This idyllic stretch of sun-toasted sand at the southern end of Kiawah Island has been called one of the top 10 beaches in the USA and is the only publicly accessible beach on Kiawah. Take a bike – the compact sand is perfect for a ride along the 10-mile barrier island.
Kiawah Beachwalker Park
Lowcountry
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
McLeod Plantation
15.7 MILES
Opened to the public in 2015, this James Island plantation offers an honest and frankly devastating account of the lives of the enslaved and later …
Aiken-Rhett House
18.64 MILES
The only surviving urban town-house complex, this 1820 abode gives a fascinating glimpse into antebellum life on a 45-minute self-guided audio tour. The…
Guardians of Charleston Harbor
19.26 MILES
The first shots of the Civil War rang out at Fort Sumter, on a pentagon-shaped island in the harbor. A Confederate stronghold, this fort was shelled to…
Old Slave Mart Museum
18.15 MILES
Formerly called Ryan's Mart, this building once housed an open-air market that auctioned African American men, women and children in the mid-1800s, the…
Magnolia Plantation
20.51 MILES
This 500-acre plantation, which has been owned by the Drayton family since 1676, is a veritable theme park. Enjoy a tram tour, a petting zoo and a guided…
Drayton Hall
20.22 MILES
This 1738 Palladian brick mansion is the country's oldest preserved plantation house open to the public. Yep, it's older than the nation. Drayton Hall was…
Middleton Place
21.98 MILES
Designed in 1741, this plantation's vast gardens are the oldest in the US. Countless slaves spent years terracing the land and digging the precise…
Rainbow Row
18.07 MILES
With its 13 candy-colored houses, this stretch of Georgian row houses on lower E Bay St is one of the most photographed areas in Charleston. The…
Nearby Lowcountry attractions
1. Charleston Tea Garden
3.81 MILES
There's only one large-scale, working tea plantation in the US, folks, and this is it. A trolley tour takes visitors around the property, offering plenty…
2. Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area
6.71 MILES
An avenue of regal live oaks flanks the entrance to this 4687-acre wildlife preserve, where a mix of pine forests, agricultural fields, coastal islands…
3. Edisto Island Serpentarium
8.49 MILES
Around 50 years of reptile obsession by owners Ted and Heyward Clamp culminate in this serpentarium, which differs from most in that you can see snakes…
4. Angel Oak Tree
9.87 MILES
Some folks reckon this Southern live oak tree is 1500 years old (others says it's 400 to 500 years old). Whatever the case, it's one of the oldest living…
5. Folly Beach County Park
10.67 MILES
At the far west end of Folly Beach, this scenic county park features a serene swimming beach and a pelican rookery. Public changing areas and beach-chair…
6. ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge
14.83 MILES
Formerly occupied by large rice plantations, this area fell out of use after the Civil War and was bought up by sportsmen who turned it into a hunting…
7. McLeod Plantation
15.7 MILES
Opened to the public in 2015, this James Island plantation offers an honest and frankly devastating account of the lives of the enslaved and later …
8. Battery & White Point Garden
17.67 MILES
The Battery is the southern tip of the Charleston Peninsula, buffered by a seawall. Stroll past cannons and statues of military heroes in the gardens,…