Hilton Head Island Vistor Guide

Introduction

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is known for world-class beaches, recreation opportunities, natural charm and beauty. Hilton Head boasts over 12 miles of sandy beaches, 20+ championship golf courses, tennis (grass, clay and hard courts), almost 300 shops, and 200+ restaurants of almost every cuisine. It is conveniently located for day trips to historic Savannah, Charleston and Beaufort.


These sections contain some of my personal ideas/experiences about " things to do" and " places to eat" in and around Hilton Head Island. Also, I've added a sections containing of tips from me, suggestions from some of my past guests, useful links, and photos from around the island. Hope you find these tips useful:

Things to Do

  • Annual Events Annual events on the island include the following:

    • Springfest, a March festival featuring seafood, live music, and stage shows
    • MCI Heritage Classic Golf Tournament, mid-April
    • July 4th - Fireworks at Shelter Cove
    • Hilton Head Celebrity Golf Tournament, Labor day week-end 

  • Beaches The beaches are why most people come to Hilton Head. Hilton Head has 12 miles of beaches. The sand is extremely firm, providing a ideal base for biking, walking, jogging and beach games. On summer nights, the loggerhead turtles come ashore to bury their eggs. All beaches are public. However, the land bordering the beaches is private.


    Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort has 4 boardwalks providing direct access to one of Hilton Heads nicest beaches. A shower is provided next to each boardwalk to wash off the sand and salt.

  • Biking In addition to the firm beaches, the island has 25 miles of bike paths. Many renters have commented on how much they have enjoyed renting bike to ride the beach and the trails.


    Bike rental is available on site at the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort (dial 2029 from the villa). Other companies rent bikes with free drop off and pick up at the resort. Check out the visitor guides that can be found at stores and restaurants around the island for ads from these companies. You'll often find coupons in their ads.

    Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Bike Rental (843)842-0005
    or ext 2029 from my villa
    All American Bike Rental (843)842-4386
    Harbour Town Bicycle (843)785-3546
    Hilton Head Bicycle Company (843) 686-6888
    Vacation Comfort Rental (843)342-6673

  • Cruises A number of short cruises depart from near by Shelter Cove Harbor and Broad Creek Marina. Other depart from Harbour Town (note: these will often refund the $5 Sea Pines gate pass) Possibilities include the following:

    • a short 2 hour dolphin watching cruise
    • a 4 hour nature cruise/tour to Daufuskie Island
    • sunset cruise
    • a day trip to Savannah

    You'll find ads for these in the visitor guides that can be found at stores and restaurants around the island.

    Advanced Sail, Inc. (843)686-2582
    Schooner Welcome (843) 785-5566
    Sonny C. Charters, Inc. (843) 681-2522
    Vagabond Cruise (843)842-7933

  • Fishing 4, 6, and 8 hour charters for deep-sea fishing depart from several harbors on the island. The visitor guides that can be found at stores and restaurants around the island will have ads from these companies.


    Surf fishing on the beach is also popular.

  • Kayak Tours A couple of companies run kayak nature tours of Broad Creek. One is located right next to the Old Oyster Factory Restaurant. Look for money saving coupons in the visitor guides that can be found at stores and restaurants around the island.

    Cool Breeze Kayaking 843-683-4040

  • Golf Hilton Head is justly famous as a destination for golfers. There are 20+ courses on the island, and another 9 or 10 within a half-hour drive on the mainland. Designers include Tom Fazio, Robert Trent Jones, Pete Dye, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus.

    Harbour Town is the most famous. It's a Pete Dye course and the site of the PGA tournament that occurs each year in April the week after the Masters. Every one remembers the Harbour Town lighthouse behind the 18th green.

    I mostly play the Country Club at Hilton Head and enjoy it. This is because I have a friend that is a member there. But there are some very pretty holes that go through the marshes and out near Port Royal Sound.

    A lot of locals have mentioned Hilton Head National as a great course that all ways is in great condition. Shipyards is the sight of a USGA Senior Event each year.

    If you plan to play multiple times during the week, some courses sell a multiple play pass at a savings from the single play prices. The Port Royal Plantation courses, Shipyards and Oyster Reef are all run by the same folks. Their multi-play pass is good at any of the courses.

    To the best of my understanding, the courses in this table allow for public play.

