EMail To A Friend

Hilton Head Island, SC

Before it became a top tourist and retirement destination, Hilton Head Island was a series of 24 cotton, rice, sugarcane and indigo plantations. As a result of skillful planning, those former plantations have been developed into some of the finest resort and residential communities in the Southeast, many of which still bear the name of the plantations on which they were built. The island offers residents and visitors alike world class golfing, waters sports, and luxurious resort accommodations.

The island, near the border of South Carolina and Georgia, is home to 33,000 full-time residents. Approximately 2.5 million more visit the island each year. At last count there were over 6,000 luxury villas, 3,000 hotel rooms and 1,000 timeshare units available for visitors to the island, with more being built. The need for so many lodging alternatives stem from the reputation the island had garnered for hosting conventions. There are 22 different properties that offer convention and meeting facilities.

But Hilton Head Island is most famous for its many golf courses. The island is home to 17, many of which have been noted in various golfing and travel publications as being some of the best in the country. Combine that with the 23 off-island courses less than a half-hour drive away, it is easy to see why so many people come to the island to hit the links.

But there is so much more to do on the island than golf. The island has 300 tennis courts, eight marinas, and its calm waters are a water sports maven’s dream. The island also offers a full plate of cultural activities including tours of the historic district and Gullah heritage tours. Gullah is the culture specific to the South Carolina Lowcountry, evolved as a result of slaves interweaving African and European cultures creating their own customs, idioms and culture. And of course, Hilton Head Island is home to top boutiques and fine dining establishments.

The island offers a full plate of cultural activities

Despite its tremendous growth in popularity among vacationers from around the world, Hilton Head Island clings to its pristine Southern roots, combined with all the modern conveniences that make it difficult to ever want to leave the island at all.