South Carolina beaches

[boilermakermom]

We are tossing around the idea of a beach vacation the first week in June.

I have heard Kiawah Island is great as is Hilton Head. It will be DH, myself and two kids. We love the beach, nice to have places to eat but don’t need super urban downtown atmosphere.

Can anyone recommend or give info on South Carolina beaches?

[gymnbomb]

Do you want a lot of amenities and a lot of people at the beach, or do you want a quiet not crowded place with fewer amenities?


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[boilermakermom]

An in between mix, maybe. 😄

My fear with Kiawah Island is lack of amenities; kid friendly restaurants, etc. but the beaches look super clean and beautiful.

Kids are 11 and 4. If there is a beach and pool they will be happy. We tend to stick to beach vacations because it is the easiest with kids. They are content to play during the day and grab dinner walk around at night.

I am fine making breakfast and lunch at the hotel/condo, but it is great to have options to grab dinner. Walking distance is a plus but not necessary.

We will fly into Charleston and rent a car.

[gymnbomb]

An in between mix, maybe. [emoji1]

My fear with Kiawah Island is lack of amenities; kid friendly restaurants, etc. but the beaches look super clean and beautiful.

Kids are 11 and 4. If there is a beach and pool they will be happy. We tend to stick to beach vacations because it is the easiest with kids. They are content to play during the day and grab dinner walk around at night.

I am fine making breakfast and lunch at the hotel/condo, but it is great to have options to grab dinner. Walking distance is a plus but not necessary.

We will fly into Charleston and rent a car.


We really like Edisto Beach. It is about an hour from Charleston and doesn’t have hotels but has a bunch of rental houses and condos. It is never crowded, even over Memorial Day when we often go. We have been going there fairly regularly for 20+ years. We usually rent from Edisto Realty. But there are other reputable companies like Atwood that do a lot of vacation rentals too.

There aren’t a ton of restaurants, but plenty for a week or two stay, and all are kid friendly. They have a serpentarium that my son likes. We buy an amenity pass to the Wyndham property which gives you access to a playground, free mini golf, 3 pools (1 right by playground and mini golf, others at different locations, we like the one that is heated and partially covered). They also offer a restroom and shower facility at the beach. But we usually get a second or third row house and walk to the beach. There are beach access points every block or two and it is all open to the public. Condo options are available within the Wyndham property and in other locations, and they include linens which house rentals do not.

If you have any questions or want any more info just let me know!


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[scrooks]

We love Hilton Head. Lots and lots of places to eat but a nice atmosphere. We historically have gone with Dhs family and rented a large house but last year we had an equally good time just the five of us renting a smaller condo. We like to be right on the beach and Hilton head has tons of options for that without a bunch of high rises.

[Melaine]

We really like Edisto Beach. It is about an hour from Charleston and doesn’t have hotels but has a bunch of rental houses and condos. It is never crowded, even over Memorial Day when we often go. We have been going there fairly regularly for 20+ years. We usually rent from Edisto Realty. But there are other reputable companies like Atwood that do a lot of vacation rentals too.

There aren’t a ton of restaurants, but plenty for a week or two stay, and all are kid friendly. They have a serpentarium that my son likes. We buy an amenity pass to the Wyndham property which gives you access to a playground, free mini golf, 3 pools (1 right by playground and mini golf, others at different locations, we like the one that is heated and partially covered). They also offer a restroom and shower facility at the beach. But we usually get a second or third row house and walk to the beach. There are beach access points every block or two and it is all open to the public. Condo options are available within the Wyndham property and in other locations, and they include linens which house rentals do not.

If you have any questions or want any more info just let me know!


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Hilton Head is lovely but I am also partial to Edisto beach. I haven't been in years but I've heard it is still very much a cozy family getaway without the commercialism of Hilton.

[boilermakermom]

I did a semi quick google search for Edisto Beach....I think it might be a bit too cozy for us. How many restaurants are in Edisto? I found around 4-5. And one grocery store.

How are the beaches? Any sharks or jellies?

[ray7694]

Hilton head is a gorgeous area but I didn’t think there was enough to do. It is known for its beauty and nature I just found it to be very limited.

I prefer gulf water/beaches. The Atlantic water isn’t as pretty and I like to see what is in the water. My favorite areas are Gulf shores, Siesta key and Daytona Beach.

[gymnbomb]

I did a semi quick google search for Edisto Beach....I think it might be a bit too cozy for us. How many restaurants are in Edisto? I found around 4-5. And one grocery store.

How are the beaches? Any sharks or jellies?

I can think of 6-7 restaurants we've eaten at within the past few years. I'm assuming they are all still there. But really we have 2-3 favorites that we go back to over and over again. One grocery store is correct, along with a gas station, a subway, a pizza place (I didn't include those in the restaurant count), ice cream place, etc. There are places that run boat tours, parasailing, etc. I've never seen sharks or jellies there, but can't guarantee there has never been one. We love it and are going for 2 weeks this May, but I can see how it wouldn't be the right fit for every family. Hilton Head is a good alternative.

[DietCokeLover]

Take a look at Isle of Palms or Sullivan's Island. Those are my favorites. The beaches are still nice, and it is more of a community rather than mega hotels, resort like. Then, Charleston is very close by to give you places to shop, history, things to do etc.