Charleston area beaches

Charleston’s beaches are as charming as the city itself! Folly Beach brings the laid-back surf vibe, Isle of Palms offers upscale resort fun, and Sullivan’s Island keeps it quiet & historic. All within 30 minutes of one of America’s most beautiful cities

Kiawah Island, SC: The Luxury Beach That Actually Delivers

by

Located 21 miles south of Charleston on a pristine South Carolina barrier island, Kiawah delivers a beach experience that genuinely earns its reputation. 10 miles of protected, uncommercial shoreline, over 30 miles of paved trails winding through maritime forest, loggerhead sea turtles nesting every summer, dolphins feeding in the tidal creeks, and alligators patrolling the lagoons with the confidence of creatures that have been here longer than anyone else.

Folly Beach: This Beach Town Does Everything on Its Own Terms

by
beachgoers on folly beach, the ocean waves crash into the shore as beach houses are in view in the distance.

Folly Beach doesn’t care what you think of it. That’s precisely why you’re going to love it.
Just 12 miles from downtown Charleston, this six-mile barrier island operates on a frequency entirely its own. Surf shops sit next to taco joints. Live music spills out of beach bars at 2pm on a Tuesday. Locals cruise Center Street on bikes with no shoes on and zero apology about it. The whole place has a cheerful, slightly scruffy charm that Charleston’s polished historic district simply cannot manufacture, and it doesn’t try to.