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Sights Overview

Myrtle Beach is the glitzy bauble of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of wide white-sand beaches -- nearly all of which are covered with beach towels in summer. The area abounds with recreational activities, especially golf, a major attraction. Stretching south from Myrtle Beach to historic Georgetown, at the southern tip of the Grand Strand, is a nearly continual community that enjoys a healthy tourism trade and offers a small-town respite from the amusement park excitement of Myrtle Beach and the big-city sophistication of Charleston still farther south.

Murrell's Inlet, a fishing village with popular seafood restaurants, is a perfect place to rent a fishing boat or join an excursion. A notable garden and state park provide other diversions from the beach.

The sea islands, separated from the mainland by expanses of estuaries and salt marshes, make up more than half of South Carolina's coastline. To the south, tasteful, low-key Hilton Head -- divided into several sophisticated, self-contained resorts -- has beautiful beaches and wonderful opportunities for golf and tennis. A toll expressway helps handle traffic to the island's resort areas. Sun City, a large, newly developed retirement community, attracts scores of fifty-somethings to the area.

Lined by towering pines, palmetto trees, and wind-sculpted live oaks, Hilton Head's 12 miles of beaches are a major attraction, and the semitropical barrier island also has oak and pine woodlands and meandering lagoons. Choice stretches are occupied by various resorts, called "plantations," among them Sea Pines, Shipyard, Palmetto Dunes, and Port Royal. In these areas, accommodations range from rental villas and lavish private houses to luxury hotels.

Hilton Head prides itself on its strict regulations that keep "light pollution" to a minimum; the lack of neon and streetlights also makes it difficult to find your way at night, so be sure to get good directions.

The port city of Beaufort, its lovely streets dotted with preserved 18th-century homes, is a popular stopover with New York to Florida commuters. It's also the favorite of early retirees in search of small-town life and great deals on real estate; many have converted their historic houses into bed-and-breakfasts. Although many private houses in Old Point, the historic district, are not usually open to visitors, some can be visited on the annual Fall House Tour in mid-October and the Spring Tour of Homes and Gardens in April or May.

Nearby, at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island, freed slaves first found schooling. Edisto Island remains undiscovered, sleepy, and bucolic.

Founded on Winyah Bay in 1729, Georgetown became the center of America's colonial rice empire. A rich plantation culture developed here, and the historic district, which can be walked in a couple of hours, is among the prettiest in the state. Today, oceangoing vessels still come to Georgetown's busy port, and the Harbor Walk, the restored waterfront, hums with activity.