A 42-square-mile barrier island off the South Carolina coast. No high-rises, no boardwalk, no neon — just 12 miles of wide beach, live oaks older than the country, and a pace that takes about a day to sink in.
Hilton Head doesn't look like most beach towns. Strict building codes keep everything below the tree line, so you never see the ocean until you're on it. What you get instead is 12 miles of wide, hard-packed beach backed by maritime forest, golf courses threaded through live oak canopies, and restaurants that are better than they need to be for a vacation island.
Wide, flat, and gentle. The gradual slope means small kids can wade safely and the hard-packed sand means you can walk, jog, or bike along the shore. Not dramatic — just really, really good for families.
33 courses on a 42-square-mile island. That's not a typo. Harbour Town Golf Links hosts the PGA Tour every April. Whether you shoot 75 or 105, there's a course that fits.
Fresh-off-the-boat shrimp, she-crab soup, oysters roasted over live fire. The range runs from dockside casual to serious fine dining. The food here is genuinely better than most vacation islands.
Buildings stay below the tree line by law. Dolphins cruise the shoreline daily. Alligators sun themselves on lagoon banks (yes, really — they're everywhere and mostly harmless). The island was built around its environment, not on top of it.
The island is divided into gated resort communities (locals still call them "plantations") and a few ungated beach areas. Where you stay matters — each neighborhood has a different feel, different price range, and different set of trade-offs.
The original and most sought-after community on the island. 5,000 gated acres at the southern tip with Harbour Town, three championship golf courses, 5 miles of beach, and a 600-acre nature preserve. Most families who come back year after year end up here.
More compact and organized than Sea Pines. 3 miles of beach, an 11-mile lagoon you can kayak end to end, Robert Trent Jones and Arthur Hills golf courses, and some of the best tennis facilities on the island. A solid pick for active families who don't need the Sea Pines name.
Coverage coming soon
The only major ungated area, centered on Coligny Plaza. This is the closest HHI gets to a real beach town — 30+ restaurants and bars within walking distance, more energy, more people, lower prices. If you want nightlife or don't want to deal with gates, this is your spot.
Coverage coming soon
Quieter and more residential. Public beach access, lower prices, no gate fees. Less resort infrastructure means fewer amenities but also fewer crowds. A good fit if you want a beach week without the resort packaging.
Coverage coming soon
The default choice. Savannah/Hilton Head International is 45 minutes from the island. Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Allegiant, and Sun Country all fly here. Rental cars at the terminal.
2 to 2.5 hours north. Sometimes cheaper than Savannah, especially on Southwest. Worth considering if you want to spend a day or two in Charleston on the way down.
Atlanta: ~4.5 hours via I-16 through Savannah.
Charlotte: ~4 hours via I-95 South.
Jacksonville: ~3 hours north on I-95.
HHI is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Once on the island, most destinations are within 20 minutes.
You need a car. There's no real public transit, and the island is 42 square miles. Within Sea Pines you can get around by bike and trolley, but grocery runs, off-plantation restaurants, and anything on the north end require driving.
Hilton Head is technically year-round, but the experience (and the price) varies wildly by season.
Our pick: Late April through mid-June and September through October offer the best combination of warm weather, manageable crowds, and reasonable pricing. Avoid Heritage week (mid-April) unless golf is your primary reason for visiting — rates spike and availability evaporates.
We track every rental unit and every price at Beachside Tennis Villas — oceanfront in Sea Pines, at the southern tip of the island.
Browse Beachside Tennis Villas