Beach/Islands in Charleston Area?

[NWFlyer 2]

My folks will be down near Charleston in early May and since I'll be in Atlanta quite a bit for work, we were thinking of meeting up for a weekend somewhere in that general area. I'll fly into whatever the closest airport is (Charleston or Savannah, probably), depending on what we choose.

We're considering Hilton Head, but I know there's other cool islands/beaches in that general area as well. Anyone have any good suggestions?

My parents aren't golfers and we're not looking for any kind of fancy-pants resort, just somewhere we can rent a condo for a weekend and hang out, preferably on or near a beach.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[pullhigh 0]

Krisanne,

There are many options to choose from. Do you want a "commercialized" beach, or a more laid back atmosphere?

Ganja

[NWFlyer 2]

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There are many options to choose from. Do you want a "commercialized" beach, or a more laid back atmosphere?

Definitely more laid back. My parents are pretty no-frills, just looking for a nice, comfortable place to hang out., not some luxury resort.

[AllisonH 0]

I've gone to Edisto Island (~45 min or so from Charleston) most summers for the past 6 or 7 years. It's very laid back, non-touristy, and before Memorial Day not crowded at all (i.e., look down the beach and see at most 5-10 people in each direction). There aren't any hotels on the island, houses are available for rent by the week and condos are available for I think 3 nights or more (www.edistorealty.com). I've also been to other nearby islands on day trips, and really I don't think you would go wrong with any of them!

[pullhigh 0]

More ladi back... I'd look at Kiawah or Edisto around Charleston, or Tybee Island if you want to be closer to Savannah. I've never been to Tybee, but always heard good things about it. Like Allison said, not much for hotels in these areas, so a house or a condo would be abot the only option. I'd think you could rent a house for a weekend or a long weekend on the off season though. Personally, of the places I've been, I'd reccomend Edisto Island. Laid back, wide open beaches, good restraunts, some shopping. Not a ton of amenities, but nice, and quiet. The beach there is really nice, and if you're into walking on the beach looking for shells, there should be a good variety. If you have the opetion of renting a small boat or something you can run out to the sandbar between Kiawah and Edisto and find all the sand dollars you could ever want during low tide. There's also fishing charters ad such avaailable if you're into that sorts stuff.

Ganja

[NWFlyer 2]

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll look into it, though I'm not sure the three-night minimum will work with our schedules. Sounds like a great area, though.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[1snowangel 0]

You may also want to look into St. Simons Island. It is very laid back and gorgeous, I'm not sure about hotel accomodations, but the beach front is pretty much all condos.

[weegegirl 2]

I've been going to Kiawah Island for 28 years now, skipping only a few. It is absolutely wonderful. It has the whole golf/tennis thing, and it is pretty darn nice, but it is cheap, and peaceful, and you can rent a condo and get away from the world. It has miles of trails to rollerblade or bike, 10 miles of beach, and it is my little slice of heaven. Highly recommended.

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[Taylor610 0]

Krisanne, I have lived here all my life and the options are wide open. Kiwah is comparable to Hilton Head as far as "price" goes. Everything there is a dollar more, just because of the name. they both offer wonderful eating, golf, tennis and a few attractions.

Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, and Sullivans Island are all very close in their amenities, but they are all 3 very tightly packed in the sense of houses on top of houses, and also because of the names stay fairly crowded year round. There are a ton of "local residents" that live there year round.

Edisto Beach would be the most laid back and probably the least expensive. Not a bunch of tourist stuff on the beach itself, just 3 1/2 miles of beach. That time of the year it is still pretty quiet. It does have some great food on the Island and a couple of good bars with entertainment. Of all of the beaches that I am familiar with it is my favorite, but I like the quieter side of things. Only about 35-45 minutes from Downtown Charleston.

Hope this helps.

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[2fat2fly 0]

Liz and I go to Kiawah, very relaxing. We've been to seabrook, but prefer Kiawah

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