Owner's Favorites
The ten spots our own family hits every trip, in our own words.
Spend a Classic Beach Day
The beach is close, the sand is soft, the water is warm, and there's a gentle slope into the ocean. Plus there are tide pools. You can't beat it.
Historic Charleston City Market
Walk pergola to pergola past cool, artsy handmade products and fun souvenir trinkets. We love watching the Gullah women weaving sweetgrass baskets, and grabbing a bag of benne seed cookies.
Shop & Stroll King Street
A beautiful place to walk, with upscale shops. A great place to window shop and people watch.
Waterfront Park & the Pineapple Fountain
The pineapple embodies Charleston's hospitality. It's a great place to take a picture and let the mist of the fountain cool you off.
The Battery & White Point Garden
A great place to walk and think about the Civil War. The cannons that remain point at Fort Sumter, and Fort Sumter points back. The whole area is beautiful, and the homes are something to marvel at.
Loggerhead's Beach Grill
A nice little place to eat and listen to live music on Folly Beach. It gives you very local beach town vibes.
Late-Night Cobblestone Walk
A chance to take in downtown Charleston's beauty while everything is quiet and calm. No tourists, no hustle and bustle. Just you and homes built in streets 'paved' hundreds of years ago. It really lets you soak in Charleston's beauty and history.
James Island County Park
A great place to let the kids play, splash, climb, and swing, somewhere you won't find many tourists.
Blind Tiger Pub
This is where our family celebrated a job well done after turning our parents' home into a place others can enjoy. Beautiful food and a beautiful atmosphere.
Coconut Glen's
Just the place to grab ice cream and set the tone for a summer's walk on the beach or down the pier.
21 Things to Do on Folly Beach
Spend a Classic Beach Day
Swim, sunbathe and watch the sunset at the laid-back 'Edge of America.'
Walk the Folly Beach Fishing Pier
Stroll 1,000-plus feet over the Atlantic on the Edwin S. Taylor Pier.
Rent Jet Skis
Grab a ski from Tidal Wave, Dolphin Watersports or FB Watersports.
Surf The Washout
Paddle out at Folly's famous break, one of the East Coast's best.
Take a Surf Lesson
Learn to ride with a beginner lesson from Isla Surf School.
Kayak or Paddleboard the Folly River
Glide through marsh creeks and tidal flats past wading birds.
Sunset Cruise to Morris Island Lighthouse
Boat out to the offshore lighthouse with Lighthouse Creek Charters.
Hike Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve
Follow the graffiti trail to the best Morris Island Lighthouse view.
Eat & Drink at Pinky's on the Beach
Ocean-view bites and cocktails at the Tides hotel's beachfront bar.
Grab Drinks at Koko's on the Pier
Sip tiki cocktails and coastal bites with ocean views by the Folly Pier.
Slurp Oysters at Bowens Island
Shuck just-caught local oysters at a legendary sunset seafood shack.
Go Clam Digging
Dig your own on the river flats (SC license) or book a guided Lowcountry harvest.
Hunt Shark Teeth & Shells
Comb the sand for fossil shark teeth and angel-wing shells.
Browse Center Street
Poke through surf shops, boutiques and ice cream on the main drag.
Shop the Folly Beach Farmers Market
Find local produce and crafts at the seasonal market at Folly River Park; check the current day before you go.
Find the Folly Wish Tree
Seek out the whimsical, memento-covered wish tree tucked off the road.
Book a Fishing Charter
Chase redfish and more on a surf-fishing or inshore charter.
Bike the Island
Cruise flat streets and beach paths on a rented beach cruiser.
Rent a Golf Cart
Zip around the island in a cart from Folly Beach Adventures.
Catch Live Music
Hear live music most nights at Center Street's easygoing beach bars.
Time a Visit for a Folly Festival
Plan around the February Sea & Sand Festival, Folly's longest-running celebration.
30 Things to Do in Charleston
Historic Charleston City Market
Browse handmade sweetgrass baskets and local crafts in the 1790s market sheds.
Rainbow Row
Snap the 13 pastel Georgian row houses along East Bay Street.
The Battery & White Point Garden
Stroll the seawall promenade past antebellum mansions and harbor views.
Waterfront Park & the Pineapple Fountain
Relax by the iconic Pineapple Fountain and the porch-swing pier.
Fort Sumter National Historical Park
Ferry to the island fort where the Civil War's first shots were fired.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens
Wander America's oldest romantic gardens and ride the swamp nature train.
Middleton Place
Explore the nation's oldest landscaped gardens and working stableyards.
