BEAUFORT, SC

Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, one of the largest Sea Islands along the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States. It is one of only a handful of U.S. towns that has had its entire downtown designated a historic district by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Named one of America’s top ten beaches by TripAdvisor, Hunting Island State Park sits just 16 miles east of historic downtown Beaufort and is South Carolina's most-visited state park.

Famous for its graceful sand dunes covered with sea oats and coastal grasses, Harbor Island is a private 1400-acre barrier island located 15 miles outside the city of Beaufort.

In the beginning, everyone wanted to claim this region. Enticed by its harbor - Port Royal sound is the second-deepest natural harbor on the East Coast. Spanish, French and British explorers struggled to colonize the area, which was an isolated seaside province dotted with Native American tribes.

The shopping and dining crossroads of northern Beaufort County, Lady’s Island is located just north of Beaufort and Port Royal. Connected by two beautiful bridges that offer some of the best views in the area, the rich land on Lady’s Island was once home to majestic indigo plantations, while local fisherman and shrimpers mined the plentiful waters.

Ladies, if you love a man in uniform, prepare to be overwhelmed. And gentlemen, try not to be intimidated by all these Marines. Parris Island is something everyone needs to experience while in Beaufort. The legendary legacy of the United States Marine Corps, as well as the stimulating account of Port Royal’s past, is outlined at the Parris Island Museum.

With its abundant farms and shrimp docks, St. Helena Island, just 5 miles east of Beaufort and part of the Beaufort Sea Islands, offers visitors a glimpse into rural Lowcountry life past and present. St. Helena is home to the Penn Center, one of the first schools for the children of freed slaves the location of a small rural cottage, where Martin Luther King, Jr. drafted his famous “I have a dream speech”.

The ideal destination for intimate getaways for two, small and large family vacations and reunions, destination weddings, group retreats, and business meetings for up to 300 guests, Fripp Island -- a resort and private residential paradise -- is the most seaward of the beautiful barrier islands outside of Beaufort