    Course/Location Phone # of Holes Par Rating
    Arthur Hills, Palmetto Dunes (843)785-1140 18 72 71.4
    Arthur Hills, Palmetto Hall (843)689-4100 18 72 72.2
    Executive Gold Club, Mainland Hwy 278 (843)837-6400 9 30 30
    George Fazio, Palmetto Dunes (843)785-1130 18 70 74.2
    Harbour Town, Sea Pines (843)363-4485 18 71 71
    Hilton Head National, Mainland Hwy 278 (843)842-5900 27 72 72
    Ocean Course, Sea Pines (843)363-4475 18 72 71
    Robert Cupp, Palmetto Hall (843)689-4100 18 72 75.2
    Robert Trent Jones, Palmetto Dunes (843)785-1136 18 72 72.6
    Sea Marsh, Sea Pines (843)363-4475 18 72  
    Country Club of Hilton Head,
    Hilton Head Plantation    		 (843)681-4653 18 72 71.2
    Golden Bear, Indigo Run (843)689-220 18 72 73.1
    Old Carolina (843)785-6363 18 72 73.1
    Old South Links (843)785-5353 18 72 72.4
    Oyster Reef, Hilton Head Plantation (843)681-7717 18 72 72
    Planter's Row, Port Poyal (843)689-4653 18 72 72.1
    Pobber's Pow, Port Royal (843)689-4653 18 72 72.6
    Rose Hill, Mainland in Rose Hill Plantation (843)842-3740 18 72 73.1
    Shipyard, Shipyard (843)689-4653 27 72 73

  • Golf Art If you are visiting Harbour Town and you like golf, you might want to stop into the art galley of Linda Hartough. Linda is the official artist of the USGA and the R&A. She is recognized for her golf landscapes. Her gallery is adjacent to the CQ's Restaurant near Harbour Town. You can preview some of her art on her web site by clicking here.

  • Historical Tours and Educational Opportunities The Coastal Discovery Museum has a number of historical and ecology exhibits. A number of tours depart from here as well. The have a web site at www.coastaldiscovery.org.

    To learn about Hilton Head's Gullah culture, there is the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours. They operate 2 hour tours through 10 neighborhoods established during the Civil War. Tours are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting from the Gullah Flea Market. Call 843-681-7066 for information.

  • Horseback Riding Several guests have mentioned that they enjoyed horseback riding. Sea Horse Farms offers rides on the beach. Lawton Stables offers rides through a 600 acre forest preserve is Sea Pines Plantations. In spring and summer, these companies book up quickly. So if you find this interesting, call early to reserve your time.

    Lawton Stables (843)671-2586
    Sea Horse Farms 843) 681-7746

  • Miniature Golf Something the whole family can do together, night or day. Adventure Cove is near the resort at the intersection of Hwy 278 and Folly Field Road. Pirates Island is south of the resort on Hwy 278 just past Shelter Cove near the Hilton Head Dinner.

    Adventure Cove (843)842-9990
    Pirates Island (843)686-4001

  • Shopping Hilton Head has a growing reputation for its shopping opportunities. Outlet shops can be found just off the island on Highway 278. Sea Pines hosts a number of small specialty boutiques. Well known names such as Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Barnes & Nobles can also be found.

  • Side Trips For a off island day trip consider the following:

    • Beaufort - an old seaport with narrow streets shaded by large live oaks, and with homes dating from the 18th century (the oldest built in 1717). It is the site of the first Spanish fort in North America (1525) and the first attempted settlement (1567). Beaufort is also the home of the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot. At the visitor center here, you can learn about the driving and bus tours around the grounds.
    • Savannah - According to Frommer's Guide to The Carolinas and Georgia, "If you have time to visit only one city in the Southeast, make it Savannah. It's that special." You may have seen images of Savannah in the recent films Forest Gump. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and the Legend of Bagger Vance.
    • Charleston - A bit further a field, but worth consideration is a day trip to this city to experience it's 300+ year heritage, and well respected restaurant scene. Start at the Charleston Visitor Center. From there, you can hire a tour, or take the DASH trolley to the historical district for a walking tour to see the colonial, antebellum and Victorian architecture. Consider spending some time to relax in Waterfront Park watching the ships move in and out of Charleston Harbor. The South Carolina Aquarium, can also be found on the waterfront. 

  • Tennis 10 courts are available on site at Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort. The use of these tennis courts is free for guests staying in Todd's Ocean Villa.

