About Hilton Head Accommodations

Nearby

Hilton Head Island is conveniently located to many an interesting day trip and we encourage that you sample these places during your holiday. Although you may never want to leave your vacation rental on Hilton Head, when it’s time to explore, you’ll find history, architecture, and southern hospitality galore in nearby Bluffton, Beaufort and Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia.

Bluffton, SC

Located just across the bridge from Hilton Head Island, Bluffton is an unusual town that encompasses the area’s past, present and future. Quaint homes -originally occupied holidays in the country - and unique shops line the moss-shaded, easy living streets of Bluffton's downtown historic district while superstores line the busy Bluffton corridor on the way to Hilton Head Island.

Bluffton, a town whose name refers to its location atop a scenic bluff along the May River, also is home to a rapidly growing number of residential communities, including the retirement community of Sun City, which started the building boom, the exclusive golf communities of Belfair and Colleton River and the newest ecologically-sensitive development, Palmetto Bluff along the May River. Each features lush, verdant landscapes filled with home sites, golf courses, and other amenities.

If you seek a relaxed pace and strong sense of community mixed with forward thinking development, you’ll find Bluffton fits the bill. Be sure to stop by the historic Heyward House during your holiday excursion to Bluffton which serves as the town's Welcome Center.

Beaufort, SC

Beaufort, just 40 minutes from Hilton Head Island traveling past scenic marsh and waterside views, is a step back in time with its charming downtown and waterfront. The “Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands” was discovered in 1514 by the Spanish and chartered by the British in 1711. The town’s magnificent antebellum homes are a tribute to the great prosperity enjoyed by proprietors as a result of the thriving indigo, rice and Sea Island cotton plantations prior to the Civil War.

Today, you’ll enjoy historic forts, elegant homes, and a thriving arts community in downtown Beaufort. Community festivals, free entertainment, concerts and more are enjoyed by residents and tourists alike at the Waterfront Park. Gullah culture and cuisine, and the historic Penn Center flourish and are reminders of Beaufort’s 500-year history. Horse-drawn carriages tour through the narrow streets of the historic district, one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in South Carolina. Shrimps boats can often be seen gliding past Waterfront Park with the day’s catch. If you want to envision Beaufort, Prince of Tides, The Big Chill, and The Great Santini will help paint the landscape.

In addition to a variety of historical and natural attractions, the area is home to three major military installations – the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, the Marine Corps Air Station and the Naval Hospital – which are vital to the local economy, as well as national security.

Charleston, SC

Just two hours to the north – no trip to South Carolina would be complete without a visit to Charleston. Designated as one of America’s Friendliest Cities, visitors will also be pleased by the fascinating history, culture and cuisine that Charleston has to offer.

Downtown Charleston displays her wares within many colorfully restored buildings and a block-long market place. Commerce is conducted on the peninsula along three main parallel streets that are easy and safe to stroll. Diverse dining proffers the simple to the unique and is a pastime unto itself. Beautiful antebellum mansions, harboring picturesque gardens behind wrought iron gates, line The Battery at the southern tip of the peninsula. Also, called “The Holy City” for it’s proliferation of churches – the area’s chimes and steeples provide a comforting ambience to all who stroll through it’s cobblestone streets.

The College of Charleston and the annual spring Spoleto Festival provide vibrant energy to this historic city. The South Carolina Aquarium, Waterfront Park and nearby beaches and islands round out the fun.

Savannah, GA

Savannah is billed as Georgia’s First City to some, and as the site of one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations (behind Boston and New York) to countless others!

Known for its River Street promenade, with free entertainment, shopping, dining and outdoor “parties”, Savannah boasts an eclectic present day experience and an equally colorful past – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Forrest Gump and The Legend of Bagger Vance. The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) also lends an edgy, artistic bent with its weekly gallery hops, annual film festival and interesting student body.

Downtown is arranged in a series of manicured squares, replete with stately shade trees, fountains and benches surrounded by historic homes and commercial buildings. The ongoing restoration of Savannah, prompted in part by SCAD and their commitment to purchasing and restoring old buildings for classrooms and offices, has breathed new life into many downtown commercial districts that sat on the edge of the tourism thoroughfare. Now streets a few blocks from River Street such as Broughton Street sport unique boutiques, trendy urban living lofts above them and an energizing vitality to the city.

Downtown Savannah is just 45 minutes away from Hilton Head Island. Plan to stay to join the evening promenade along the riverfront as part of your holiday adventure.