Charleston is a city so charming that nearly every celebrity who visits ends up driving around town with a real estate agent. Located on the peninsula between the Cooper and Ashley rivers in southeastern South Carolina, Charleston is the oldest and second-largest city in the state, full of antebellum homes and carefully preserved buildings. Each spring, Charleston hosts the Spoleto Festival, one of the most prestigious performing-arts events in the South.

click here for visitors bureau  |  click here to search all area homes

Dewees Island, South Carolina is a private, environmentally-sensitive 1,206-acre barrier island retreat community located just 12 miles from Historic Charleston. Internationally known as an environmentally sensitive private barrier island community. Boasting one of the South's wildest natural beaches, for many, Dewees Island is a dream come true.

Dewees Island is a nature lovers paradise and very family-oriented. Activities include canoeing and kayaking, bird-watching, fly-fishing as well as crabbing and shrimping.

click here to view Dewees Island homes

Edisto Beach State Park, State Cabin Road, sprawls across 1,255 acres, opening onto 2 miles of beach. There's also a signposted nature trail. Enjoy a picnic lunch under one of the shelters. The park has 75 campsites with full hookups and 28 with no hookups. Campsites cost $20 per night (the price is the same for RV hookups). Five cabins are also available for rent, ranging from $62 to $67 daily. Two restaurants are within walking distance of the campsite. You can stay in a hotel in Charleston and commute here during the day.

click here to view Edisto Beach homes

Edisto Island -- Isolated, and offering a kind of melancholy beauty, Edisto lies some 45 miles south of Charleston (take U.S. 17 west for 21 miles; then head south along Hwy. 174 the rest of the way). By the late 18th century, Sea Island cotton made the islanders wealthy, and some plantations from that era still stand. Today, the island attracts families from Charleston and the Low Country to its white sandy beaches. Watersports include shrimping, surf-casting, deep-sea fishing, and sailing.

Dining

Sunset Grille - This is the sibling restaurant to The Old Post Office just recommended, and it is a family favorite. It opens onto Big Bay Creek overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. The fresh fish and locally caught shellfish are delivered to the restaurant dock daily, and you can request it broiled, grilled, or fried. The lunch and dinner menus have variety, and the freshest of ingredients are used. The brunch on Sunday is the island's best. At lunch an array of fresh salads (including one made with local oysters) is served along with burgers, chicken grills, and a selection of the best-stuffed sandwiches on Edisto. You can also order a big bowl of South Carolina she-crab soup. The menu at night is more elaborate, with a selection of appetizers ranging from a fish stew in a robust tomato and fish stock to fried alligator served with honey mustard. New York strip appears as a main course, as do the delicious Edisto crab cakes. "Bell Boil" is a local favorite, fresh shrimp boiled in seasoned stock and served hot.

The Old Post Office - This is the most prominent building that you're likely to see as you drive through the forests and fields across Edisto Island. About 5 miles from the beach, the restaurant was once a combination post office and general store, as its weathered clapboards and old-time architecture imply. Partners David Gressette and Philip Bardin, who transformed the premises in 1988, prepare a worthy compendium of Low Country cuisine and serve it in copious portions. Try Island corn and crabmeat chowder, Orangeburg onion sausage with black bean sauce, scallops and grits with mousseline sauce, fried quail with duck-stock gravy, and "fussed-over" pork chops with hickory-smoked tomato sauce and mousseline.

click here to view Edisto Island homes

In the West Islands, Folly Beach, which had degenerated into a tawdry Coney Island-type amusement park, has made an amazing comeback following a multimillion-dollar cleanup. At the western end of the island is the Folly Beach County Park, with bathrooms, parking, and shelter from the rain. To get here, take U.S. 17 East to S.C. 171 South to Folly Beach.