Places to Eat

I've been going to the island for since 2001. Still my experience in this area is still growing. I try to add to this page each time I return. I hope folks fine it helpful. Note the suggestions from guests on the next section.

Here's a few restaurants that I have tried and enjoyed:

  • Atlanta Bread Company - One of the new type of "quick casual" restaurants with soups, salads, sandwiches, and their own bake goods. near the Publix, Ph:(843)342-BAKE

  • Boathouse II - This is our favorite resturant for lunch. Prices are reasonable then and the views of the intracoastal are fabulous. Overhead fans provide comfortable outdoor dinning. Also great if you are there for sunset views, but prices are double at lunch. After sunset, the views are gone and, for me, the prices are a bit high. On Squire Pope Rd. near the back entrance to Hilton Head Plantation. Shrimp and grits is highly recommended.

  • Caseys - Local sports bar. Know for their sandwiches. Add beer and 50 TVs, what more can one say. Ph:(843)785-2255

  • Charlie's Crab - next to Boathouse II. Similar great view. So far, my favorite early bird special on the island. Chowders are fabulous. On Squire Pope Rd. near the back entrance to Hilton Head Plantation, Ph:(843)34209066, Early Bird: 4:30-5:45 pm

  • Hilton Head Brewing Company - Good microbrew and pub grub in a casual atmosphere, There are particularly proud of their chicken wings, often winning "best of island" awards for them. Hilton Head Plaza just off Sea Pines Circle, Ph:(843)783-2739

  • Hilton Head Diner - Casual diner where you can get any thing from a burger to grouper. My Sister and her family like it because the kids can order what they what, and the adults what they want.

  • Mangiamo! - Casual pizza and sub shop on north end of island in Main Street Village, near the entrance of Hilton Head Plantation. This is the north island hang out for Ohio State Buckeyes living in Hilton Head. If you are visiting on a Saturday in Fall, this is the place to catch the Buckeye football game. The owner is a big fan and they've been known to attach 100+ folk for a game. Wednesday is 1/2 price spaghetti, $3.88. Ph: (843)682-2444

  • Old Fort Pub - excellent food, great service, the pub overlooks Skull Creek and is surrounded by live oaks dripping Spanish moss. I find it very attractive place to be with a feeling of the old South. Old Fort Pub has been featured on two episodes of FoodTV's "Best of" series, DINING VIEWS and COUNTRY FOOD

  • Old Oyster Factory - an enjoyable seafood menu, great views of Broad Creek, always live entertainment on the rear deck. Ph:(843)681-6040

  • Red Fish - We had the mixed seafood grill, and everything was done perfectly. Friends often go there for their "naked salmon" (which means they don't add a lot of seasonings). Wine Shop on site, so a great selection at reasonable prices. Palmetto Bay Rd. near Sea Pines Circle, Ph:(843)686-3388, Early Bird: 5-5:45 pm

  • The Salty Dog Cafe - I was get conflicting views from people about this place. Some say that they really enjoyed them selves here. Others say go for the view, not the food. The view is great, and the food was not bad. We did enjoy ourselves. If you want a t-shirt, you can also visit the factory shop at 67 Arrow Rd (just north of the Sea Pines Circle). South Beach Village in Sea Pines, Ph:(843)686-2363

  • Signe's Bakery and Cafe - a suggestion for breakfast from one of the guests in 2005. Apparently it was also mentioned on FoodTV. I checked it out and enjoyed it. Several breakfast plates (breakfast is served all day) served with fresh fruit and home-made bread. One breakfast option is shrimp and grits, but a quite different recipe than from the Boathouse II (see above). On Arrow Road (just north of the Sea Pines Circle) on the way to the Salty Dog T-shirt factory.

And here's a couple that others have told me about, but I just haven't gotten there yet:

  • Alexander's Fine Seafood - near the resort, some friends really liked there early bird specials

  • Giuseppi's Pizza - named a "top 100 in independents in the nation" by Pizza Today Magazine, "best pizza" by Hilton Head News. Been around for 20 years. The Plaza at Shelter Cove, Ph:(843)785-4144

  • Kingfisher Restaurant - Some say this is the best seafood restaurant on the island. Live music nightly. Combine with a trip to see the Tuesday night fireworks in the summer. Ph:(843)785-4442, Early Bird: 5-6

