Hilton Head for households: What to do and the place to remain

With broad, sandy seashores, light surf and limitless outside actions, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is without doubt one of the high seaside locations for households.

Hilton Head Island is fewer than 5 miles broad and solely 12 miles lengthy, however it packs a stunning quantity of household enjoyable into that small space. The very first thing you will discover about Hilton Head is that every thing from the buildings to the signage to the mailboxes blends with its environment.

Paired with the island’s compact measurement and delightful pure seashores, creeks and swamps, Hilton Head has a quaint, nostalgic really feel that you do not typically discover in fashionable seaside locations.

I lately visited with my husband and three sons, and it instantly went on the quick checklist of my favourite household seaside locations. Listed below are my suggestions for what to do and the place to remain on Hilton Head Island.

What to Do in Hilton Head

Buying and eating

A lot of the island’s buying and eating shops are in a couple of primary areas: Harbour City, Sea Pines, Shelter Cove, Coligny Plaza, Primary Avenue Village and the Village at Wexford. For households, I like to recommend Coligny Plaza Buying Heart, Harbour City and Shelter Cove.

Coligny Plaza has a big pirate ship play space and row after row of memento retailers the place your loved ones can discover the right trinkets to commemorate your journey. Harbour City, within the upscale Sea Pines Resort space, is near lots of the island’s boat excursions and the Harbour City Lighthouse. Harbour City additionally has an outside playground, ice cream and a great number of retailers.

Shelter Cove has morning-to-night eating with espresso retailers and bakeries, sit-down seafood eating places and extra. It additionally hosts dwell leisure, together with fireworks in the summertime, and has a marina with boat excursions and water sports activities leases.

Seashores

A lot of the island’s beachfront resorts and rental properties have seaside entry, however there are many public seaside entry factors as nicely. Coligny Seaside is especially fashionable with younger youngsters as they’ll splash in its wading fountain or play in calm waters. It is also inside strolling distance of Coligny Plaza Buying Heart.

Driessen Seaside Park, Islanders Seaside Park and Burkes Seaside even have family-friendly facilities like playgrounds, restrooms and picnic pavilions. You may see a full itemizing of Hilton Head seashores right here.

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My youngsters run round an excessive amount of for us to want seaside chairs and umbrellas, however you should purchase them from one of many native retailers or hire them by means of Shore Seaside Service.

Boat outings

Younger youngsters is likely to be particularly enthusiastic about themed actions, corresponding to a journey on the pirate ship the Black Dagger ($30 for youths older than 2 and free for youths beneath 2). Children will get decked out with face paint and pirate costumes earlier than receiving their pirate names and looking for treasure.

In the meantime, Mermaid of Hilton Head takes households on a ship cruise the place youngsters will encounter a “actual” mermaid ($35 for adults, $30 for youths, free for these 2 and beneath). The cruise might be mixed with a dress-up picture shoot ($75). This firm additionally affords Mermaid U Swim College (from $35).

Outdoors Hilton Head — which has 4 island places and one on the mainland — conducts a variety of guided excursions, excursions, fishing journeys and classes. You may get your loved ones out on the water in kayaks or on paddleboards year-round.

The tour firm additionally affords a number of particular “camps” designed only for youngsters ages 7 to 17. Costs rely upon the outing or exercise you select. To offer you an thought, kayak excursions can price as little as $40 for adults and $20 for youths for a two-hour journey; a teen stand-up paddleboard journey that features classes prices $45 per youngster.

One other particular expertise for the complete household awaits on Daufuskie Seaside, the place Daufuskie Path Rides affords horseback driving on the sand or close by trails. Costs vary from $125 to $150 per particular person (relying on season) for a 90-minute tour; transportation to and from the equestrian middle is obtainable as an optionally available add-on.

Harbour City Lighthouse

A household journey to Hilton Head would not be full with no journey to Harbour City — the family-friendly eating, buying and leisure vacation spot inside Sea Pines.

The massive attraction at Harbour City is the unmistakable white-and-red Harbour City Lighthouse. It is open for guests every day, and it prices $4.50 per particular person to climb the 114 steps to the highest. The lighthouse can also be a museum, so the children can be taught in regards to the historical past of the island and its growth as a vacationer vacation spot.

Biking and water sports activities

Hilton Head is without doubt one of the most bicycle-friendly seaside cities I’ve ever visited. There are greater than 50 miles of public bike paths across the island — and that does not even embrace the hard-packed sand seashores that permit bicycles. Most bicycle rental amenities let you take your bike wherever on the island. Some corporations will even ship bicycles on to your lodge.

Relying on the place you keep, you could possibly hire bicycles by means of your resort, however there are a lot of native corporations as nicely. A couple of are Hilton Head Outfitters, Wheelz of Hilton Head and Hilton Head Bicycle Firm. There are a lot of others as nicely.

Most of those corporations additionally hire water sports activities gear, together with kayaks, paddleboards and surfboards; additionally they provide seaside gear like jogging strollers, seaside carts, wagons and seaside wheelchairs.

If you need an enormous beachfront resort, you’ll be able to look to The Westin Hilton Head Resort & Spa. This 416-room property has three outside swimming pools, 4 eating places, personal seaside entry and every day actions like yoga on the seaside, dwell music and pool video games for youths. All visitor rooms have balconies, and a few have ocean views.

You could possibly additionally select to remain in one of many fashionable resort areas, together with the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort or The Sea Pines Resort. Each provide a wide range of lodging varieties, together with on-site eating, buying and recreation. This lets you make the resort your “residence away from residence” whereas on trip.

For a laid-back vibe with a budget-friendly price ticket, the Seaside Home Hilton Head Island sits proper on fashionable Coligny Seaside. it contains a tiki hut bar, dwell music, an on-site restaurant, a big beachfront pool and oceanfront rooms. Suites with bunk beds can be found for households on the lookout for a bit more room.

If you could find availability, households will actually take pleasure in Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, a Disney Trip Membership property.

You will discover Disney’s signature pleasant service and particular touches — like Mickey-shaped snacks, character meet-and-greets and every day actions — however in a relaxed seaside setting. This resort just isn’t instantly on the seaside, however it’s only a couple of five-minute journey on the complimentary shuttle or a 10-minute bike journey away.

One of the best ways to remain at Disney’s Hilton Head Resort is more likely to hire Disney Trip Membership factors from an proprietor and plan nicely prematurely.