Spinal Decompression Therapy in Pawley's Island, SC

South Carolina is a southeastern state featuring miles of subtropical coastline. The area is a perfect getaway for families wanting fun in the sun or anyone who loves a good pastel-colored house. And the state has so much to offer when it comes to beaches, whether you are looking for luxury resorts on the water or a laid-back beach-bum vibe. Your perfect summer spot may be one of these top 10 best beaches in South Carolina. Find out where they’re located, what they offer, and the activities nearby.

1. Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island offers some of the best beaches on the East Coast. Plus, it’s a recreator’s paradise, from hiking, biking, boating, horseback riding, golfing, paddling, and more. But, most importantly, Hilton Head offers a year-round paradise for beachgoers. The Hilton Head Island Beach offers swimming, fishing, and water sports. And there are lifeguards on duty from April through September. If you’re looking for a more secluded spot with fewer tourists, check out Driessen Beach. When you’re not sunning in the sand or splashing in the water, you can schedule a sunset dolphin cruise, visit a coastal museum, or eat delicious seafood on the docks.

2. Folly Beach

Located south of Charleston on Folly Island, this beach offers miles of sandy beaches, charming shops and restaurants, picnic areas, plentiful wildlife, and historic places. Folly Beach is also known for its pier that stretches over 1,000 feet into the ocean, giving you an excellent view. Swimming is allowed at the beach, with access down every block. There are multiple beaches on the island, but Folly Beach County Park is a favorite. You will find many amenities for your vacation, such as boogie boards, umbrella rentals, and places to ride your bike along the beach. There are also boardwalks, shopping pavilions, eateries, and hotels.

3. Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island is a golf resort and beach destination near Charleston. The area is known for its luxury resorts and beach homes for Hollywood celebrities, such as George Clooney and Reese Witherspoon. The beaches on Kiawah Island aren’t as open and accessible as Folly Beach, but they are definitely worth the visit. The public access beach is at Beachwalker County Park on the island’s west end. And if you stay at one of the resorts or rental properties, you will have access to the private beaches. The area is a natural paradise, featuring many parks for recreation and wildlife viewing. And, of course, a plethora of golf courses.

4. Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is easily one of the most popular and well-known beaches in South Carolina. But after one visit, you’ll see why. There is nothing quite like a summer vacation to Myrtle Beach. You can chill near the ocean, hang out at the resorts, dine at delicious restaurants, attend an annual event, or play at an amusement park. While summers are crowded, it is still an excellent time of year to visit if you want the full experience. All of the beach access areas are perfect for swimming, sunning, and water sports. However, the city has strict rules about swimming too far out. If you visit during the summer, you will experience fireworks on the water, fair rides, and plenty of fun events.

5. Sullivan’s Island

At the entrance of Charleston Harbor lies a long barrier island called Sullivan’s Island. While the beaches at Sullivan’s Island are smaller than Folly Beach, there are also less crowded and feature more natural unspoiled beauty. It is home to over two thousand residents who enjoy the area with fewer tourists than other South Carolina beaches. Stay at one of the nearby hotels and take a sunrise stroll along the beach. Or visit the Spoleto Festival and eat delicious food. If you’re looking for a popular swimming spot, check out the Cove behind the island. There are also plentiful public beach access points throughout the island.

6. Huntington Beach State Park

Located in Murrells Inlet, Huntington Beach State Park is the perfect destination for nature and wildlife lovers. Along with the beach, the area has numerous wetlands housing birds, turtles, and alligators. You can hike along trails that feature boardwalks over a lagoon or hang out at one of the many beaches. It offers preserved beaches, where you can really take in the beauty and rich wildlife of the area. But the state park also offers the usual vacation activities, such as swimming, fishing, surfing, boating, and camping. You can swim at your own risk throughout the park. But there is also a designated swimming area at South Beach with lifeguards on duty.

7. Isle of Palms

The Isle of Palms is a quaint yet lively resort community. There are miles of beaches, parks, trails, restaurants, and live music venues. The area has an upscale vibe, perfect for families or couples looking for a relaxing and quiet getaway without all of the partying teenagers. It offers world-class resorts and spas and clean, pristine beaches. You can spend the day shopping, dining, and enjoying the wildlife. Or lay in the sand and splash in the water. It’s a place where you can golf, visit a farmer’s market, and listen to live music near the water, all on the same day.

