Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Vacation Rental

Featured Vacation Rentals

Charming Beach House, Pets considered, B...

Welcome to Beyers Bungalow, located at 343 Deer Lake Drive in the beautiful Deer Lake neighborhood.Our 3-bedroom getaway comfortably accommodates 6 guests in comfortable beds, offering a cavernous and inviting home with unique features. We have...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
King Street Cottage - Beaufort Historic ...

Welcome to King Street Cottage, a restored Freedman’s bungalow on the Beaufort Historic Registry. Blending historic appeal with modern amenities, it features heart pine floors, shiplap walls, and a curated library. The master bedroom has a king...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
1 mile from Parris Island! Close to beac...

Welcome to your home away from home in historic Port Royal! Savor this handsome, cavernous, lowcountry style 1 story 4BR 2BA home in the heart of Old Port Royal. This home has an "open- floor" plan combining living room, dining room and kitchen...

  • Port Royal
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
844 Marsh Dunes Rd - Golf Cart and Resor...

Escape to Tranquility at Marsh Dunes on Fripp IslandDiscover island serenity at this appealing 3-bedroom, 2-bath getaway located in the peaceful Marsh Dunes Neighborhood on Fripp Island. Blending comfort, convenience, and natural beauty, this home...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
Sams Point Retreat-pet friendly, gorgeou...

We can't wait to host you in our pretty guest bungalow. Unwind on the calming 1000 square foot screened-in porch overlooking the mouth of elegant Lucy Creek and the St Helena Sound. Savor beautiful sunrise vistas, enchanting birdsong, dolphin...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 5
4 mi. to Beaufort Waterfront and Parris ...

Welcome to our roomy 5-bedroom, 2 bathroom home in the heart of Port Royal, SC. This impressive getaway accommodates up to 12 guests, making it ideal for huge families or groups of friends looking for a comfortable stay near Port Royal and the...

  • Port Royal
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Spring Florals - Acrylic Workshop

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$75.00

Bring in spring with an afternoon of painting florals in a fun representational style. We will have lots of inspirational photos to spark ideas or you can bring one of your own garden to use. Instructor Anne McCall Wilson...

Beidler Forest Nature Walk

Carolina Safari Co.

Book online
$50.00

duration: 4 Hours meeting_point: Bear Island Game Management Area Main Gate - 12294 Bennetts Point Rd, Green Pond SC 29446 group_size: Maximum 8 people description: Are you ready to visit one of the best birdwatching spots in South Carolina? Bear...

Sunset

Lowco Tiki

Book online
$40.00 - $380.00

duration: 2 hours meeting_point: 1 Port Royal Landing Dr, Port Royal, SC 29935 group_size: 6 Passenger maximum description: Beaufort sunsets are unforgettable and there’s no better way to experience them than aboard the LowCo Tiki. As the sky...

Sunset River Cruise (2 Hrs)

Beaufort Dolphin Adventures

Book online
$344.34 - $551.89

duration: 2 Hour Private Boat Tour cancellation_summary: Customers will receive a full refund with 24 hours notice of cancellation or if we have to cancel due to weather meeting_point: 1 Port Royal Landing Dr, Port Royal, SC 29935 group_size: Up to...

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

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 SUNDAY Channeling with Susan Stone

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** ...

Haints and Haunts of the Sea Islands
Book online
$9.00 - $20.00

description: Come with us on a macabre journey through time in the seaside town of Beaufort. Witness the grim and twisted lore of the city’s past on a guided experience through the historic city streets. This two-hour waking tour will cover the...

Rocky Land RC

Red Maple Event

Book online
$5.00

duration: 5 minutes meeting_point: Saluda Shoals Park min_age: 6 description: Customer will be able to drive a RC Crawler for 5 minutes on the Mobile Crawler Course what_is_included: Course Rules: -Stay in the course boundaries -No wreck less...

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...

Creating Good Compositions for Landscapes

duration: 3 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: 8 accessibility: second floor description: A good...

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...

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