Boone Hall Plantation
Drive the moss-draped Avenue of Oaks to a storied 1680s estate.
Angel Oak Tree
Stand beneath a 400-plus-year-old live oak shading about 17,200 square feet.
International African American Museum
Trace African American history at the wharf where many enslaved Africans first arrived.
Patriots Point & USS Yorktown
Climb aboard the WWII aircraft carrier and its restored warplanes.
Charleston Harbor Dolphin & Sunset Cruise
Cruise past Fort Sumter, the Battery and the Ravenel Bridge, spotting dolphins.
The Old Exchange Building
Tour the 1771 customs house where South Carolina ratified the Constitution.
Nathaniel Russell House
Marvel at the free-flying spiral staircase inside this 1808 townhouse.
Aiken-Rhett House
Walk a preserved antebellum urban estate with original outbuildings intact.
Old Slave Mart Museum
Learn the domestic slave trade's history inside a former auction gallery.
Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour
See the historic district's landmarks and hidden gardens by carriage.
Walk or Bike the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Cross the 2.7-mile shared path (Wonders' Way) high over the Cooper River.
Gibbes Museum of Art
View four centuries of American art with a Charleston connection.
Historic Churches & the Gateway Walk
Follow the shaded path through churchyards past the Circular Congregational Church and St. Philip's.
South Carolina Aquarium
Meet sea turtles and the Great Ocean Tank on the harbor's edge.
The Charleston Museum
Explore America's first museum, founded all the way back in 1773.
Charleston Tea Garden
Tour the largest tea farm in North America and sip fresh-brewed sweet tea.
Cypress Gardens
Glide a flat-bottom boat through a blackwater cypress swamp and butterfly house.
Drayton Hall
Step inside America's oldest unrestored plantation house, circa 1738.
McLeod Plantation Historic Site
Walk a preserved Gullah/Geechee heritage site with honest interpretation.
Fort Moultrie
Trace 171 years of harbor defense from the Revolution to WWII.
Shop & Stroll King Street
Hit antiques, fashion and design along Charleston's main retail spine.
Sunset Sail on a Tall-Ship Schooner
Set sail at golden hour aboard a classic schooner in the harbor.
Marion Square & the Saturday Farmers Market
Graze local produce, food stalls and crafts on the city's central green.
24 Places to Eat in Charleston
FIG
James Beard-winning, ingredient-driven Lowcountry cooking on Meeting Street.
Husk
A temple to heritage Southern ingredients inside a historic Queen Street home.
The Ordinary
Grand oyster hall and seafood brasserie set in a 1927 bank.
167 Raw
Cult-favorite oysters, tuna burgers and lobster rolls from a former fish market.
Chez Nous
Tiny, romantic spot with a daily-changing European menu of just six dishes.
Wild Common
Intimate, acclaimed tasting menu rooted in Lowcountry ingredients.
Sorelle
Buzzy multi-level Southern-Italian with fresh pasta and a coffee bar.
Home Team BBQ
Beloved local smokehouse for pulled pork, smoked wings and the frozen 'Game Changer,' with live music.
Lewis Barbecue
Central-Texas-style brisket and 'hot guts' sausage from a Texan pitmaster.
Leon's Oyster Shop
Fried chicken, chargrilled oysters and soft-serve in a former body shop.
Chubby Fish
Daily-changing, sustainable seafood at a no-reservations neighborhood gem.
Hannibal's Kitchen
A 40-plus-year East Side institution famed for crab rice and shrimp.
Poogan's Porch
Since-1976 Southern cooking, she-crab soup and biscuits in a Victorian house.
Xiao Bao Biscuit
Asian street food meets the South in a converted corner gas station.
82 Queen
Courtyard dining for she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, and fried green tomatoes.
Halls Chophouse
Lively King Street steakhouse famous for hospitality and prime beef.
Magnolias
The restaurant that helped put modern Lowcountry cuisine on the map.
Slightly North of Broad
SNOB's maverick Southern plates in a rustic brick dining room.
Peninsula Grill
Refined dining and the legendary 12-layer coconut cake.
Cane Pazzo
Wood-fired pizzas and Italian small plates from chef Marc Bolchoz.
Volpe
Chef-driven Italian with house-made pastas and a warm neighborhood feel.
Hank's Seafood Restaurant
Classic Charleston fish house for shellfish towers and fried seafood.
Bertha's Kitchen
James Beard 'America's Classic' soul-food cafeteria on the city's edge.
Iron Rose
All-day American dining and cocktails inside the historic Mills House.