Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

Historic Home in the Heart of Downtown B...

Historic 4-Bedroom Home in Downtown Beaufort’s Old PointLocated in the heart of Beaufort’s esteemed Old Point neighborhood, this elegantly restored historic home offers a rare opportunity to experience the appeal and elegance of the Lowcountry...

  • Beaufort
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12
Pet Friendly, Chef's Kitchen, Exercise R...

Welcome to 1 Fiddlers Point, a handsomely maintained coastal getaway located on a cavernous corner lot in the charming Fiddler’s Trace neighborhood of Fripp Island. With over 3,400 square feet of thoughtfully designed living space, this...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
2nd Row Oceanview Home, Brand New!

Discover this elegant 5-bedroom, 4 Bath gem on Fripp Island! Oceanviews from the Kitchen, Living Space, Sunroom and Front Bedrooms. This Home features 1 King Bed, 1 California King Bed, 2 Queen Beds, and A Bunk Room with 2 Twin Beds, ensuring a...

  • Fripp Island
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 10
514 Sunsuite

Summary:Steps from the handsome pools, new exercise center, tennis & pickleball courts, and adult pool, but our fantastic beach is only steps away! Resort Access is always supplied!The Space:Welcome to Fripp Island and this Recently Renovated...

  • Fripp Island
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
SC Retreat\

NEW LISTING!! Nothing could be finer than being in South Carolina! The SC Retreat is your escape to Beaufort and talk about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Pigeon Point is located in Downtown Beaufort with a Park right down the road that you can walk...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Private, Golf Cart Included, Pets Consid...

Welcome to Sea Island Escape! Located in Fiddlers Trace on Fripp Island, 2 Pelican Cove is positioned on a cavernous homesite with professional landscaping, ensuring a high level of privacy. The inviting Southern-style front porch is ideal for...

  • Fripp Island
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 18

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Freestyle Fun

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$85.00

description: Paint loose, big and bright.... Painting quickly and with freedom can bring out our most beautiful paintings. This class is designed to put the most fun in creating.

Rum Runner Sunset Cruise

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$65.00 - $75.00

duration: 1.5 Hours meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: Join us for a sunset cruise that takes you back in time to learn about the Golden Age of Piracy and local lore while enjoying a rum tasting that would make anyone...

Valentine's Day Carriage Rides

Brice Herndon Draft Horse and Carriage Company

Book online
$100.00

description: A Fairytale Valentine's Day: Take Your Sweetheart on a Magical Carriage Ride. We will start from the north side of Union Point Park . Each ride is approximately 18 to 20 minutes long. The carriage will comfortably hold 4 adults and...

Summer Art Camp for Kids-MORNINGS

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$250.00

duration: 2 hours min_age: 8 max_age: 11 group_size: 8 accessibility: second floor description: Miss Cheryl has all kinds of arts and crafts in store for the kids this summer! We will have collage, painting, pottery, sculpture, and various...

Sunset Cruise

Edisto Watersports and Tackle

Book online
$30.00 - $50.00

description: Join us for a Leisurely Sunset Boat Ride! ________________________________ ⚠️**Cancellation Policy** Customer cancellations made more than 7 days in advance will receive a full refund/waiver of fees. Customer cancellations made...

Canvas & Cabernet Wine Glass Edition in Savannah's(above Ocean Creek Pro Shop)

duration: 2 meeting_point: Oceanview Lounge (above Beach Club) min_age: 21 description: Wine Glass edition; includes 2 wine glasses to paint. Our Recreation Intern Artist will guide you through the painting basics. Choice of 2 designs for your wine...

Do It All

The Mad Smash Rage Room

Book online
$80.00

description: Duration Approx. 1 hour About Want to do it all? This package is the ultimate option mixing fun, thrill, and creativity! With this package you will get to do some splatter painting, glass smashing, and have 5 minutes to go full...

Port Royal Cypress Wetland & River Sunset

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$299.00 - $499.00

description: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH WATER, WILDLIFE AND A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET! Options - **Semi-Private Tour**: Includes one non-shooting guest at no additional charge - **Private Tour**: (1 -4 Guests) About BEAUFORT IS CALLED THE LOWCOUNTRY...

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...

Big Fripper Shelling Cruise

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$45.00 - $65.00

duration: 3 Hours meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: Cruise on the Big Fripper that will take you and your group to Bull Point (a beach right across from St. Phillips Island). It takes about 1 hour to get there, 30-40...

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...

Saint Helena Day Sail

Otter Sailing Adventures LLC

Book online
$350.00

description: Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of Low Country waterways and the Saint Helena Sound Duration 2.5 hours About Private Sailing Charter - Price Per Group (up to 6) Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of Low Country waterways...

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