Your Guide to Beaufort, SC

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Featured Vacation Rentals

2 Relaxing & Pet-Friendly Room for Famil...

Discover a welcoming getaway located just mins. from the handsome Waterfront Park, ideal for leisurely strolls by the river, and the unique Kazoo Museum, offering fun for all ages. Conveniently positioned near Beaufort Plaza Shopping Center, it's...

  • Beaufort
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 8
Swim next door, no card needed! Quiet De...

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
382 Wahoo - Resort Access and Golf Cart ...

Tucked away on a peaceful street yet ideally positioned in the heart of Fripp Island, this cavernous 5-bedroom, 3-bath home offers the best of both land and water living. Just across the bridge from one of the island’s most trendy beach accesses...

  • Fripp Island
  • 5 Bedrooms
  • 3 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 12
Huge King Suite w. Porches, near Downtow...

Summary:Start your morning with fresh coffee, or relax on one of the three covered porches overlooking the intercoastal waterway. This is the ideal spot to kick back and appreciate the appeal of Beaufort.The Space:Unwind in this cavernous King Suite...

  • Beaufort
  • 1 Bedrooms
  • 1 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 2
The Oyster's Pearl - Wonderful Views in ...

A phenomenal Harbor Island vacation awaits you at The Oyster's Pearl, a splendid 2-bedroom, 2-bath home that can accommodate 6 guests and features a reverse floor plan. The home features appealing creek vistas and is ideal for a couple's getaway or...

  • Fripp Island
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6
Charming 3b/2b Waterfront Bluff Villa 20...

It's time to relax! As you make your way down the striking causeway with majestic live oaks that lead to Dataw Island, you will feel as though you are entering a different world. Wake up to one of the best water vistas on the island with vistas...

  • Dataw Island
  • 3 Bedrooms
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • Sleeps 6

Beaufort Tours & Activities

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...

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...

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...

Thursday Camp Fripp: Pirate Cruise + Pirate Party

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$110.00 - $116.00

duration: 5 hours cancellation_summary: 48- hour in advanced meeting_point: Peg Legs (Next to Paddle Shack) min_age: 3 max_age: 12 group_size: 20 description: Drop the kids off for a fun Camp Fripp Exploration! Camp Hours: 9:00am - 2pm Embark on...

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!

Beachcombing & 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...

Merchandise

Carolina Hydrofly

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.

Guided Kayak Incoming Tidal Tour

Edisto Watersports and Tackle

Book online
$50.00 - $100.00

duration: 2 hours meeting_point: Edisto Watersports & Tackle min_age: 4 description: Enjoy a lovely Kayak tour guided by one of our experts! Rates **Single Kayak:** $50 **Tandem Kayak (Seats 2):** $100 *Ages 4+ Welcome!...

Cornhole Tournament at Beach Hut

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$12.00

duration: 1 hour min_age: 5 group_size: 2 description: Grab a partner and head to the Beach Hut for a fun-filled game of Cornhole!

Surf Lessons

Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort

Book online
$95.00

duration: 9am-12pm Monday - Friday meeting_point: Club 15.5 min_age: 10 max_age: 100 group_size: 8 description: Fripp Island Surf Lessons offers a fun, safe, and supportive introduction to surfing for ages 10 and up! Kids, teens, adults, and...

Powerboat Dolphin and Monkey Adventure

Otter Sailing Adventures LLC

Book online
$300.00

duration: 2 hours meeting_point: Saint Helena Island SC (exact location will be emailed) description: Hop on our 17’ Boston Whaler powerboat for an amazing low country adventure where we explore the creeks and rivers of the Saint Helena Sound...

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