Need a sunny beach getaway or a serene coastal retreat? Head to Hilton Head Island! This Lowcountry gem offers stunning beaches, bike-friendly paths, world-class golf, and fresh seafood. Whether you’re here to relax under palm trees, kayak with dolphins, or tee off in style, Hilton Head delivers seaside magic with Southern charm.
Hilton Head Island, SC Highlights:
- For Adventurous Travelers: Paddle through coastal marshes – Kayak or paddleboard among dolphins and herons in scenic tidal waterways.
- For Golf Enthusiasts: Tee off at Harbour Town Golf Links – Play a PGA Tour favorite with iconic lighthouse views.
- For Shoppers: Stroll Coligny Plaza – Boutiques, beachwear, ice cream shops, and live music near the shore.
- For Couples: Catch a sunset at Sea Pines – Watch the sky glow over Calibogue Sound, then dine by the marina.
- For Families: Play at the Sandbox Children’s Museum – Hands-on fun for little ones, from pirate ships to art corners.
Best Time to Visit Hilton Head Island, SC
The best time to visit Hilton Head is March through May or September through November. These shoulder seasons offer warm weather, fewer crowds, and ideal conditions for outdoor activities like biking, golfing, and beachcombing.
How to Get to Hilton Head Island, SC
- If you are traveling by car: Hilton Head is accessible via U.S. Route 278, about 45 minutes from Savannah, GA, and 2 hours from Charleston, SC.
- By Plane: Fly into Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) or nearby Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV).
- By Shuttle or Taxi: Ground transport is available from SAV to the island via shuttle, ride-share, or rental car.
Where to Stay in Hilton Head Island, SC
- Recommended for Families: Marriott’s SurfWatch – Spacious villas, beachfront access, pools, and kid-friendly amenities.
- For Couples: The Inn & Club at Harbour Town – Elegant, romantic setting within Sea Pines Resort with golf and spa options.
- For a Boutique Hotel Stay: Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort – Private vacation rentals, biking trails, and access to beach and tennis.
Best Things to Do in Hilton Head Island, SC
⮕ Relax on the beach at Coligny Beach Park
Relax on soft sands and enjoy a breezy, affordable beach day.
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Once you get to the end of Pope Avenue just off Coligny Circle, you will find Coligny Beach Park, the largest and the most popular beach on Hilton Head. Miles of hard-packed fine sand are often full of tourists working on their tans, splashing in the sea, or relaxing in the shade of their umbrellas. The beach has excellent amenities, the bathrooms are clean, there are quaint changing rooms and outdoor showers, and you can rent any piece of beach-related equipment you need. Multiple and varied food options in the park encourage you to spend a day on Coligny Beach.
If you prefer more secluded and private beaches, keep biking to Alder Lane, Burkes Beach, Chaplin Community Park, Folly Field Beach Park, or Islanders Beach Park. They are all as beautiful as Coligny and have public access. While all Hilton Head beaches are public, access to them is often private. During the swimming season, there is a lifeguard on duty on most public beaches and parks. If you are wondering what to do on Hilton Head Island, this is a great place to start exploring.
⮕ Enjoy Hilton Head Island Bike Trails
Pedal shaded paths and explore scenic sights on an easy family outing.
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There is really no need for cars on Hilton Head. The island is tiny – only twelve miles long and five miles wide – and it has no imposing hills to climb. In fact, there is no place you cannot access with a bike. Smart islanders, in order to encourage biking and discourage gas-guzzling and smoke-belching vehicles, started developing a dense network of bike paths in 1960 and are still working on it to this day.
You can go from place to place while enjoying spectacular vistas on your leisurely bike trip. There are sixty miles of bike lanes and more than two hundred miles of shared paths. About a quarter of the streets in the city have designated bike lanes or shoulders.
There are excellent maps of all bike lanes, but let your pedals take you to the island’s secret spots you would miss otherwise; venture under the canopy of live oaks and pines to discover secret beaches and forgotten parks and monuments. You can see so much more when you go slowly and take it all in.
Attractions for Couples
⮕ Watch a performance at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
Watch live shows and enjoy a romantic evening of local performance.
