With extensive, sandy seashores, mild surf and infinite out of doors actions, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is without doubt one of the prime seaside locations for households.
Hilton Head Island is fewer than 5 miles extensive and solely 12 miles lengthy, but it surely packs a stunning quantity of household enjoyable into that small space. The very first thing you may discover about Hilton Head is that every little thing from the buildings to the signage to the mailboxes blends with its environment.
Paired with the island’s compact measurement and delightful pure seashores, creeks and swamps, Hilton Head has a quaint, nostalgic really feel that you do not typically discover in common seaside locations.
I lately visited with my husband and three sons, and it instantly went on the quick record of my favourite household seaside locations. Listed below are my suggestions for what to do and the place to remain on Hilton Head Island.
What to Do in Hilton Head
Procuring and eating
A lot of the island’s purchasing and eating retailers are in a number of major areas: Harbour City, Sea Pines, Shelter Cove, Coligny Plaza, Fundamental Avenue Village and the Village at Wexford. For households, I like to recommend Coligny Plaza Procuring Middle, Harbour City and Shelter Cove.
Coligny Plaza has a big pirate ship play space and row after row of memento retailers the place your loved ones can discover the proper trinkets to commemorate your journey. Harbour City, within the upscale Sea Pines Resort space, is near lots of the island’s boat excursions and the Harbour City Lighthouse. Harbour City additionally has an out of doors playground, ice cream and number of retailers.
Shelter Cove has morning-to-night eating with espresso retailers and bakeries, sit-down seafood eating places and extra. It additionally hosts dwell leisure, together with fireworks in the summertime, and has a marina with boat excursions and water sports activities leases.
Seashores
A lot of the island’s beachfront resorts and rental houses have seaside entry, however there are many public seaside entry factors as properly. Coligny Seaside is especially common with younger youngsters as they will splash in its wading fountain or play in calm waters. It is also inside strolling distance of Coligny Plaza Procuring Middle.
Driessen Seaside Park, Islanders Seaside Park and Burkes Seaside even have family-friendly facilities like playgrounds, restrooms and picnic pavilions. You’ll be able to see a full itemizing of Hilton Head seashores right here.
My youngsters run round an excessive amount of for us to want seaside chairs and umbrellas, however you should purchase them from one of many native retailers or hire them by way of Shore Seaside Service.
Boat outings
Younger youngsters is likely to be particularly enthusiastic about themed actions, reminiscent of a trip on the pirate ship the Black Dagger ($30 for youths older than 2 and free for youths beneath 2). Children will get decked out with face paint and pirate costumes earlier than receiving their pirate names and looking for treasure.
In the meantime, Mermaid of Hilton Head takes households on a ship cruise the place youngsters will encounter a “actual” mermaid ($35 for adults, $30 for youths, free for these 2 and beneath). The cruise could be mixed with a dress-up picture shoot ($75). This firm additionally presents Mermaid U Swim College (from $35).
Exterior Hilton Head — which has 4 island areas and one on the mainland — conducts a variety of guided excursions, excursions, fishing journeys and classes. You will get your loved ones out on the water in kayaks or on paddleboards year-round.
The tour firm additionally presents a number of particular “camps” designed only for youngsters ages 7 to 17. Costs rely upon the outing or exercise you select. To offer you an thought, kayak excursions can value as little as $40 for adults and $20 for youths for a two-hour journey; a teen stand-up paddleboard journey that features classes prices $45 per little one.
One other particular expertise for your complete household awaits on Daufuskie Seaside, the place Daufuskie Path Rides presents horseback using on the sand or close by trails. Costs vary from $125 to $150 per particular person (relying on season) for a 90-minute tour; transportation to and from the equestrian heart is offered as an non-obligatory add-on.
Harbour City Lighthouse
A household journey to Hilton Head would not be full and not using a journey to Harbour City — the family-friendly eating, purchasing and leisure vacation spot inside Sea Pines.
The large attraction at Harbour City is the unmistakable white-and-red Harbour City Lighthouse. It is open for guests every day, and it prices $4.50 per particular person to climb the 114 steps to the highest. The lighthouse can also be a museum, so the youngsters can study concerning the historical past of the island and its improvement as a vacationer vacation spot.
Biking and water sports activities
Hilton Head is without doubt one of the most bicycle-friendly seaside cities I’ve ever visited. There are greater than 50 miles of public bike paths across the island — and that does not even embrace the hard-packed sand seashores that permit bicycles. Most bicycle rental services help you take your bike wherever on the island. Some corporations will even ship bicycles on to your resort.
Relying on the place you keep, you could possibly hire bicycles by way of your resort, however there are various native corporations as properly. Just a few are Hilton Head Outfitters, Wheelz of Hilton Head and Hilton Head Bicycle Firm. There are numerous others as properly.
Most of those corporations additionally hire water sports activities tools, together with kayaks, paddleboards and surfboards; additionally they provide seaside tools like jogging strollers, seaside carts, wagons and seaside wheelchairs.
The place to Keep
In order for you a giant beachfront resort, you may look to The Westin Hilton Head Resort & Spa. This 416-room property has three out of doors swimming pools, 4 eating places, non-public seaside entry and every day actions like yoga on the seaside, dwell music and pool video games for youths. All visitor rooms have balconies, and a few have ocean views.
You could possibly additionally select to remain in one of many common resort areas, together with the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort or The Sea Pines Resort. Each provide quite a lot of lodging sorts, together with on-site eating, purchasing and recreation. This lets you make the resort your “dwelling away from dwelling” whereas on trip.
For a laid-back vibe with a budget-friendly price ticket, the Seaside Home Hilton Head Island sits proper on common Coligny Seaside. it includes a tiki hut bar, dwell music, an on-site restaurant, a big beachfront pool and oceanfront rooms. Suites with bunk beds can be found for households on the lookout for a bit extra space.
If you could find availability, households will actually take pleasure in Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, a Disney Trip Membership property.
You will discover Disney’s signature pleasant service and particular touches — like Mickey-shaped snacks, character meet-and-greets and every day actions — however in a relaxed seaside surroundings. This resort shouldn’t be immediately on the seaside, however it’s only a few five-minute trip on the complimentary shuttle or a 10-minute bike trip away.
One of the best ways to remain at Disney’s Hilton Head Resort is prone to hire Disney Trip Membership factors from an proprietor and plan properly upfront.
Backside Line
Hilton Head Island had a lot to supply. Plus, the seaside was instantly accessible when my household did not really feel like doing something however taking part in within the waves or on the sand.
Time appeared to decelerate whereas we have been there — one thing I’m at all times attempting to realize as my youngsters get older. After our first go to, I spotted Hilton Head Island is a type of seaside cities that I can see returning to with my household 12 months after 12 months.