8. Edisto Beach

Edisto Beach is in Coleston County and is known for its gently developed beaches. The area is also very family-oriented, so it’s an excellent spot for those who prefer a more quiet, laid-back setting. However, swimming is at your own risk, as there are no lifeguards on duty. But the beaches are famous for their sea shells, which you can collect as you stroll along the sand. There are also plenty of areas for hiking and biking, with some trails crossing over boardwalks in the marshes. These trails are perfect for viewing wildlife, such as herons and egrets.

9. Pawleys Island

25 miles south of Myrtle Beach is a barrier island known as Pawleys Island. The island is four miles long and known for its pristine beaches, sand dunes, wetlands, historical areas, and gardens. This is another area that has a very laid-back vibe. You will find people walking barefoot, lounging in hammocks, and catching crabs in the creeks. There are also casual eaters with twinkling outdoor lights, featuring cuisines like shrimp creole, fried seafood, and oysters on the half shell. Pawleys Island is great for families, couples, and singles who want a fun, casual beach experience.

10. Surfside Beach

Nicknamed “the family beach,” Surfside offers two miles of coastline, hotels, restaurants, and a popular fishing pier. The area features family fun events all year, and their beach hotels have swimming pools and water parks right by the ocean. Ocean swimming is allowed in designated areas, and you can participate in water sports. It’s a short drive from Myrtle Beach but offers a quieter, family-oriented vibe. The beaches are also less crowded, giving you more space for your family to enjoy.

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About the Author

Niccoy is a professional writer and content creator focusing on nature, wildlife, food, and travel. She graduated Kappa Beta Delta from Florida State College with a business degree before realizing writing was her true passion. She lives in the Triangle area and enjoys hiking, reading, and cooking!

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PAWLEYS ISLAND — More than two months after Hurricane Ian swept along the South Carolina coast, the beach of the tiny Georgetown County tourist island has been cleared of the remains of Pawleys Island Pier, but plenty of storm-related work is still to be done.

The town has already removed enough debris from the beach to fill about 70 garbage trucks but still needs to clean Pawleys Creek, littered with damaged docks, and replace a sizable amount of sand fencing washed away in the Category 1 storm.

Town Administrator Daniel Newquist said he doesn’t know yet how much Pawleys Island will request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the island’s recovery from Hurricane Ian. He said the town has spent $69,000 on sand dune repair and beach cleanup, for which it should be eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the federal relief money.

Ian took nearly direct aim at Pawleys Island on Sept. 30, collapsing a privately owned pier and washing sand and water beneath the raised houses that make the island a popular spot for rental and vacation homes.

“I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think we’ll get it back sooner than we have in years past,” Newquist told the Pawleys Island Town Council on Dec. 12.

Removal of creek debris also is eligible for federal reimbursement, Newquist said, but will require some coordination with other government agencies. FEMA will only reimburse “the entity, the town, the agency” that is legally responsible for work in a particular location, Newquist said, and some creek debris fell on Georgetown County’s side of the island’s north causeway.

Discussions with the county on creek debris cleanup are preliminary, Newquist said.

Though homes and businesses in various unincorporated areas south of Murrells Inlet and north of Georgetown have Pawleys Island postal addresses, Pawleys Creek comprises most of the town’s western boundary. In some cases, the boundary crosses though the marsh that docks fell into on Sept. 30.

FEMA also indicated debris that fell into navigable channel of Pawleys Creek, which Newquist said is of main concern to the town, should be the responsibility of a state agency. Newquist said he is not sure if this would fall to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control or Department of Natural Resources.

In this case, Newquist said, FEMA would be willing to accept an agreement for the state to allow the town to do the work itself, which would allow the town to be reimbursed directly.

“We wouldn’t have to wait until the state actually mobilizes and performs that work,” Newquist said.

Finding a contractor for creek cleanup is still another matter, however. Newquist told the council that correspondence with contractors resulted in only one response.

“Based on what they were telling me, it’d probably take them within three or four days to complete the work,” Newquist said, adding that he hopes to have the work completed within a month.

Newquist said he’s also hoping for clarity from FEMA as to the town’s eligibility for reimbursement of work on sand fencing and dune vegetation that was damaged by the storm on the town’s beach. He told Town Council in November that about 7 percent of beach debris hauled off the island derived from sand fencing.

“I think it makes a lot of sense to get our beach, as much as possible, back to kind of a pre-storm state,” Newquist said.

But the town also has to be mindful of working with other federal agencies in the area, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, which received a town request for emergency beach rehabilitation assistance. An October assessment by Columbia-based engineering consultant Coastal Science and Engineering found that dunes near the island’s south end “completely eroded” during Ian.

The assessment also suggested that beach renourishment undertaken on the island in 2020 limited damage to area homes from Ian.

