A lush, sea-scented drive through South Carolina’s legendary Low Country is all that separates the supremely Southern cities of Charleston, Beaufort and Hilton Head.

Charleston, an elegant, historic port city, remains the crown jewel of South Carolina, beloved for its beauty, culture and spirit.

About 70 miles south, beautiful Beaufort (pronounced BEW-fort) packs an amazing amount of history and charm into a cozy downtown. A half-day walking tour provides an introduction to a town permanently draped in Spanish moss and brimming with friendly people.

Hilton Head Island, about 30 miles south of Beaufort, is the largest sea island between New Jersey and Florida. It has an unequaled blend of ‘Old South’ hospitality with ‘New South’ amenities. More than two million visitors a year—mostly tennis, golf and sailing enthusiasts—can’t be wrong.

Touring these three cities is the best possible introduction to both the courtly beauty of the Old South—which has a rich history as flavorful as Low Country crab bisque—and the New South, home of the elegant restaurants, vibrant nightlife and thoughtfully planned communities that seek to co-exist with, not destroy this lush, semi-tropical slice of heaven.

Love at First Sight in Charleston, SC
Start your Low Country love affair in Charleston. You’ll need comfortable walking shoes, because everyone knows the best way to tour the city is on foot. A stroll from the legendary market area down to the Battery, lined by mansions, is mandatory.

Along the way, you’ll see every architectural style from the low foundations and raide shutters of the Colonial Style (1690-1740) to the elaborate ‘gingerbread’ woodwork of the Victorian Era (1836-1901). In between, you’ll see a ‘goodly’ number (that’s Charleston-speak) of examples of the Federal period (1790-1820) with its trademark ornate iron balconies and spiral staircases, and the Italian style (1830-1900), characterized by low-pitched roofs sheltering spacious verandas—just right for sipping mint juleps with the neighbors.

Historic Charleston is most famous for its restaurants. After a morning of sightseeing by foot, horse-drawn carriage or boat, you’ll want to check out the legendary New South cuisine. Personal picks: the clever Southern fusion cuisine at Slightly North of Broad (known as Snob’s to locals) or venture over to brunch at High Cotton.

It won’t take long to realize that Charleston’s downtown shopping district is a fascinating blend of antique shops, galleries, house museums and tastefully designed mainstream shops.

Don’t miss the Visitor’s Center for a terrific introduction to the city’s history. Charleston dates to 1663, when King Charles II gave ‘Carolina’ to eight Lord proprietors to settle and colonize. Promises of free land, titles and estates, as well as religious freedom, proved popular bait for those early settlers.

Regarded as the hub of the Carolinas long after the Revolutionary War and bruised almost irreparably by the Civil War, Charleston is famous for its ability to redefine itself.

Beaufort: A Cinematographer’s Paradise
Continuing south to Beaufort, the entire downtown is saturated with National Historic Register homes, including the William Barnwell House and Rabby Manse. Walking around the town along the Beaufort River, you’ll be transported back in time. Fortunately, the Union soliders decided to use Beaufort for officers’ quarters and spared the town from burning in the Civil War. Mansions gracefully line the water with expansive oak trees laden with Spanish moss.

This is a cinematographer’s paradise where award-winning motion pictures such as The Prince of Tides, Forest Gump and The Big Chill were filmed. You’ll find movie memorabilia in some of the restaurants. Many of the restaurants along Bay Street are open in the back to include outdoor seating with views of the Beaufort River and marina.

To get a feel for the Low Country’s marsh-land, try a tour of the Beaufort area salt-marsh ecosystem. Guided pontoon boat tours allow visitors to float past hundreds of species of wildlife in their natural habitat.

Welcome to Hilton Head: A Subtropical Island Paradise
Your final destination in the Low Country is Hilton Head Island. While it’s tempting to think that Hilton Head is an attractive collection of modern homes, offices, stores and country clubs—almost all of which are less than 50 years old—there’s plenty of undeniably fascinating history here.

European settlers occupied the island around 500 years ago, following thousands of years of occupation by Indians who lived quite peacefully on the island. History buffs might want to check out the remnants of Indian shell rings, the peculiar circular dwellings inhabited by the island’s first families.

In 1663, Sir John Colleton sent Captain William Hilton from his post in Barbados to explore this new Carolina region and the island was eventually named for him. After nearly a century of decline, Hilton Head Island got a much-needed boost when entrepreneur Joseph Fraser developed a tree farm called Sea Pines in the 1950s. His son, Charles Fraser, took a step further and developed Hilton Head Island as a resort community. Hilton Head’s whole existence was changed forever with the building of the Byrnes Bridge in 1956, at the same time Fraser constructed Sea Pines, a residential/resort community.

Today, more than 30,000 people live on the sub-tropical island year-‘round. People flock to the island for its premier amenities and resort living. And, of course, we can’t fail to mention the incredible abundance of quality golf on the island and on the mainland. If golf is your game, you simply cannot miss this mecca.

South Carolina’s Low Country does not disappoint. Steeped in history, yet grounded in the present, the Low Country continues on its journey, offering tourists and residents alike an opportunity to experience the joy of life on the coast.