WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL SOUTH CAROLINA BEACHES SITE

Sand and surf are just part of the attraction when it comes to visiting South Carolina’s nearly 200 miles of coastline.

Diverse offerings – from the bright lights of the  Grand Strand through historic Historic Charleston  and down through the moss-draped oaks and marsh of the Lowcountry  – await families and traveling parties of all sizes and tastes.

But the star of this show is perhaps nature’s most compelling attraction – the place where surf meets land along a narrow strip of sand.

South Carolina’s beaches are among the finest in the nation.

Highlights include four state parks – Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach, Edisto and Hunting Island — each of which offer cabins and/or camping, miles of public surf and its own unique character for off-beach exploration, including unspoiled maritime forest.

Public access also is plentiful along legendary Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach and at county parks and private resorts – from the most economical to world-class exclusive luxury – in the Charleston and Hilton Head areas.

And for those who want to share their beach time with nothing but nature, there are retreats like Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge — reachable only by boat — and the more than 300,000 acres of the ACE Basin, the largest such preserved estuarine on the East Coast.