Beaufort, South Carolina is a must visit. The Southeast United States is littered with beautiful coastal towns. There a couple that are a little more frequently traveled to – cities like Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington come to mind. There are many more though that are not quite as known that should be on your can’t miss list. These smaller Southern towns have just as much history, beauty, and charm, but they are more relaxed and slower-paced which make for a wonderful weekend getaway.
One of those sweet towns is Beaufort, South Carolina. Nestled in the low country it sweeps you away with the Spanish moss covered trees, historic homes and breathtaking water views. We have spent plenty of time in Beaufort over the years, because it is a place we always enjoy visiting. When we leave we look forward to our next trip. It has something for everyone there, no matter the age. We love it and we believe you will love it as well. Below you will find all you need for an enjoyable and relaxing weekend getaway in Beaufort.
Getting To Know Beaufort
The first thing you need to know about Beaufort is how to pronounce it. This can be confusing because there is another Beaufort a couple hours up the coast in North Carolina. They are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Beaufort, South Carolina is BEW-FORT, while Beaufort – the North Carolina version is pronounced BO-FORT. Both take pride in their pronunciations, so this could be helpful!
Beaufort is one of the oldest towns in all of the southeastern United States and the second-oldest behind Charleston in the state. It was founded over 400 years ago in 1711. It is located in the low country of South Carolina on Port Royal Island, which is one of the beautiful Sea Islands.
Must Do’s In And Around Beaufort
There is something for everyone in Beaufort. Whether you want to have a restful weekend, be outdoors exploring, spend time shopping, or checking out the history of the area, you will always be able to find something to do.
Historic Downtown
Beaufort has one of the most wonderful historic downtown districts that we have been to. Every building is beautiful, is hundreds of years old, and have plenty of character and charm. There are so many great shops that are fun to check out, every one of them has their own niche and feel. A lot of times when you go to downtowns like this, all of the stores seem to be the exact same – a bunch of touristy knick knacks. But here in Beaufort, the shopping is really well-rounded and unique. Bay Street has most of the shopping, but don’t miss Carteret St.
Our favorite stores downtown are:
- Bay Street Outfitters – a really cool outdoor apparel and equipment store.
- Beaufort Belle – tons of great jewelry locally made.
- The Beaufort Candy Shoppe – just a fun part of the general store. More touristy but they have great honey sticks.
- Tidal Creek Haven – a beautiful store with handcrafted woodworkings for the house. They also have some great smelling candles inspired by the area.
- Blue Heron Boutique – awesome clothing store that is a little less expensive than many of the other places downtown.
There are plenty of other historical buildings and homes all throughout downtown. The Parish Church of St. Helena and the surrounding graveyard are stunning. There are some very old gravesites and the church is just beautiful. Craven St., North St., and King St. are all fun walks and they have beautiful homes on both sides to look at and Spanish moss hanging down from all of the trees. It is such a relaxing time just grabbing a drink and strolling these neighborhoods.
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
If you have been following along with us on the blog, you know that we love any and all National Park units. As a matter of fact, the reason why we came to Beaufort was to check this park off of our list and grab our stamp.
Reconstruction Era tells the story of South after the Civil War until the early 1900’s. Here you will learn about how the millions of African-Americans who were freed from slavery adjusted to their freedom and impacted the society and culture around them. There are some hard stories here, but they are stories that need to be told and heard. It was both a sobering and inspiring trip to this park unit.
The main visitor center is located right in the heart of downtown Beaufort behind the library on Craven Street. The visitor center is in Old Beaufort Firehouse. The National Park Service has done a great job repurposing this building. Throughout downtown there are numerous historical buildings that are part of the National Historic Landmark District. It is always fun to walk around these historic old southern towns.
There are three other areas in the Historical Park. Each requires a car to get to. Camp Saxton, Darrah Hall and Brick Baptist Church, and the Penn Center are all areas that are worth a quick visit if this park has gotten your attention, though none are necessarily must visits.