Tips

  • Arrival Tip: To get oriented pick up a couple of the periodical visitor guides published by several companies. In addition to an island map, a listing of events, things to do around the island, suggestions for day trips, and tide tables, these guides include ads from local merchants. Many of these include money saving coupons. You can find these at a grocery store, the visitor center as you come on to the island, or next to the Goodies Market in the Hilton Head Beach and Tennis Resort Convention Center (that's the big white building just before you come to the security gate).
  • Early Bird Dining: A cost saving tip you might consider is to check out the early-bird specials that many restaurants on the island offer. If you don't mind eating early, you can save quite a bit. But be careful, the early bird times are different for each restaurant.
  • Eating at the Villa: Number one way to save a few bucks is to eatat the villa. A short trip to one of the grocery store (we trend to prefer the Publix) to pick up some shrimp, Old Bay, a key lime pie (Publix is known for their key lime pie) and a bottle of white wine can provide an easy and relatively inexpensive dinner.
  • Sunrise: We always get up early at least one morning and head to the beach to watch the sunrise. Try to pick a morning that will be reasonably cloud free. Bring your camera and if you have it a tripod. The colors are great.

Suggestions from Guests

I leave a book in the villa for the guest to sign and provide some thought about their vacation to help future guests. The vast majority of folks really took the opportunity to heart and provided some really high quality ideas. I really enjoyed reading them and thought they would be helpful to people planning a visit to Hilton Head. So I have excerpted some of the comments here. I hope you find them helpful.

  • You must see the festival and fireworks at Shelter Cove very Tuesday.
    Fitzgeralds is our favorite place to eat.
        - Steve, Joyce, and Jason - Navarre, Ohio
  • Charleston and Savannah both interesting to explore but we preferred Savannah. So easy to walk around. uggest taking highways 170 & 17 from Hilton Head to Savannah brings you out very close to the visitor center. Also great view of the city and river and all as you approach city.
    Tired of seafood? Try Great Plains Cattle Company for great steaks.
        - Jean and Gary - Columbus, Ohio
  • Our favorite restaurant was Fiorello's. Great Italian!
        - Fred, Debbie and Ethan - Maryville, Tn.
  • Rent bikes ... we waited until the end of the week. Rent them for the week ... it is well worth the money. The bike trails are great.
    It seems dinner is a bit later here - to avoid the crowds be to the restaurant around 5pm.
        - Ron, Kelli, Jake, Joy, and Kate - Canton, Ohio
  • We rented bikes for the week and rode everyday. Great bike trails.
        - Jenny, Nick, and Brody - Columbus, Ohio
  • Zach liked the Bristol Sports arena - the skateboard/rollerblade park is one of the best! We also went to see the dinner play "Murder at the Mansion". It's "G" rated yet fun for the adults.
        - Sonia, Tom, Zach, and Cortney - Columbus, Ohio
  • We took kayaks on Broad Creek to see the dolphins and the fireworks at Shelter Cove on Tuesday. That's fun, but a lot of work. I recommend you start your tour of Shelter Cove before the fireworks and then sit at the marina to watch the fire works afterwards.
    There is a movie theater near here - Cinema 10 - easy to get to - to catch a movie during the intense heat of the day.
    A horseback ride through the Forest Preserve (in Sea Pines) out of Lawton Stables at Sea Pines was fun. Call early in the week for reservations. The other stable, Sea Horse Farms, which offered horse rides on the beach, was sold out for the entire week.
        - Janet, John, AJ, and Sarah - Akron, Ohio
  • Our favorite place to eat is the Kingfisher. We are there on Tuesday night and then watched the fireworks on the cove. It was wonderful and there were the best we had ever seen!
        - Kristie, Shad, Allen and Conte - Columbia, S. C.
  • We especially like the dolphin cruise, long walks on the beach, relaxed sunbathing by the pool, and eating at the many different restaurants.
        - Carlyn, Paula, Tiffany, and Robert - Canton, Ohio
  • The buffet was fantastic at the Holiday Inn. Don't waste your time at the buffet at the Huge Seafood Co. We walked in and walked out. Kingfisher was great and the Great Plains Cattle Co.l was great. Other really good places were Tony Roma's, Old Oyster Factory. If you like Mexican, San Miguel's is super.
        - Jerry and Fran - Raleigh, NC

Usefull Links

Here are some web site providing general tourist information about Hilton Head Island:


A few other interesting links that might be useful in planning your stay:

Photos

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