The 11 Best Beaches in South Carolina For Perfect Beach Vacation

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South Carolina is a fantastic spot to go to the beach because it has so many miles of sandy coastline. South Carolina beaches have something for every kind of traveler.

There are private islands with five-star oceanfront resorts and beaches that are great for families with activities that kids and adults will love. We’ve put together a list of the best beaches in South Carolina, from the popular Hilton Head Island on the southern coast to the relaxed Folly Beach, which is just a short drive from Charleston.

These are the best beaches in South Carolina that are perfect for you, whether you’re looking for a place for your family to spend their next summer vacation or a place for romantic getaways in South Carolina.

The state has a stunning slice of shoreline for every visitor. Here are some of Tripon’s best beaches in South Carolina where you can get a slice of that true paradise.

Check out these best places to visit in South Carolina and the best resort hotels in South Carolina if you must plan your vacation to this exciting city. If you enjoy our blogs, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.


Best Beaches in South Carolina

South Carolina is a great place to visit because it has a lot of history and interesting places to see. It also has beautiful beaches. South Carolina’s coastline runs for 187 miles along the Atlantic Ocean. It has some of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches in the United States.

Read our list of the best beaches in South Carolina to make the most of your time there.

1. Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Hilton Head is always ranked as one of the best islands in the United States, and it has a lot to offer people who want to visit. More than 33 championship golf courses are in the area, making it a golfer’s dream.

You can choose to stay at one of the many beachfront resorts, such as the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort or the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa, or you can book a stay at a popular boutique hotel, such as The Inn & Club at Harbour Town.

Hilton Head is the best place to go if you want to go to the beach and also treat yourself a little. The barrier island is about 30 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia. It has many beautiful beaches, such as Coligny Beach Park and Alder Lane, which are popular spots. One of the best vacation spots in South Carolina.

The island is also a great place for sports like golf and tennis, and it has a lot of spas, which makes it a popular place for people who want to treat themselves. It’s also great for families, with 12 miles of beaches, dolphin tours, and water sports. 


2. Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

As the unofficial capital of the Grand Strand, the more than 60 miles of beaches on the South Carolina coast from Little River to Winyah Bay, Myrtle Beach is a great place for families looking for a beach vacation with lots to do on and off the beach.

Myrtle Beach, like many other South Carolina beaches, has sandy beaches and world-class golf. The OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes by Marriott is one of the many hotels in the area that are right on the beach.

Myrtle Beach is without a doubt the most-visited beach in South Carolina. The town has 60 miles of beach and a lot of things to do that the whole family can enjoy. One of the best vacation spots in South Carolina.

At the beachfront Family Kingdom Amusement Park, kids can get a rush of adrenaline, and at Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, they can look for animals. It also has family-friendly attractions like the SkyWheel Ferris wheel, the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, and more. 


3. Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Kiawah Island is a great place to go if you want to relax on the beach. Even though Kiawah is only 25 miles from Charleston, it feels like it is in the middle of nowhere.

Kiawah Island has five beautiful golf courses made by the best professional golfers and designers. It has everything a golf fan could want. 

Book a room at The Sanctuary, a luxury beachfront hotel with 255 rooms, a spa, beautiful pools, and many places to eat, including the well-known Ocean Room. The land on Kiawah Island also has several beautiful trails, golf courses on the water, and some pretty nice places to stay, thanks to the luxurious Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

Kiawah Island is the place in South Carolina that is the most like paradise. This private island has 10 miles of beautiful beaches backed by sand dunes, lush marshes, and maritime forests. 


4. Folly Beach

Folly Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Folly Beach, like Sullivan’s Island, is a popular beach for people who live in Charleston. This beach town is about 10 miles south of Charleston on Folly Island. When the weather is nice, it’s the perfect place for a day trip from Charleston. 

This makes it a great beach vacation spot for people who want to see more of the Lowcountry. Folly’s main draw is its beach, where you can relax in the sun or take lessons to learn how to surf at one of the many surf schools.

Tides Folly Beach is home to Charleston’s only full-service oceanfront hotel. There are also a few small inns and vacation rentals on Folly. Folly Island Beach is one of the romantic getaways in South Carolina.

 Center Street Beach and Folly Beach County Park are two of the best beaches in this area. Come early to see the sunrise, surf or lay out on the sand in the sun all day, and then head to one of the many beachfront bars for a drink as the sun goes down.


5. Huntington Beach State Park

Huntington Beach State Park | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Huntington Beach State Park is between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown. It has historic sites, fishing, watching birds, hiking, and, of course, a three-mile beach.

There are more than 300 kinds of birds in the park, which makes it a great place for birdwatchers. People have also seen pelicans, alligators, sea turtles, and other animals there. In the 1930s, Archer and Anna Huntington built Atalaya Castle here as their winter home.

It is now a National Historic Landmark. Also, people who want to stay at Huntington Beach State Park longer to enjoy its natural beauty can camp there.


