Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

Flexible booking! Oceanfront, 5 bedrooms...

Fantastic beachfront home with ocean vistas from all of the bedrooms, kitchen, dining area, family room, sunroom and 2 enormous decks. Open floor plan with plentiful living space, indoors and outdoors. Great layout so that 2-3 families can share the...

  • Fripp Island
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 14
Cozy 1bed 1bath Guest House Near Downtow...

Feel the appeal of our attached 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom backyard guest home, ideal for two guests. Just 5 mins. from downtown Beaufort's stores, bars, and eateries, and 10 mins. from Parris Island, ideal for USMC graduation families. Appreciate simple...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Peaceful, Private Blast from the Past on...
4.5
(10)

We welcome long term units, for a monthly rate of roughly $2200 per month ($74 per nighttime). Come see what makes our island so special! Comfy modular home that lives big, immaculately clean and well-maintained. Just as cool as your grandparents...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
The Sapphire Retreat! Great for MCRD Par...

We would like to welcome you to this alluring 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in the sought-after community of Mink Point in Beaufort, SC. Conveniently located — only mins. from the new shopping centre and close to MCRD Parris Island — this home is...

  • Beaufort
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
**The Caddy's Shack** Golf Cart Included...

The Caddy's Shack is ready for you, Golf Cart Included and option for Club CardsWe are happy to welcome your crew to our little piece of heaven at Fripp Island. Sleeping nine, our three bedroom, two bathroom home has a handsome view of the 13th hole...

  • Fripp Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 9
Mariners' Nautical Nest on Port Royal's ...

Wonderful Waterfront Vistas of the Battery Creek in Port Royal from this Top-floor (2nd) freshly refreshed 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom condo in a gated community. Totally supplied kitchen, laundry room, comfortable King bed, balcony space & more! Close...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Big Fripper Dolphin Cruise

Fripp Island Paddle Shack

Book online
$30.00 - $40.00

duration: 2 Hours meeting_point: 875 Bonito Dr, Fripp Island, SC 29920 description: Cruise on our 42 foot Pontoon Boat. This cruise will take you into the backwaters of Fripp Island looking for dolphins. The Captain will talk about the area's...

Pat Conroy's Beaufort by Golf Cart
Book online
$20.00 - $45.00

*“I’ve come home to the place I was always writing about…. I’ve tried to make Beaufort, South Carolina, my own.”—Pat Conroy, The Death of Santini* ____ Duration and Availability - 1Hr15Mn - Monday through Sunday (7 days a week) at...

2021 Bentley Fish

Santee Boat Rentals

Book online
$475.00 - $600.00

Book our Southbay Pontoon today! Duration: - Full Day (8 Hours) - Half Day (4 Hours) About: This is a 2022 Bentley Fish. It is a 24ft vessel with a 140hp Suzuki outboard motor on the back. This boat is built for comfort and fishing. It...

Private: Oldfield Season Tune Up Clinic

Sporting Clay Xperiences

Book online
$225.00

Need a Sporting Clays tune up! Duration 3 Hours About Prepare for the upcoming Sporting Clays season. Shake off cob webs or address nagging habits that are holding you back. Learn how to consistently break quartering and crossing targets as...

3 Hour Hilton Head Island Lunch Trip

Tallboy Fishing Charters

Book online
$600.00

Travel by boat to beautiful Hilton Head Island for lunch at one of three excellent restaurants. See the Town of Port Royal, Paris Island, and Port Royal Sound along the way as well as Dolphins, Sea Turtles, Sea Birds, and other wildlife. Price...

SC Pimento Cheese Festival- Vendor
Book online
$30.00 - $125.00

duration: 8 hours meeting_point: 6071 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29212 description: With over 2,500 in attendance in our 1st SC Pimento Cheese Fest last year, we believe this year will be bigger and better! Promote your business in front of the...

Otter Island Sailing Adventure

Otter Sailing Adventures LLC

Book online
$700.00

An all day private sailing adventure! Duration 8 hours About An all day private sailing adventure with an incredible destination, the remote and uninhabited Otter Island with miles of beach that you often have all to yourself. The...

Port Royal Cypress Wetland & River Sunset

Beaufort Photography Tours

Book online
$299.00 - $499.00

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 FOR A REASON...

TWO DAY-Reiki 3/Master Class

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$700.00

duration: 6 min_age: 14 group_size: 6 accessibility: Second Floor description: Day 1, Intuitive Healing On Day 1, we will go further into the process of Intuitive Healing and deep listening. We will do practical exercises and talk about the ethics...

Fripp Fest 2025

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$45.00

duration: 4 Hours meeting_point: Beach Club Complex min_age: 21 description: Join us for our annual Fripp Fest! Enjoy live music from 77th Street Revue! Food, drinks, and fun! Reconnect with old Fripp friends or meet new ones while mixing and...

Beaufort City Tour

Beaufort Gray Line

Book online
$12.00 - $35.00

Book Online Now! Duration 75-105 minutes About Experience over three hundred years of history in Beaufort, South Carolina’s second oldest city. This charming city boasts a fascinating history of exploration by the Spanish, the French and...

3 Hour Rental

Pedego Electric Bikes Greenville

Book online
$15.00 - $64.00

Ride out our front door onto the Swamp Rabbit Trail! ???? Experience the Thrill of Greenville's Iconic Swamp Rabbit Trail with Pedego Electric Bikes! ????‍♂️ Ready for an adventure like no other? ???? Step right up and immerse yourself...

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