Folly Beach Fishing Pier at Folly Beach is a wood pier, 25 feet wide, that extends 1,045 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Facilities include restrooms, a tackle shop, and a restaurant. It's handicapped-accessible.
 

click here to view Folly Beach homes

Isle of Palms is a residential community bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and lying 10 miles north of Charleston, this island, with its salt marshes and wildlife, has been turned into a vacation retreat, but one that is more downscale than Kiawah Island. The attractions of Charleston are close at hand, but the Isle of Palms is also self-contained, with shops, dining, an array of accommodations, and two championship golf courses. Charlestonians have been flocking to the island for holidays since 1898. I-26 intersects with I-526 heading directly to the island via the Isle of Palms Connector (S.C. 517). Seven miles of wide, white sandy beach are the island's main attraction, and sailing and windsurfing are popular. The more adventurous will go crabbing and shrimping in the creeks.

The Isle of Palms offers the seclusion and charm of a sea island with incredible comforts and amenities. Best of all, it's conveniently located and just a short drive to historic Charleston. For the best of what life has to offer, come visit or live on the Isle of Palms...you won't be disappointed.

click here to view Isle of Palms homes

Kiawah Island has the area's most pristine beach--far preferable to Folly Beach, to our tastes--and draws a more up-market crowd. The best beachfront is at Beachwalker County Park, on the southern end of the island. Get there before noon on weekends; the limited parking is usually gone by then. Canoe rentals are available for use on the Kiawah River, and the park offers not only a boardwalk but also bathrooms, showers, and a changing area. Take U.S. 17 E to S.C. 171 South (Folly Beach Rd.), turn right onto S.C. 700 SW (Maybank Hwy.), to Bohicket Road, which turns into Betsy Kerrigan Parkway. Where Betsy Kerrigan Parkway dead-ends, turn left on Kiawah Parkway, which takes you to the island.

click here to view Kiawah Island homes

Mount Pleasant East of the Cooper River, just minutes from the historic district, this community is worth a detour. Filled with lodgings, restaurants, and some attractions, it encloses a historic district along the riverfront known as the Old Village, which is on the National Register's list of buildings. Its major attraction is Patriots Point, the world's largest naval and maritime museum; it's also the home of the aircraft carrier Yorktown.

Just across the Cooper River from Charleston, the charming maritime village of Mount Pleasant offers waterfront restaurants by Shem Creek, quaint specialty shops, outdoor festivals, museums and historic sites. Carefully planned development has helped to maintain its rich heritage and small town appeal. It features many residential opportunities that you will love in this captivating community.

click here to view Mount Pleasant homes

Frommer's Favorite... Playing Scarlett & Rhett at Boone Hall. Over in Mount Pleasant, you can pretend that you're one of the romantic figures in Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind by paying a visit to this 738-acre estate, a cotton plantation settled by Maj. John Boone in 1681. It was used for background shots in the films Gone With the Wind and North and South.

click here to view Mount Pleasant homes

Seabrook Island is located just 23 miles south of the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. It features 2,200 acres of lush maritime forest, beautiful salt marshes and pristine beach. The Atlantic Ocean provides 3.5 miles of Seabrook Island's shoreline. Another mile of sandy expanse extends by the wide tidal North Edisto River. The climate during Spring and summer midday temperatures reach the 80s and sometimes 90s. Fall temperatures stay in the 80s, 70s and 60s. Winter temperatures range from the 60s to the 30s. Residential
homes and homesites are available in private neighborhoods. Lot sizes range from about one-third acre to over one acre. Average home size is 2,900 square feet.

Equestrian Center

Contact the Seabrook Equestrian Center, 1002 Landfall Way, Seabrook Island (tel. 843/768-7541). You should make reservations at least one week in advance of your trip (the center suggests longer advance reservations around holidays). The Equestrian Center offers both trail rides and beach rides; times for rides vary depending on the season. The beach ride for advanced riders is $75 per person; the trail ride for advanced riders, $65 per person; the "Walking Scenic" ride for beginners is $55. The trail ride is only available to ages 8 and older. A "parent-led" pony ride is available for children under 8 ($30 per 1/2 hr.). The center also gives riding lessons and can be used by non-resort guests who make a reservation. Your pass will be available at the security gate at the entrance to the island.

click here to view Seabrook Island homes

Sullivan's Island -- Visitors and Residents enjoy the historic charm of Sullivan's Island, which includes Ft. Moultrie, originally built during the Revolutionary War. Edgar Allen Poe wrote his famous story The Gold Bug while stationed here, and it is the burial site of Seminole Indian Chief Osceola. Other historic sites include the Sullivan's Island lighthouse and numerous shore batteries that provided defense until the end of World War II.

