South Carolina

Beaches, Barrier Islands and the Grand Strand

More than 60 miles of Atlantic coastline unfurl between the tree lined streets of Hilton Head Island and the neon buzz of Myrtle Beach. Families pile onto the Grand Strand for waterparks and seafood buffets, while Kiawah Island lures golfers with world ranked courses set against maritime forest and pristine sand. Pawleys Island offers a quieter pace, hammock culture included, and the ACE Basin preserves vast stretches of undisturbed estuary that belong to shorebirds as much as to travellers.

Lowcountry Food and Gullah Geechee Culture

Shrimp and grits, she crab soup, boiled peanuts sold roadside from rusting cauldrons and freshly steamed oysters piled onto outdoor tables define a food culture that is proudly rooted in place. The Gullah Geechee Nation, whose West African heritage shaped the language, cuisine, basketry and music of the coastal communities, has cultivated a living culture that visitors can engage with through tours, festivals and family run restaurants across the Sea Islands.

Upcountry Adventure and Blue Ridge Beauty

Head inland and the landscape shifts dramatically. The Blue Ridge escarpment rises at the state's northwest corner, delivering waterfalls at Caesar's Head State Park, excellent hiking around Table Rock and cool relief from summer heat. Whitewater paddlers know the Chattooga River as a classic Southeast run, while the rolling Piedmont in between offers cycling routes, peach orchards in summer and the warm red clay character of a South that moves at its own comfortable pace.