© Arts Center of Coastal Carolina
There is so much more to do at Hilton Head than enjoy the beaches and the magnificent vistas. In the heart of the Island, there is a 349-seat theatre that can easily stand up to much larger and better-known art centers in the country. The enthusiastic group of islanders is doing a remarkable job of providing the islanders with the best in performing and visual arts; every year they organize exciting festivals such as the Taste of Gullah, Christmas Holiday Tree Lighting, and Youth ArtsFest.
They also produce five musicals, dramas, and comedies every year, host famous musicians, artists, and performers, and organize contemporary visual art exhibitions at the Walter Greer Gallery. They offer outstanding educational program for the youth through performance and visual workshops, interesting lectures, and fun field trips. When you have enough of swimming and biking, check out what is happening at the Art Center – there is something new every day.
Address: Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC, Phone: 843-842-2787
⮕ Learn about local history at the Coastal Discovery Museum
Learn island history and explore interactive exhibits with kids.
© Coastal Discovery Museum
If you want to know more about South Carolina’s Lowcountry, its natural history, and cultural heritage, come to the Honey Horn campus and take part in one of the many programs, excursions, courses, and festivals organized by the Coastal Discovery Museum. Established in 1985, this non-profit community organization teaches about the Hilton Head and neighboring islands and their inhabitants, large and small.
Come and visit Marsh Tacky horses, wild horses of the island left by the Spaniards many centuries ago.
Check out the butterfly enclosure, enjoy the gardens full of riotous colors, walk under the ancient live oaks, or take one of the fun onsite or off-site tours and learn about turtles, dolphins, crabs, shrimp, and crocs. The Coastal Discovery Museum provides the kind of learning every kid loves and is not to be missed.
Address: 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Phone: 843-689-6767
⮕ Shop at Shelter Cove Town Centre
Shop local boutiques and savor a fun weekend of retail and dining.
© Shelter Cove Town Centre
Once you visit the upscale, manicured, and pristine Shelter Cove Town Centre, you will have a hard time believing that it started as an uninspiring and struggling mall not long ago. With a bit of imagination and the help of a few visionary developers, the Shelter Cove Town Centre was born, and the Hilton Head community and thousands of tourists have an exciting new destination with excellent shops, great restaurants, and some very attractive residences for sale. It is now a modern village showcasing a new lifestyle in the middle of the island where so much is quite old. Overlooking picturesque Broad Creek and featuring two lagoons and a new park, the Shelter Cove Town Center is a little jewel that both locals and tourists love to visit.
Address: 40 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Phone: 843-686-3090
Recommended Activities for Families
⮕ Go birdwatching in Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Go birdwatching and admire wildlife during a peaceful nature trip.
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About half a mile from Hilton Head Island lies Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, which has great outdoor wildlife and nature classrooms. It is a popular tourist destination for those who love to explore, photograph wildlife, hunt white-tailed deer, go fishing, or just hike and bike through the 14 miles of trails that meander throughout the refuge. The 4,053-acre refugee consists of Pinckney Island, Big Harry and Little Harry Islands, Corn Island, and Buzzard Island. Pinckney is the largest.
The refuge consists mostly of salt marsh, brush land, forestland and freshwater ponds that are teeming with life. You can spot more than 250 species of birds, white-tailed deer, bobcats, red foxes, and plenty of American alligators. Take a hike to Dick Point or White Point – the breathtaking vista is worth an extra effort.
⮕ Enjoy Sea Pines Forest Preserve
Walk boardwalks and discover scenic trails on a relaxing couples escape.
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Just a few minutes from Coligny Beach Park, you will find yourself in a different world. Deep, mysterious forests, secluded lakes, and elevated walkways over dark swamps infested with crocodiles are just a few of the things you can see at Sea Pines Forest Preserve, the place discovered by a group of nomadic Indians about 4000 years ago.
They left us remnants of their ceremonial plaza, which today is known as the Indian Shell Ring, and traces of their long abandoned village. Explore the Forest Preserve on foot, horseback, on a wagon, boat or on bike and travel through boardwalks and along paths, small, overgrown canals, and high observation towers.
Enjoy miles of blooming meadows full of native flowers, look at the birds and other denizens of four small lakes and numerous canals that are meticulously preserved. The Fraser family established the Preserve in 1959, and they dedicated 605 acres of Sea Pines resort land for the wildlife sanctuary and public park.
Address: Sea Pines Forest Preserve, 175 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Phone: 843-842-1979
⮕ Play at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center
Play a match and enjoy exciting lessons for all skill levels.
