What is the draw of Hilton Head Island? Is it the more than ten miles of beaches? Maybe it’s the slower pace of life. Maybe it’s both of these characteristics that have drawn visitors to the Hilton Head, South Carolina area for decades. A whopping 39 public and private golf courses weave across the island, making it a golfer’s dream come true. And the weather is conducive to tennis, fishing, and biking, too — in fact, the island’s paved trail system means you can bike from one of the island to the other.
It wasn’t always such a bustling destination. William Hilton claimed the island for the British in 1663. For nearly 200 years, it served as a cotton and rice farm, where slaves tended the crops before being liberated by soldiers in the Union Army in 1861. Afterwards, it was just a sleepy little island off the coast. In 1956, a bridge was built connecting Hilton Head Island with the mainland, and you could say the rest is history. By the 1960s, tourism and related infrastructure rapidly expanded.
You can see history everywhere you look in Hilton Head, from the oyster trays at local restaurants and displays at the museum to bakeries and old-timer hangouts. This is the place to relax. The most challenging aspects of Hilton Head are staying out of the sand traps and figuring out the next place to relax. Spend the day riding bikes all over the island or strolling a path between the beach and your hotel pool. Sip a cocktail as you enjoy the slow pace of Hilton Head living.
Slow pace aside, in the summertime, the island really comes to life when families settle in for their annual vacations. April and May (except for the golfing tournament) and September through October (if there are no hurricanes) are the best time to visit if you want a real-time absence of hectic. The temps hover around the mid-80s, the ocean water is warm, and the even more relaxed pace of life means you might have the entire beach path to yourself for miles.
Ready to set out and discover for yourself the draw of Hilton Head Island?
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