Return to a bygone era and experience the quaint charm of Sullivan's Island with it's lighthouse that beckons the ships into Charleston Harbor and Historic Fort Moultrie.

Sparkling sunny beaches and sweeping marshlands make Charleston's Eastern Barrier Islands a true paradise. Here you can find the magic and serenity of an island retreat with the comforts and amenities you'd expect from a world class resort community...all just minutes from historic downtown Charleston. Contact us to explore the casual lifestyle of these enchanting islands!

Sullivan's Island offer miles of public beaches, mostly bordered by beachfront homes. Windsurfing and jet skiing are popular here. Take U.S. 17 East to S.C. 703 (Ben Sawyer Blvd.). South Carolina 703 continues through Sullivan's Island to the Isle of Palms.

Fort Moultrie -- Only a palmetto-log fortification at the time of the American Revolution, the half-completed fort was attacked by a British fleet in 1776. Col. William Moultrie's troops repelled the invasion in one of the first decisive American victories of the Revolution. The fort was subsequently enlarged into a five-sided structure with earth-and-timber walls 17 feet high. The British didn't do it in, but an 1804 hurricane ripped it apart. By the War of 1812, it was back and ready for action. Osceola, the fabled leader of the Seminoles in Florida, was incarcerated at the fort and eventually died here. During the 1830s, Edgar Allen Poe served as a soldier at the fort. He set his famous short story "The Gold Bug" on Sullivan's Island. The fort also played roles in the Civil War, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, and even in the two World Wars, but by 1947, it had retired from action.

click here to view Sullivan's Island homes

Wild Dunes Resort -- A bit livelier than Kiawah Island, its major competitor, this complex is set on landscaped ground on the north shore. The 1,600-acre resort has not only two widely acclaimed golf courses, but also an array of other outdoor attractions. Many families settle in here for a long stay, almost never venturing into Charleston. Guests are housed in condos and a series of cottages and villas. Many accommodations have only one bedroom, but others have as many as six. Villas and cottages are built along the shore, close to golf and tennis. Furnishings are tasteful and resortlike, with kitchens, washers and dryers, and spacious bathrooms with shower-tub combinations and dressing areas. Some of the best units have screened-in balconies.

Golf

Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms (tel. 803/886-6000), offers two championship golf courses designed by Tom Fazio. The Links is a 6,722-yard, par-72 layout that takes the player through marshlands, over or into huge sand dunes, through a wooded alley, and into a pair of oceanfront finishing holes once called "the greatest east of Pebble Beach, California." The course opened in 1980 and has been ranked among the 100 greatest courses in the United States by Golf Digest and among the top 100 in the world by Golf Magazine. Golf Digest has also ranked the Links as the 13th-greatest resort course in America. The Harbor Course offers 6,402 yards of Low Country marsh and Intracoastal Waterway views. This par-70 layout is considered to be target golf, challenging players with two holes that play from one island to another across Morgan Creek. Greens fees at these courses can range from $60 to $165, depending on the season. Clubs can be rented at either course for $25 for 18 holes, and professional instruction costs $50 for a 45-minute session. Both courses are open daily from 7am to 6pm year-round.

Boating

A true Charlestonian is as much at home on the sea as on land. Sailing local waters is a popular family pastime. One of the best places for rentals is Wild Dunes Yacht Harbor, Isle of Palms (tel. 843/886-5100), where 16-foot boats, big enough for four people, rent for around $185 for 4 hours, plus fuel. A larger pontoon boat, big enough for 10, goes for about $300 for 4 hours, plus fuel.

Marina
No trip to Wild Dunes is complete without at least one boating excursion. The Isle of Palms Marina, an active, full-service marina adjacent to Wild Dunes Resort, has a wide variety of fun-filled waterborne activities for island visitors and residents. The marina features a complete fleet of boats for rent, charter and daily excursions and tours offering an unlimited variety of outings for individuals, families or groups.

