Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

419 Tarpon Blvd

Summary:419 Tarpon -- Near Beach, Substantial Yard, Resort Access Supplied!The Space:Coastal Charm with Canal Vistas – 419 Tarpon Blvd, Fripp IslandWelcome to your ideal island hideaway! This beautiful 4-bedroom, 2-bath home is ideally located...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12
High Tides & Positive Vibes with an elev...

Waterfront Retreat with Pool, Dock & Elevator | Pet Friendly | Near Parris IslandWelcome to this broad, thoughtfully designed two-level waterfront home that’s ideal for enormous families, group getaways, and Marine Corps graduation celebrations...

  • Beaufort
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 16
The Second Star- 1 Block to Sand and Oce...

Make memories at this cavernous family home with a private pool and spa. 6 bedrooms total including 2 fun bunk rooms. Sensational outdoor space with sizable dining table, a conversational furnishings set and the ideal grassy corridor made...

  • Fripp Island
  • 6 Bedrooms
  • 4 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 22
Renovated and walking distance to Downto...

This is a new listing (February 2015) of our remodeled bungalow downtown Beaufort. Since this listing is new, we dont have any reviews yet to provide to you from our guests. But we also own listing number 470407 which was completely modernized in...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
Fripp's Best Location and Just Steps Awa...

There is no other place rather like Fripp Island! Just 19 miles from Beaufort, SC, this impressive 3000 acre island is the home of an abundance of deer, alligator and other wildlife. Driving on to this private, gated and secluded island, you will be...

  • Fripp Island
  • 4 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12
Beaufort Base - Minutes away from Parris...

Feel Port Royal from this 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom home. Entirely outfitted kitchen, laundry room, comfortable Queen beds, pull-out couch, kids gaming room & more! Close to Downtown Port Royal, Beaufort and Parris Island! Looking for your home away...

  • Port Royal
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 7

Beaufort Tours & Activities

Happy Hour

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: Why sit at a landside bar when you can sip your own favorite beverages and socialize on the water? Our Happy Hour Cruise...

Summer Art Camp for Tweens & Teens-11 and up-Afternoons

duration: 2.5 hours min_age: 11 max_age: 18 group_size: 8 accessibility: Second Floor description: Cheryl Johnson has some great projects in store for this summer There will be sculpture, jewelry, collage, painting projects, and more!

Genesis Compound Rental & Range Time

duration: 1 Hour Range Time description: Curious about archery but don’t own equipment? Our Genesis Compound Tryout Experience includes everything you need — bow, arrows, and range time — with guidance from our knowledgeable staff. It’s the...

Embroidery on Clothing

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: Learning how to...

Half-Day Kayak Trip OR Shuttle Service

Vintage View River Retreat

Book online
$15.00 - $70.00

meeting_point: 1545 Sunny Acres Rd, Pacolet SC 29372 description: Book a fun and relaxing date with nature that’s sure not to be forgotten! Duration 2-3 hours Location This event will start and end at: Upper Pacolet Shoals Take Out 1545...

Family Feud at the Beach Club Greene (by the food trucks)

duration: 1 hour meeting_point: Beach Club min_age: 6 description: Get ready for a fun-filled game of Family Feud! Gather your team and go head-to-head in this exciting, fast-paced trivia challenge based on the classic game show. Answer survey-style...

Shark Dissection

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$75.00

meeting_point: Creek House description: Sharks help maintain the delicately balanced ecosystems that keep our oceans healthy. However, the challenges facing this critical apex predator are many, and seemingly overwhelming. More than 100 million are...

Spring Florals - Acrylic Workshop

The Arts Port Royal

Book online
$75.00

description: 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...

Gullah Heritage Tour

Beaufort Gray Line

Book online
$20.00 - $49.00

description: Duration 3 hours About Travel back in time to explore the Gullah and Geechee heritage of South Carolina's Sea Islands in our comfortable, climate-controlled vehicle. On this tour we'll visit several areas of Beaufort County and...

Group Farm Tour

Lady's Island Oyster Inc.

Book online
$50.00

duration: 1 to 1.5 Hours group_size: 4 to 20 people description: View the Hatchery (where the oysters are born) - learn the delicate process of how we spawn and grow our oysters from seed, and the first few weeks of an oysters life. View the...

Saint Helena Day Sail

Otter Sailing Adventures LLC

Book online
$300.00

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...

Fit on Fripp Goat Yoga Ages 14+

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$35.00

duration: 1 hour cancellation_summary: 48- hour in advanced meeting_point: Beach Club min_age: 14 group_size: 30 description: Experience the unique blend of fitness and fun with Goat Yoga. Kickstart the season by joining us for an interactive yoga...

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