Charleston Islands
 

We are an active senior couple who plan to spend two weeks on an island near Charleston in March. We plan to relax, read, walk, bike ride and explore the area around Charleston. I have looked at Kiawah, Folly and Isle of Palms for condo's, beach houses etc. Any suggestions as to which island would be best for our trip.
Thanks

Kiawah is a completely different look and feel from Folly or Isle of Palms.

I love both Folly and Isle of Palms. Isle of Palms is close to Sullivan's Island which is fun. I loved Folly Beach. It's quirky, fun and casual.

Kiawah is more high brow (for lack of a better term) and more country club and virtually no quirkiness.

Base on your post, I'd think Kiawah would be best as long as you're OK with the relatively long drive to Charleston. If not, IOP. Folly is tough to bike on.

Have stayed on Kiawah for a week and am currently wintering on IOP. I have only done daytrips to Folly.

Kiawah has a great deal of natural beauty and is good for outdoor activities. I also found it relaxing, but I was there awhile ago and that may have changed with extra development.

If you plan on making several day trips to Charleston, especially to enjoy some of the great restaurants in the evening, the ride from Kiawah can be a drag. Also, as a planned community, it does not have the "quirkiness" or history that you might get from some of the other islands (e.g., Sullivan's ISland, next to IOP).

IOP has a very nice beach for walking. It would offer more cycling opportunities--you could continue on to Sullivan's all the way down to Fort Moultrie or bike over to more trails on Mount Pleasant There is a Harris Teeter grocery store on IOP and some good dining (Boathouse). A new restaurant on Sullivan's (Obstinate Daughter) has been getting excellent reviews.

It is an easy drive from IOP into Charleston. (To be honest, though, I am not sure how I would feel about the island in high (summer) season.)

There seemed to be fewer opportunities on Folly, but I only saw it as a daytripper, so my views may not be accurate.

Excuse me for barging in, but I would like to ask a question about IOP.

Are there heated swimming pools that would be suitable for serious lap swimming and that are open during the winter months?

Thank you.

The Wild Dunes resort has a lap pool but I am not sure if it is open all year. I would think, too, that is only for guests of the resort, but you could probably check on this, too. Otherwise, there are not many hotels on the island and those that are here do not appear to have great amenities.

Are you aware of this site for finding places to swim? (www.usms.org) You can find places suitable for serious lap swimmers. It looks like there are locations in nearby Mt. Pleasant, but I am not sure of policies for area visitors. Also, not sure if you want to travel to work out.

http://www.usms.org/placswim/placswimform.php?LMSCID=55

Thanks for your responses. Sounds like it will be either Folly or IOP. If we chose IOP, should we consider the Wild Dunes condos or are we better to stay away from that compound?

The house we rented at IOP had a heated pool.

Wild Dunes is very nice. It's on the north end, which is a little further from Charleston proper than if you stayed outside the resort. There are lots of choices in WD. It is gated, so people from outside cannot use amenities unless they are members or guests.

Kiawah has tons of bike paths. It is gated as well, so people from outside cannot enter unless they are guests or have reservations at one of the restaurants. Which nobody does because the ones in Charleston are so fabulous.

ekscrunchy, there ARE homes that have heated pools big enough for laps. My friends have a home that does but they live in it in winter, and rent it out in summer. You could contact the rental companies. They can tell you better than I can.

We prefer not to stay in Wild Dunes due to its longer drive to Charleston and restaurants on IOP and Sullivan's (as mentioned above) and don't really get the need to stay behind a gate at the beach.

Wild Dunes is great for biking, as it is gated (less traffic) and has very nice, paved bike paths. It is a bit of a ride into Charleston, but not much further than IOP and closer than Kiawah. There are condos, houses and a hotel there. Try the Long Island Cafe near the entrance to Wild Dunes even if you don't stay there. Poe's in Sullivan's Island is a great spot for burgers or a few beers.

Poe's in Sullivan's Island is a great spot for burgers or a few beers.
__
We had a good dinner at Salt as well.

Mama thanks for that link!

High Thyme in SI is also a great dinner spot.

You are welcome, ekscrunchy. It is payback for all of your food centered trip reports that I have enjoyed.

I concur with the recs for Salt and Poe's on SI (have not dined at High Thyme). There is also a nice coffee house/wine shop (Cafe Medley) along the row of restaurants and shops in "downtown" SI.

Today, my husband and I tried a new wine bar just across the IOP connector in Seaside Farms--Ardoa wine bar. After putting money on a card, you use a self-serve dispenser to sample your choice of a number of different wines. They also offer charcuterie plates (very good). It was a fun way to spend an afternoon. (Our "real" home is a small university town--you can tell we don't get out to the big city very much.)