Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

Spacious 5-bedroom waterfront home with ...

Escape to this handsome 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath waterfront getaway surrounded by iconic Lowcountry scenery. Wake up to sweeping marsh vistas, relax under moss-draped live oaks, and savor direct water access from your private dock—ideal for fishing...

  • Beaufort
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 14
Canal Front, Private Dock, Steps to BEAC...

Look no further!! We offer it all- beach and canal!! This home is really the best location on the island and accepts simple access to all the island's activities! We are a canal-front home with a private dock, across the street from the beach, next...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 11
Luxury Estate Living on five acres with ...

Welcome Home! This roomy home is located on 5 charming acres that include a huge pond, where you can sit on the dock and feed the fish under one of the 10 oldest and most majestic live oaks in the Lowcountry. Swim laps in the 40-foot pool or just...

  • Beaufort
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 10
Fripp Island home golf cart  Included- U...

Fripp Island Family home located in Sawgrass mins. from beach. The neighborhood has its own pool, playground and crab dock. So luxury cards are not necessary. We are able to get amenities cards for you but will have to add the resorts 12.8% fee on...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
Charming River View Retreat with Private...

Welcome to your ideal Lowcountry hideaway! "Periwinkle Place" is in the heart of the Pigeon Point neighborhood—just a short bicycle ride from historic downtown Beaufort—this elegantly refreshed home offers serene vistas of the Beaufort River and...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 4
694 Bonito Road - Golf Cart and Resort A...

Sandy Palms reflects over 15 years of family memories and a lifetime legacy of adore. Named for a father, the owners have appointed this bespoke-constructed home with handsome, thoughtful touches that reflect the family's heritage of using Fripp...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 11

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Easter Festival 2026 at The Beach Club Complex

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$6.00

duration: 3 hours meeting_point: Beach Club description: Hop into spring with our Easter Festival, a fun-filled afternoon packed with activities for the whole family! Enjoy bouncing around on our inflatable attraction, playing classic games, and...

Oyster Hatchery Kayak Paddle, Tour and Tasting
Book online
$75.00 - $90.00

Duration 4 Hours About Join Beaufort Kayak Tours as they paddle from Single Lady Oyster Hatchery on McCalley's Creek, return to the oyster hatchery for a tour and end with an Oyster tasting. One of the things that Jim and Teri love most about...

Do It All

The Mad Smash Rage Room

Book online
$80.00

description: Duration 1 hour About Want to do it all? With this package you will get to do some splatter painting, glass smashing, and have 5 minutes to go full blast on the car! Splatter painting includes an 8x10 canvas and 20 minutes to get...

Mississippi Kite Flight

Carolina Safari Co.

Book online
$40.00

duration: 2 Hours meeting_point: West Columbia Riverwalk & Amphitheatre group_size: Maximum 8 people description: It’s Spring Time and you know what that means… Migration is upon us! This time of year hundreds of species of birds are migrating...

The Moody Marsh-In Acrylic

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$75.00

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: Creating a...

Fripp Island Sunrise

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$75.00

description: About Join us for a sunrise photography session. We'll provide some tips and tricks and give constructive input to improve your shot. Duration 1.5 Hours

Bear Island Bird Safari

Carolina Safari Co.

Book online
$60.00

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...

Sharks Teeth Hunting & Eco Tour (2 Hrs)

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...

Private: Oldfield Ladies Only Clinic

Sporting Clay Xperiences

Book online
$225.00

description: Sporting Clays day for just you ladies! Duration 3 Hours About This clinic is designed specifically for lady shooters who love Sporting Clays or want to get into the sport. This is a private clinic for Oldfield residents only...

Variety Craft Hour at Creekhouse

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$50.00

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...

Cast Net Fishing Class

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$75.00

duration: 1 Hour min_age: 10 description: Learn how to catch bait like the locals! This class will include demonstration and you will get to practice what you learn! what_is_included: Class and your very own cast net to take home.

Oyster Hatchery Tour and Tasting

Beaufort Kayak Tours

Book online
$35.00

Duration 1 Hour About

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