Waterfront Park
Running along the banks of the Beaufort River is the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. This is one of the most peaceful waterfront areas we have been to in our time traveling. On the weekends they usually have a farmer’s market, but if there are no vendors out, there is still plenty to do. There is a great walkway right along the water that you can stroll on while you admire the boats or the view of the Woods Bridge. This is also the best place to watch the sunset in town.
The park has a great playground for the kids, plenty of seating, some great private swings, a relaxing contemplative garden, and plenty of shops nearby. Many of the downtown restaurants have seating on the edge of the park, so it is a great place to people watch. This is the ideal place to drink your coffee or eat your ice cream while you just spend time with the people you love. Beaufort did a great job with this park.
The Shrimp Shack
Outside of Beaufort on the Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island heading towards Hunting Island State Park is one of the best seafood dives you will ever go to, the Shrimp Shack. This place is a locally sourced, family-owned restaurant that has been open since 1978. People come from all over to eat at this joint. They especially love their shrimp burgers and fried shrimp. They have plenty of food for non-seafood lovers as well, and that part of the menu is very reasonably priced.
Admittedly this place isn’t for everyone. However, if you want an authentic low country experience, this is the place to go. They are only open for lunch and only accept cash (yes, it is one of these places). So make sure you check out the dates and times of operation. Also, there is no indoor seating, so be prepared to get it to go or sit out on one of the many picnic tables they have. Their Facebook page is your best option for the most up to date info.
Hunting Island State Park
We love visiting any and all state parks around the country. Hunting Island State Park ranks as one of the best beach parks we have been to. This is a little under 30-minute drive from downtown Beaufort, so it is an ideal place to spend the day if you have more than a couple of days in town. There is an admission fee to get in – $8 per person. If you want to climb the lighthouse when it is open it is an additional $2 per person. Make sure you check out the Nature Center as well. It is a great place to learn about the land and even see an alligator or two.
Hunting Island has a lot of great spots to enjoy the beach, but the coolest spot on the beach is the Boneyard Beach area. This is a section of the beach where driftwood has piled up over the years. When we say driftwood, we are talking about huge trees from the maritime forest. It is like you are walking through a tree graveyard. We went on a day when it was particularly foggy, so it made it exceptionally eerie. If you can, try and get out here at sunrise, it is a spectacular view.
Another great spot at the park is the lighthouse grounds. The lighthouse is one of the oldest on the east coast, dating back to 1859. It was destroyed during the Civil War but was repaired in 1875. When it is open, you can climb it, but right now it is under extensive repairs, not to be reopened to the public until at least late 2025. The grounds are still great to explore, and they have a nice little gift shop nearby as well.
There are miles of trails to hike as well at the park. It is always fun to hike through a maritime forest and end up at the beach. The Diamondback Rattlesnake and Maritime Forest Trails are both around 2-miles and are the longest on property. It is beach hiking so everything is rated as easy. The Nature Center Scenic Trail is a fun little trail that you can take to Little Hunting Island. If you only have a little time, this one is a good one to get a good feel for the park. Most of the trails are connected, so if you want to do 5 or more miles you can do that, just make sure you have a map.
Where To Eat In Beaufort
Beaufort is known for their many restaurants that cater to numerous palettes. The historic downtown is full of great spots, and there are plenty more throughout town. Old Bull Tavern, Lost Local, Plums, and Paninis are our favorite spots downtown. If you are staying uptown, Red Rooster is good for breakfast, and Bricks on Boundary is a good spot for dinner. We also always enjoy visiting Low Country Cider Co. for coffee and treats downtown! There are so many great locations in downtown along the water and the atmosphere is relaxing. One of the many reasons we love visiting this beautiful town.
Have you been to Beaufort, South Carolina? What are some of your favorite things to do in this low country town? Share with us in the comments!
If you enjoy discovering small towns in the US then you will probably like exploring some of these posts too:
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