Visit Hilton Head Island

story and photos by Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau
featured image by JOHN WOLLWERTH

Just about an hour’s drive from downtown Beaufort, Hilton Head Island can feel a world away.

Dubbed America’s Favorite Island® for being named the No. 1 island in the U.S. four consecutive times by both Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler readers, Hilton Head has also landed on prestigious “Best Of” lists in Southern Living, Parents Magazine, and more — thanks to its wide-open spaces, beautiful beaches and lush wildlife, burgeoning culinary and arts scenes, and countless activities.

As the first eco-planned destination in the U.S., the Town has preserved the island’s natural beauty through the years. Its pristine natural environment offers a relaxing, hospitable atmosphere with subtle signage and no neon lights. Hilton Head Island boasts fertile salt marshes, networks of lagoons and creeks, forests of moss-draped oaks, magnolias, pines, palmettos, and sandy beaches.

Whether you are skipping over two (or three) bridges for the day, weekend get-away, or staycation, a trip to Hilton Head Island has something for every interest and every age.

Play

On Hilton Head Island, there’s activities for young families, older couples, and everyone in between.

Whether you are coming with your family to play or relax in the sun, there’s a spot for you on Hilton Head Island’s sugar-white sand beaches that are easily accessible with eight public beach parks. In addition, the Town offers the Breeze Trolley Service, so you can park at designated locations and be transported to the beach. Most resort and home & villa accommodations are a short walk away from the beach as well.

Hilton Head Island has twice been designated a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the American League of Bicyclists. It is easy to navigate the more than 60 miles of multi-use pathways that will get you between restaurants, shopping, and more. The island’s hard-packed sands make exploring the beach on two wheels ideal as well.

One of the island’s newest attractions is Lowcountry Celebration Park, a 10-acre spot on the south end of Hilton Head Island. Adjacent to the popular Coligny Beach, it features an open field, walking trails, exercise stations, playground, and The Sandbox Interactive Children’s Museum.

Hilton Head Island is well-known as a golfer’s paradise with 24 courses to choose from, but there are hundreds of other activities. There is tennis, pickleball, and ziplining, while water-lovers will want to get out and paddle in a kayak or stand-up paddleboard or go for a boat ride to get up-close with dolphins. Open-air shopping centers — Main Street Village, Shelter Cove Towne Centre, Village at Wexford, The Shoppes at Sea Pines, Harbour Town, and Coligny Plaza — are home to unique shopping experiences.

A visit to Hilton Head Island is not complete without a visit to the famed Sea Pines Resort, host of the PGA TOUR Golf Tournament RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The yacht basin is home to the island’s iconic, candy-striped lighthouse, where you can climb to the top to take in sweeping views of the Calibogue Sound and the 18th green of the Harbour Town Golf Club.

Eat
Forbes Magazine just named Hilton Head Island and the neighboring Town of Bluffton as “South Carolina’s Hottest Up-And-Coming Food and Drink Destination,” and there is something to please the pickiest palate. The region boasts more than 300 restaurants, ranging from famous fresh-off-the-boat seafood to classic American fare to gourmet dining.

No trip to the Lowcountry is complete without sampling its world-famous seafood. Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks has been in operation for decades, and its shrimp boat parked adjacent to its dock helps haul its fresh catch daily from the sea to the kitchen. Owner Andrew Carmines also serves and harvests his own oysters through his Shell Ring Oyster Company.

Fresh options abound on Hilton Head Island. Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte handwrites its farm-to-table menu every night, while Lulu Kitchen offers a fresh twist on American fare. For modern, Southern cuisine, try Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar for dinner, or Nectar Farm Kitchen for brunch.

Learn
Hilton Head Island is steeped in Southern history. It is home to Mitchelville, the first self-governed settlement for freed slaves during the Civil War. The park is interactive and takes you back in time.

Educational tours and exhibits that showcase the natural history of the Lowcountry are available at the Coastal Discovery Museum. Walk among the trails to learn about the natural flora and fauna, visit the butterfly garden, or walk out onto the marsh. You can also meet the two resident Marsh Tacky horses.

Just over the bridge is Old Town Bluffton, an eclectic town of arts and unique shops, and home to the Heyward House that also offers tours of the historic, pre-Civil War neighborhood.

Whether you are a beach bum, history buff, foodie, or avid outdoors person, Hilton Head Island truly has something for anyone at any age.