When it comes to sand fencing, though, some property boundaries extend into the beach, Newquist said, and the town can’t be reimbursed for work on private property.

Ultimately, Newquist said, he plans to solicit interest from property owners and contractors for sand fencing work before going forward in later winter or spring.

“I think a lot of people would just go ahead and do it (themselves),” Town Councilman Guerry Green said Dec. 12 of sand fencing repair.

For individual assistance from FEMA, property owners can visit the agency’s Disaster Recovery Assistance center at Waccamaw Regional Recreation Center in Pawleys Island. The center is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday.

Push and pull. Ebb and flow. These are the cadences of the ocean — and the rhythms that have governed Brian Henry’s life. The boy who grew up in southern Louisiana’s Cajun country before relocating to bustling Atlanta, now lives in the heart of the “Hammock Coast” that his efforts helped nickname so appropriately.

What started as a call from a tiny rustic inn on the ocean, luring in a couple looking for something more and less at once, has now become a lifelong legacy in the making for Brian Henry and his bride, Sassy. A leap of faith has led to thriving businesses, a mayoral seat and advocacy for an unspoiled oasis along a pristine coastline.

When people meet the Henry’s now, they see success. They see a power couple with political clout, they see one of the most famous pimento cheese companies in the U.S. (Palmetto Cheese) and they see owners of a thriving beachside bed and breakfast. What they don’t see, however, is the journey past and the future ahead.

The story starts for the Henry’s when each were born with a little something extra that made the go-getters want to better the world around them. That sauce is more secret and steeped in mystery than whatever makes that famous cheese sing so well (my mouth waters thinking about it).

The story that affects us, the fellow coastal South Carolina residents, begins at the Seaview Inn some 20 years ago when the Henry’s decided to leave the corporate cityscape to nurture a charming inn with no air conditioning, no television and perfect ambiance.

“We took over the Seaview Inn, and it was all slamming screen doors, rocking chairs and good Southern food,” Brian Henry reminisced. “That’s where the pimento cheese started. It was served as an app there.”

What he didn’t say yet was that everything actually began at that little inn. However, as the delightful recalling of his path to becoming mayor of Pawleys Island progressed, he realized just that.

After the Seaview was sailing smooth seas and their two small children were attending school, the Henry’s found themselves looking for their next opportunity to grow. That’s when Brian Henry asked Sassy, “What are you passionate about?”

“I’m passionate about my cheese,” she answered.

Sassy Henry, who revolutionized the Southern classic pimento cheese with flavors of cayenne pepper, draws from a traditional Georgian holiday cheese and whole shreds of textured cheddar. She teamed up with her husband to market the Pawleys Island vacationer’s favorite, which now rests on shelves in 9,500 stores in 40 states.

About a decade after the commercial birth of the South’s favorite cheese, Brian Henry felt what he calls “a pull, not a push” to become mayor. A respected town business owner and family man who was known to care about the future of the island, he decided to run for the seat at the urging of other townspeople who hoped to keep Pawleys Island the wonderful hideaway it is. He won.

“I was never interested in politics,” he remembered, “I’ve just always been involved. If you care about something being better, you can’t just sit on the sidelines and watch. You have to get in there.”

So, he got in there. He now speaks with pride about the amazing Fourth of July celebration that is “true Americans,” and about the founding of organizations that can keep big box stores and over-development out of Pawleys Island.

“The goal for the island is to maintain,” Henry offered. “Like the bumper sticker on my truck says, ‘love it and leave it alone.”’

Though sameness is the path to success for the island itself, the Henry’s still strive for more growth on the business front. The two are in the process of expanding their small Pawleys Island business Get Carried Away Southern Market into Mount Pleasant, where they hope to establish a flagship store for a future franchise. The business currently focuses on scrumptious Southern catering and take-out made easy. The Henry’s aren’t sure what the future holds for this venture, but once again, they are doing it together under a sky, not a ceiling.

Reflecting on all the accomplishments, Brian Henry recounted with a nostalgic tone, “Seaview was the genesis. This all happened because we bought that inn 20 years ago.”

Perhaps the inn is the energy source, embodying the soul of Pawleys Island itself. That is a soul of humility, simplicity and staying power. Just never forget, it is a soul powered by the force of all the Atlantic, which comes in and fades back every single day.

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When Linwood Altman opened Pawleys Island Realty in 1962, the number of island residents was so small, it didn’t warrant a mention in the South Carolina census. The population remains small, hovering around 130-150, but the 60-year-old real estate company is still thriving. It’s still family-owned and has been instrumental in making Pawleys Island and the surrounding stretch of the “Hammock Coast” a premier place for vacationers.