6. Edisto Beach

Edisto Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

One of South Carolina’s Sea Islands is Edisto Island, which has almost five miles of quiet beach. On the island, there is a lot of wildlife. People often see turtles, dolphins, egrets, pelicans, and other animals.

You can relax on the beach, go on a sunset cruise, book a fishing charter, or play a round of golf. You can choose from different homes and condos to rent, or you can camp at Edisto Beach State Park.

Edisto Beach says that it is one of the last beaches in South Carolina that is good for families because it hasn’t been built up much. Edisto Beach is mostly a residential area, with less than 600 people living there all year. One of the nicest beaches in South Carolina.

Because of this, it doesn’t get as crowded as other South Carolina beaches. You can walk along the beach along Palmetto Boulevard or go to Edisto Beach State Park, which has trails for walking and biking and a nearly 2-mile stretch of seashell-covered sand.


7. Isle of Palms

Isle of Palms | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Isle of Palms, which is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, is one of the best beaches in the Charleston area. You can play tennis, surf, paddleboard, and golf, or you can rent a boat and get a different view of the area from the water.

Whether you stay at the Wild Dunes Resort or rent a house on the beach, you can spend a lot of time on the soft, sandy beach. There are lifeguards, outdoor showers, bathrooms, a playground, chair and umbrella rentals, and wheelchairs that can get to the beach at Isle of Palms County Park. Stop on nearby Sullivan’s Island for dinner.

It has one long beach that seems to go on forever, making it a great place to have fun in the sun. In addition to Front Beach, the island has two championship golf courses, both of which are open to the public, and a lot of water sports, like kayaking, fishing, and windsurfing.


8. Litchfield Beach

Litchfield Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

People looking for a quiet stretch of beach will love Litchfield Beach, which is about 20 miles northeast of nearby Myrtle Beach. Along with its easygoing vibe, Litchfield has three great golf courses that bring in a lot of golfers. The Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, which goes from Murrells Inlet to Huntington Beach State Park and is 26 miles long, can be used by runners, walkers, and cyclists.

Aside from sunbathing and swimming, people who want to do something on the water can do everything from sea kayaking to riding Jet Skis (charters are available from local marinas). Even though it’s hard to park (get there early), and there are only two ways to get to the beach, the beach is almost always quiet.


9. Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Surfside Beach is on the Grand Strand, south of Myrtle Beach. It is known as “The Family Beach”.  Surfside Beach is known as the most affordable and family-friendly beach in the state. There are 36 places where people can get to the beach, and some of them are accessible by wheelchair.

There is also a mini-golf and a lot of places to eat. On Surfside Beach, there are only a few hotels, like the Surfside Beach Oceanfront Hotel, but you can also rent a house so you and your group have more space. 

There are also many things to do in the area that are good for kids, like mini-golf and a water park.


10. Sullivan’s Island Beach

Sullivan's Island Beach | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Sullivan’s Island is a two-and-a-half-mile-long barrier island near the entrance to the Charleston Harbor. It has all the charm of a small town. This is one of the cleanest beachfronts you’ll find in the area because there are no businesses there.

When you’re not walking along the well-kept beach at sunset, you can sail, kayak, or kiteboard in the water around the island. You can visit Fort Sumter or Fort Moultrie, where Edgar Allan Poe was stationed.

He later set his short story “The Gold Bug” on Sullivan’s Island. Some of the best places to eat on this island are Poe’s Tavern, The Obstinate Daughter, and Home Team BBQ. There are many places to stay in downtown Charleston, which is only 20 minutes away, or you could rent a beautiful beach house on the island.


11. Pawleys Island

Pawleys Island | Best Beaches in South Carolina

Pawleys Island is one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast. It has three miles of clean beaches and a lot to do and see. Have fun surfing the waves in the Atlantic or looking for shells on the beach.

Or, you could fish or crab in the beautiful tideland creek, which is close by. After a day on one of the courses on the Waccamaw Golf Trail in Pawleys, eat local seafood at Bistro 218, Chive Blossom, or Perrone’s.

You can rent vacation homes with ocean views, but you can’t go wrong by staying at either of the two historic inns on the small island, the Sea View or the Pelican.

 Aside from the white sand beach and the beautiful Pawleys Island Creek, there aren’t a lot of things to do in this area. But if you like nature, this is the place for you.

Brookgreen Gardens is only a short drive away. Also, golfers will want to book a tee time at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club.


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FAQs For Best Beaches in South Carolina

Are there any white sand beaches in South Carolina?

An Undisclosed Vacation Spot Coligny Beach Park in South Carolina has the whitest, cleanest sand. Coligny Beach Park on Hilton Head is a beach that doesn’t get enough attention. First of all, there are lots of places to park. This public beach has the best facilities of any I’ve seen.

Where is the bluest water in SC?

The water at the one and only public beach on Kiawah Island is the bluest in all of South Carolina.

Which beach is better folly island beach or Isle of Palms?

The main thing that makes Isle of Palms and Folly Island Beach different is how they feel. Isle of Palms is more upscale and quiet, while Folly Beach is where young people go to find the best waves.


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