For guests who arrive by boat, the marina the marina is located just 7 miles north of the Charleston Harbor, at Marker 116 on the Intracoastal Waterway. It can comfortably accommodate yachts of up to 200 feet. With a minimum depth in all slips of 8 feet, some docks can handle boats with drafts up to 10 to 12 feet. Floating docks are equipped with all the amenities a yachtsman expects from the finest marinas. For information on charters, excursions and docking, call the marina office at (843) 886-0209.

Fishing
Freshwater fishing charters are available year-round along the Low Country's numerous creeks and inlets. The waterways are filled with flounder, trout, spot-tail, and channel bass. Some of the best striped-bass fishing available in America can be found at nearby Lake Moultrie.

Offshore-fishing charters for reef fishing (where you'll find fish such as cobia, black sea bass, and king mackerel) and for the Gulf Stream (where you fish for sailfish, marlin, wahoo, dolphin, and tuna) are also available. Both types of charters can be arranged at the previously recommended Wild Dunes Yacht Harbor, Isle of Palms (tel. 843/886-5100). A fishing craft holding up to six people rents for around $750 for 6 hours, including everything but food and drink. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance.
 

Dining
Morgan Creek Grill, located in the Isle of Palms Marina, offers an unparalleled panoramic view of the Intracoastal Waterway and surrounding Lowcountry marshes from waterfront dining rooms and the Upperdeck Bar & Grill, on the roof of Morgan Creek Grill. Enjoy the freshest local seafood, steaks, chops and an array of appetizers prepared in an eclectic style. Musical entertainment and deep draft dockage provide a lively local atmosphere whether you come by land or sea. Their southern hospitality, casual ambiance, outstanding food, and unforgettable scenery is what makes Morgan Creek Grill the perfect destination. If you are looking for a unique dining experience that you won't soon forget, visit them on the creek. Dinner reservations recommended, 843-886-8980.

Located in the Links Clubhouse, Edgar's Restaurant and Bar has become a well-known local favorite. Chef Kevin Bruntz has taken time honored ingredients and recipes to a new level of Lowcountry dining. You can enjoy Edgar's Restaurant & Bar for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Dinner reservations recommended, 843-886-2296.

Edgar's Bar features your favorite cocktails, a friendly atmosphere and dancing to the sounds of Ronnie Johnson and his entertaining repertoire of tunes, from Beach to Country, Jimmy Buffett to classic Rock 'n Roll. Ronnie is proud of his open mic policy so if it moves you, get up and join him!

The Sea Island Grill at the Boardwalk Inn is located in The Boardwalk Inn, and is Wild Dunes' newest dining experience. Chef Enzo promises the Freshest in Lowcountry Seafood available! Sample offerings are She Crab Soup with Crab Fritter, Fresh Poached Mussels, a Raw Bar Platter, Fresh Shucked Oysters or Clams, Boardwalk Flounder, or your favorite preparation of Black Grouper, Atlantic Salmon, Yellowfin Tuna, and more. For the land-lubbers, Black Angus Filet of Beef and a 22 oz Porterhouse Steak make the list.
And for dessert, the Sea Island Grill offers a selection of soufflés and the Ultimate Chocolate Cake! Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner is served daily from 6:30 am to 10 pm. The Bar, adjacent to The Grill, offers a selection of choice scotches, bourbons and the like. Dinner reservations are requested, ext. 2200 or 843-886-2200. The hotel in Wild Dunes also maintains a lounge, which stays open until 2am.

Facilities
3 restaurants; 2 bars; 2 pools; 2 18-hole golf courses; 18 tennis courts; fitness center; Jacuzzi; sauna; room service; massage; babysitting; laundry/dry cleaning. The Fitness Center offers a healthy workout as well as a selection of professional health and fitness services. Their staff will assist with your choice of massage therapy appointments, personal training/sport specific strength training and steam or sauna sessions. Advanced cardiovascular and weight training equipment is available.

click here to view Wild Dunes homes

North Charleston is primarily a residential and industrial community. The close proximity to Charleston allows residents the opportunity to enjoy the charm of the historic district. It's the home of the North Charleston Coliseum, the largest indoor entertainment venue in the state.  North Charleston is a Low Country transportation hub thanks to the North Charleston Charleston International Airport which is at the point where I-26 and I-526 intersect.

click here to view North Charleston homes