“We just celebrated our 60th anniversary,” said Betsy Altman, owner and broker-in-charge with Pawleys Island Realty. “While the majority of our guests are still from the Southeast, as they have been since 1962, there are a lot more of them now — and a lot more homes for them to buy or rent.”

Pawleys Island Realty has the lion’s share of that choice. When Linwood Altman started PIR, he took over 50 rentals from another company and rented them for $500 per week. Now, of the island’s 450 total rentals, PIR manages 240 of them — and the price tags keep growing.

“Some homes here now rent for $10,000 per week,” Altman said. “And during the height of the vacation season in June, July and August each year, our three-mile-long island community grows to 5,000 people. We still have some homes that rent for $1,500 and up, so there is still a home for everyone.”

While island prices have skyrocketed recently, Altman added that one element has remained the same. Since the company’s beginning, customer commitment has been key. It’s the main reason for the company’s longevity.

“We believe building long-term relationships is the most important part of our business,” she said. “We try to provide a high level of service and rely on our knowledge of our community and the market.”

If trends are any indication, that market will be thriving for a long time to come. PIR’s client list now includes people from New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California and Canada in addition to the most popular states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. Since 2018, the company’s home sales have risen 4% per year — which means current annual sales of around $28 million.

“Pawleys Island is home to the oldest coastal community in the South,” Altman said. “Second homes, vacation homes and investment homes comprise a huge part of our annual sales.”

Regardless of the market, Altman said her PIR team will deliver the best possible option for each client.

“Our agents are trained in all sales areas, with expertise and specialty training in resort property,” she said. “We listen closely to the goals of our clients and then guide them through the process.”

It’s a lot to look forward to if you’re in the market for a Pawleys Island getaway —especially with the real estate company that helped put this stretch on the map.

“Coastal real estate is attractive to most buyers,” Altman said. “And maintaining close relationships with our owners and clients for over 60 years has allowed us to become a trusted name.”

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PAWLEYS ISLAND — A mat designed for beach accessibility is planned as a replacement for the wooden walkway at Pawleys Island’s First Street beach access which was damaged by Hurricane Ian in September.

Dubbed Mobi-Mats, the polyester mats have been used by other coastal South Carolina towns, including Surfside Beach and Hilton Head Island, to allow better beach access for the disabled.

The First Street access is one of nine on the barrier island and the only one yet to recover from Ian, which made landfall near Georgetown and caused millions of dollars of damage along the Georgetown County coast.

“The thought process is, ‘Hey, these types of (mats) do not generate debris, necessarily,’ ” Pawleys Island Town Administrator Dan Newquist said. “You can actually take them up if a storm is going to be bad enough.”

The mats also can be on standby if another beach access is damaged, he said.

The mat that Newquist was authorized to order by the Town Council spans 50 feet by 10 feet and is expected to cost about $6,000.

“The goal is, as long as it’s functioning properly and lasts in terms of weathering and everything else, and indications are that they do, then yeah, our long-term plan is to have one installed there,” Newquist said.

The wooden walkway at the First Street access is no longer in place, since being removed to allow equipment to reach the island’s northern end for debris removal following Ian. There is now only a direct walkway to the beach through the sand, Newquist said.

“We want some type of system in there because over time, more foot traffic, the foot traffic will start eroding that section of the beach,” Newquist said. “So these systems kind of dissipate the foot traffic energy. It kind of keeps the dimensions of the dune itself intact.”

The mat also allows easier emergency access to the northern section of the island, he said.

“It’s not like we can get a fire truck onto the beach or anything like that, but they can get a four-wheeler, a vehicle onto the beach, some of the (John Deere) Gators they have,” Newquist said.

Police Chief Mike Fanning said his department is open to the mat as a long-term solution, though he’s not yet sure of its durability.

At the very least, Fanning said, the mat will better accommodate the stretcher-carrying rescue vehicles used by Midway Fire Rescue.

“They were not able to get over any of our ramps because of the way they just either eroded away from storms or the way they were rebuilt, they had steps on them, so they couldn’t get up and down,” Fanning said. “So this will really accommodate them well.”

Elsewhere on the island, Georgetown County is pursuing a federal grant to renovate the parking lot at the island’s south end, which was used as a staging area for debris removed from the beach following Ian.

Much of that debris derived from the private Pawleys Island Pier, which collapsed the same day Ian made landfall in South Carolina.