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Whether you are a guest at the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, a guest elsewhere on Hilton Head, or a Hilton Head native, when you want to play tennis, you go to the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, the best tennis center around. There are 23 clay and two Nova ProBounce courts. You do not have to stop playing after the sun goes down; six courts are brilliantly lighted at night.
Experienced staff members are there to make your visit pleasant, and the Center’s pros are there to help you improve your game. There are daily tournaments and instructional programs for any experience level, including children. The Resort and the tennis center are located in the center of Hilton Head.
Address: Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, 4 Queens Folly Road, 843-686-9697
⮕ Go paddle boarding with H2O Sports
Glide on calm waters and savor an adventurous summer experience.
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When you visit an island, you expect to have a good amount of fun on the water. On Hilton Head, that means heading to the Harbour Town Marina and signing up for one of the H2O Sports activities. The only problem is deciding which activity to try, or at least which to try first: fly a Parasail, go paddle boarding, rent a Jet Ski, ride a banana boat, see the alligators, rent a sailboat or a boat, explore in a kayak, go sailing, see the dolphins, go tubing or waterskiing. Even if you have really active kids, these activities should be enough to keep them busy. H2O has highly trained and certified guides, their equipment is new and in excellent shape.
Address: 149 Lighthouse Road, Harbour Town Yacht Basin, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Phone: 877-290-4386
Where to Eat in Hilton Head Island, SC
- Recommended for Families: A Lowcountry Backyard – Southern comfort food with outdoor seating and island hospitality.
- For Seafood Lovers: Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks – Fresh catch and sunset views over the Intracoastal Waterway.
- For a Casual Meal: Java Burrito Company – Local favorite for quick tacos, bowls, and organic coffee.
If you are interested in local events:
- For Foodies: Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival (February) – Culinary tastings, cooking demos, and oceanfront feasts.
- For Art Fans: Hilton Head Island Art Festival (May) – Artists from across the country gather at Shelter Cove for a weekend of fine arts.
- For Music Lovers: Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Events – Enjoy classical and pops performances throughout the year.
Day Trip Itineraries Within 30 Minutes of Hilton Head Island, SC:
- For Southern Charm: Bluffton (20–25 min) – Wander Old Town galleries, dine on the May River, or browse the Bluffton Farmers Market.
- For Nature Walks: Pinckney Island NWR (5–10 min) – Explore wildlife trails filled with birds, gators, and Lowcountry beauty.
- For History Buffs: Daufuskie Island (Ferry access) – Take a boat ride to this car-free island for a glimpse of Gullah culture and unspoiled beaches.
- For Shopping and Dining: Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina (10–15 min) – Browse shops, enjoy waterfront dining, and watch the boats go by.
- For Beachcombers: Folly Field Beach (15–20 min) – Quieter than Coligny, with wide sands and peaceful atmosphere.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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What is Hilton Head Island known for?
- Hilton Head Island is a beautiful vacation destination in South Carolina, known for its sandy beaches, top-tier golf courses, and a diverse range of activities.
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How can visitors explore Hilton Head Island?
- The island is interlaced with an extensive network of trails, making it easy to explore by bike or on foot.
At a Glance:
Best Time to Visit |
Places to Stay |
Tips for Visiting |
Spring (March-May) – Mild temperatures, beautiful blooming flowers, and fewer crowds. |
The Inn & Club at Harbour Town – Luxury accommodations with stunning views of Harbour Town. |
Bike ride on the island’s scenic bike trails – Explore the natural beauty of Hilton Head on two wheels. |
Summer (June-August) – Warm temperatures, ideal for beach activities, golfing, and outdoor fun. |
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island – A beachfront resort with family-friendly amenities. |
Relax on Coligny Beach – Spend time at one of the island’s most popular beaches with plenty of dining options nearby. |
Fall (September-November) – Cooler temperatures, fewer tourists, and beautiful coastal views. |
Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort – A relaxing resort with easy access to outdoor activities. |
Visit the Coastal Discovery Museum – Learn about the island’s history, wildlife, and natural surroundings. |
Winter (December-February) – Mild temperatures, ideal for a peaceful and relaxing getaway. |
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort – An all-inclusive resort with golf, tennis, and beachfront access. |
Explore Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge – Hike and watch for wildlife in this peaceful nature preserve. |
Plan Your Trip