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Edisto Beach, SC: Quiet Vacation Spot
Playing in the Sun

Marshside View

If you are looking for a quiet and casual beach vacation, look no further than Edisto Beach in sunny South Carolina. Edisto Island is a quiet barrier island devoid of water parks, putt-putt and flashy resorts. In fact, there are no hotels, only a small handful of restaurants and shops, and one small grocery store. Pack your books to read on the beach and your toys to play in the golden sand!
Beach houses on Edisto Beach range from “beach shabby” to “fancy new.” There are some condominium communities, but it is a better experience to rent a house there. The front beach homes generally are pricier, but the less expensive marsh-view rentals are within walking distance to the beach. No matter which house you pick, you will want to consider renting a golf cart for the duration of your stay. It is a fun way to tour the small community and handy in the morning to grab that cup of coffee and newspaper at the gas station. You also can rent bikes to ride on a bike trail, and on the bike lanes on the back road (Jungle Road).
Peace and Quiet

What Edisto Beach Has to Offer
There are a few neat gift shops here and there, but don’t expect malls, outlets or anything like that. As for restaurants, there are several sprinkled across the narrow strip that makes up Edisto Beach. The Sunset Grille faces the marina and has a pleasant lunch menu - try the fried flounder sandwich! Waterfront Restaurant is a larger outfit and offers standard seafood dishes, though nothing to write home about. The Seacow Eatery is an interesting little diner with more character and tasty food. My favorite is the shrimp salad roll, but my mom loves the cobb salad which is HUGE. If you stop by, be sure to grab a tee-shirt or cap with the Seacow emblem. If you want to change gear from casual living to fine dining, make a reservation at the Old Post Office Restaurant, which is housed in , you guessed it, the town’s old post office.
The biggest draw of Edisto is the beautiful beach itself. There are lots of shells to collect, and you can find shark’s teeth at low tide. Kids love to discover hermit crabs, but be sure to return them to the ocean so they won’t die. You will encounter sandcastles, kite-flying, bocce ball tournaments, walkers, and sun bathers, but the beach never gets that crowded. Since Edisto Beach is not commercialized, it is the perfect place to kick back and/or spend time playing with your kids. Evenings can be spent enjoying meals together and watching a movie or playing board games. Edisto Beach is the perfect location to relax and explore at your own pace.
The Sound

TIPS
Look for a house on or near the St. Helena Sound. (This might be the biggest secret of Edisto!) The beach is much bigger there and the waves are calm. Even if you rent a house elsewhere, you will want to drive over to "The Sound" at least once and use a public access to the beach.
If possible, bring at least some basic groceries with you. The Piggly Wiggly is ancient and not always well-stocked.
The tap water tastes different, so you can use bottled water or head down to the "business district" (look for the fire station) with a jug and get free purifed water out of a public tap
There are several geocaching opportunities, so look up the coordinates!
Botany Bay Plantation beach area

DON'T MISS
Botany Bay Plantation is a living piece of history that extends to the shoreline and was in recent years opened to the public. Drive on a self-guided tour of the grounds and then park to walk out to the amazing shell-covered beach.
The Education Center at Edisto Beach State Park - Great for all ages! You will have to search for this one that is nestled deep in the woods. This environmental center offers a short educational movie, a touch tank, and many interactive exhibits. Don’t forget to check out the dock out back.
The Serpentarium - A must for reptile lovers! Snakes hanging all over the place, and a fascinating alligator feeding. The snake presentation is very interesting and informative.
Comments
Oh I love Edisto! We have been going for about 40 years or more and in fact we went there on our honeymoon 36 years ago
Appreciate all the good info. My hubby and I are headed down there in just a few weeks so its good to get the skinny on the place. We went there years ago and camped at the state park. Had a ball and always thought it would be a great place to come back to. We are renting a condo for the week since there is just the 2 of us.
I have been there. I love the camping area. A grassy spot right there on the sand. Congratulations on your nomination!
That seems crazy to me! We've had a mild winter up north (it was 40 degrees today and it is January 10 - insanely warm for us), but 70 degrees sounds delightful. I think I saw our last robin in October - we'll see them again in April. Do you get a lot of seashells in South Carolina? My boys are really excited about the idea of finding shells. I was looking online but couldn't find much on shells down there...
Thanks, Chaplin Speaks! I love going to the beach, and we're all hoping for temperatures in the 70's-80's!!
Thanks, Chaplin Speaks - we'll have to check out Pawley's Island. We've never been "down south" before (we moved to Western NY from Southern California, so this is the first time we're venturing to the East Coast beaches for Spring Break)! I figure the kids will have a good time (they're four and six years old). Edisto looks beautiful, though, and will definitely be on our list!
The beach is enticing really...now I should schedule to go to our local beach as this one is far away from me! Loved your photos and the info. Thanks for this!
Congratulations on your Hubnuggets nomination! This way to get the chance to read and vote: http://ladyjane1.hubpages.com/hubnuggets6/hub/Last...
I love this hub! We're headed down to Myrtle Beach this spring, but we're a little wary of the tourist-trap type kitsch down there. Edisto looks like a great place to visit - nice beaches, without the hyped-up touristy feel of MB. We'll have to look into it for 2013!
Congratulations on your HubNuggets nomination. It looks like a beautiful beach - thanks for sharing this peaceful quiet place with us - although it might start getting busy with your hub!
Awesome hub!
I'm ready to pack my bags...sounds like just the place for a much needed rest. Thanks for sharing.
Chaplin Speaks, I love this hub, and I hope to visit Edisto beach one day. I have never been there before, and am more familiar with the West Coast. I love all beaches and coastlines though. Thanks for sharing, and loved the photos. :)
Lots to do in that area--glad to see you've highlighted some great spots to visit.
We love, love, love the ocean, especially being in the water--but having grown up on Florida's beaches we are now getting some tough lessons on what it means to get too much sun. Cover up when you go--sun screens have their own issues.
I can smell the salt air and feel the warm breezes now--thanks for sharing the info for future reference and a mental vacation! :)
Great article!
Chaplin Speaks, Super hub! I am a Texes girl and My hubby and I love going to the beach. I have been some beaches in South Carolina, what a nice place to go I loved it! Good with your adventure!
Chalin, Are ready for carefree beach hair, I have a few women our are with flattop,and myself. The best low maintenace hair around,Thanks.
You would look amazingly,sexy with a flattop haircut.
Chaplinspeaks, What a great hub. I love it! I am from NC, LOve the beaches. Thanks
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