Pawleys Island

1. Apache Pier

The Apache Pier is a family-friendly attraction located at the Apache Family Campground. The pier is the longest wooden pier on the East Coast. It is open every day of the year and provides a selection of fun activities for visitors and local residents.

Visitors can walk the length of the pier to take a look at the ocean below.

During the summer months, there is live music. Those who love fishing or wish to try fishing for the first time will find everything they need at Apache Pier.

The pier offers rod and reels for rent as well as a full-service bait shop selling live bait, tackle, and more.

Apache Pier, Myrtle Beach, SC, Phone: 843-497-6486

2. Applewood House of Pancakes

Applewood House of Pancakes is a pancake house on the Ocean Highway.

The restaurant is best known for their fantastic weekend breakfast bar.

The buffet-style bar includes a wide variety of pre-cooked items as well as cooked-to-order eggs and omelets, and it offers a good value for the price.

Even though their weekend buffet has made them famous, the restaurant is a great place to grab breakfast during any day of your vacation.

They serve a range of items including fresh fruit, cereal, traditional style breakfast, and of course pancakes.

They have an impressive selection of omelets, including several with seafood like Awesome Amy’s Shrimp Omelet.

14361 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, Phone: 843-979-1022

3. Atalaya Castle

Atalaya Castle is the former holiday home of Archer Huntington, who was the son of a well-to-do robber baron, and his wife Anna, who was a famous sculptor.

At one time they owned a massive amount of property including what is now the Huntington State Park. The property includes more than thirty rooms built around a perimeter creating an enclosed courtyard in the middle.

The large home has a 40-foot tall square water tower in the center that provided the home with water.

The property also includes Anna’s sculpting studio and a small stable. During the summer tourist season, the castle is staffed with docent guides who provide one hour guided tours of the building and grounds.

Atalaya Road, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, Phone: 843-237-4440

4. Black River Outdoors Center

Black River Outdoors Center is a canoe and kayak tour company and outfitters. The company offers two and four hour kayak tours guided by knowledgeable, local naturalists.

The tours explore the relaxed Tidelands of South Carolina, which include Huntington Beach State Park’s salty marshes as well as the Sandy Island Wildlife Preserve and the Waccamaw River Cypress-Tupelo Swamp Preserves.

They also offer short tours of the Georgetown Harbor in the evenings as well as kayak tours by moonlight during the summer months.

The tours use very stable solo and tandem river kayaks that are perfect for adventurers of any age.

62 Byers Trail, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, Phone: 843-546-4840

5. Blue Wave Adventures Dolphin Tour

Blue Wave Adventures is a tour company that offers dolphin tours and kayaking adventures out of the Crazy Sisters Marina in Murrells Inlet.

The dolphin tours are family friendly and are available to children age three and up and of course adults. The boat is a 42-foot aluminum vessel with seating for forty guests.

They run their tours every day as long as the weather permits and offer six 1.5-hour tours each day. Knowledgeable tour guides narrate the tours, which include information about wildlife, history and interesting sites.

Guests on the tours may have the chance to see dolphins, turtles, eagles, rays, sharks, jellyfish, and much more.

4123-B Hwy 17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, Phone: 843-651-3676

6. Caffe Piccolo

Caffe Piccolo is an Italian restaurant serving traditional Italian favorites with a locally inspired touch.

The restaurant features an intimate space complete with a fireplace and a menu that reflects fresh, local seafood and produce. Caffe Piccolo is committed to using only the most fresh and local ingredients in their old family recipes.

The restaurant offers gluten free pasta and bread options for those with gluten sensitivities. Vegan dishes are also available.

The restaurant space can be reserved for private parties, and the staff of Caffe Piccolo even offers in-home catering where they go to a guest’s home and prepare meal for a party or special occasion.

9428 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, Phone: 843-314-3424

7. Carolina Guide Service

Carolina Guide Service offers chartered fishing trips for the whole family. A U.S. Coast Guard Captain who skillfully guides the boats through the backwaters and saltwater estuaries to find the best places to score a big catch leads the trips. The company operates trips year round and has an option of half and full day trips. Each fishing charter has room for one to four fishermen.

The trip includes everything you need to enjoy a day out on the water, including bait, rods, tackle, and a fishing license. The trips are family-friendly, and children are welcome on any of their trips.

169 Windover Drive, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, Phone: 843-814-7900