Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

Hyp-Nautic Views, Cozy 1 BR/1.5 BA Condo...

Start your mornings with awe-inspiring sunrises and the reputed best view on the island. The balcony provides a front-row seat to see dolphins playing and pelicans diving for fish. The living room offers ocean vistas from every window and door. Keep...

  • Fripp Island
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
Parris Island Grad Retreat - Beach - Pet...

Welcome to Blue Breeze Cottage, your cavernous, 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...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Waterfront Property with Million Dollar ...

Recently redecorated and refreshed 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home with the best MILLION DOLLAR sunset vistas on the island! This beach home has everything you will need for a great time at the beach. All 3 bedrooms have intelligent TVs as well as a...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
360 Wahoo Drive - Golf Cart and Resort A...

360 Wahoo Drive is just a short walk or golf cart ride to the Atlantic Ocean, Cabana Club, pools and Ocean Marina, this three-bedroom, three full bath home is ideal for those who want the luxuries of home in a resort environment. This home comes...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 9
Relaxing beachfront condo

Imagine waking up to a handsome sunrise every morning! Carry your favorite drink onto the giant patio outside your sliding glass door overlooking the ocean waves. Dolphins are regularly seen, just off shore.This gorgeously decorated, 1 bedroom condo...

  • Fripp Island
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
Landing | Modern 1BD, Gym

Welcome to Zephyr in Port Royal, SC! Ideal for monthly or extended stays, our completely-furnished apartments feature full kitchens, in-unit laundry, fast WiFi, classy furnishings, and a dedicated workspace. Please note: The community pool is...

  • Port Royal
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2

Beaufort Tours & Activities

A.C.E. Basin & Monkey Island Tour

Beaufort Dolphin Adventures

Book online
$372.64

duration: 2 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...

Stuff-A-Plush at Creekhouse

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$25.00

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Creekhouse min_age: 3 description: Create your own cuddly companion at our stuff-a-plush event! Choose from a variety of animals, then bring them to life by stuffing them with fluff and adding a special heart for...

Abstract Expressionism  -  with Mixed Media

duration: 3 hours meeting_point: The Arts Port Royal group_size: 6 description: Explore mixed media techniques of the Expressionist Masters This Expressionism class will work with collage and molding paste. Lee Krasner famously used collage in...

Big Fripper Monkey Island Cruise

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$60.00 - $75.00

duration: 3 Hours meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: what_is_included:

Variety Craft Hour at Creekhouse

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$10.00

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Creekhouse min_age: 3 description: Unleash your creativity at Variety Craft Hour! Each session features a fun, hands-on project, from painting, seasonal decorations, to DIY keepsakes. Whether you're a beginner or a...

Seas The Day Cruise

Beaufort Boat Charters LLC

Book online
$480.00

description: Join us for a Lowcountry Adventure! Duration 3 Hours About Our 3 hour cruise allows time to get in even more during your time on the water! Some options may include visiting a local sandbar (tide dependent), a trip to...

Guided Kayak Tour to Pine Island

Edisto Watersports and Tackle

Book online
$70.00 - $140.00

duration: 2.5 hours cancellation_summary: 7 days advanced cancellation for full refund. At least 48 hours for 50% refund meeting_point: Edisto Watersports & Tackle min_age: 12 group_size: 6 people description: Enjoy a Kayak tour across the sound to...

Gift Card

Edisto Bike and Golf Cart Rental

description: Purchase the perfect gift: a gift card with a value of your choosing and no expiration date!

4 Hour Private Charter

Tallboy Fishing Charters

Book online
$700.00

description: Hop aboard Tallboy Fishing Charters with a local Expert! ___________________________________ Rates **Private Charter:** $700 *Up to 6 Passengers* ___________________________________ About the Captain Make memories fishing with...

Reiki I & II

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$250.00

duration: 6 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: 10 accessibility: Second Floor description: Reiki is a...

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...

Community Workshop- Bird Silhouettes

meeting_point: Mayfair Art Studios

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