junior Pluff Mudder Summer Camp

Port Royal Sound Foundation

Book online
$345.00

duration: Monday-Friday cancellation_summary: Due to limited space and high demand for our Junior Pluff Mudder Summer Camps, all payments are non-refundable. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have to cancel your reservation so we can...

Custom Adventure

Beaufort Boat Charters LLC

Book online
$160.00 - $960.00

description: Join us for a Lowcountry Adventure! Duration 1-6 Hours About Contact us about customizing your boating adventure to design a trip just for you! 828-279-3707 or [email protected] Options include, but are not...

Afternoon Delight & Scenic Excursion

duration: 1.5 hours meeting_point: 1 Port Royal Landing Dr, Port Royal, SC 29935 group_size: 6 Passenger maximum description: Soak up the sunshine and experience the Beaufort and Port Royal on the water! Glide along the river as dolphins play in the...

Gift Cards

Carolina Hydrofly

description: Purchase the perfect gift: a gift card with a value of your choosing!

Paddle Board Rentals

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: The Paddle Shack is your go-to for an unforgettable day on the water! Hop on a paddleboard for an adventure, for up to 8 hours! what_is_included:

Shallow Water Fishing Charter

Seas So Shallow Fishing Guide Service

Book online
$500.00 - $700.00

duration: 4 Hours meeting_point: 17 Meridian Road Beaufort, SC 29907 group_size: Maximum 4 people description: Enjoy a day at sea with Captain Steve, whose been guiding charters since 2007. Shallow waters species specialty. Let's explore...

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