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Porch Swings & Shrimp Boats: Where to Eat, Stay & Explore in Beaufort, SC
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items Some links on this list are affiliate links, so I may earn a commission. Beaufort is the Lowcountry town Hollywood keeps borrowing. Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and The Prince of Tides all filmed here, and once you sit on a porch swing at Waterfront ...
Map
Sections
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Things to Do in Beaufort
Beaufort History and Historic Sites
Where to Eat in Beaufort
Where to Stay in Beaufort
Beaufort Tours Worth Booking
Things to Do in Beaufort
Porch swings, a lighthouse, a wild beach, and moss-draped ruins. Beaufort is made for slowing down, and most of the best stuff is free.
Start here. Porch swings facing the Beaufort River, a marina full of boats, and Bay Street's shops and restaurants right behind you. Grab something cold, claim a swing, and watch the sun go down. It's the heart of town for a reason.
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park
About half an hour from downtown and worth every mile. Miles of wild beach, a maritime forest, and the boneyard stretch where bleached driftwood trees stand right in the surf. Some of the jungle scenes in Forrest Gump were filmed here. Go early, it f...
Hunting Island State Park
Good news: it reopened to climbers in 2026 after being closed for years for restoration. It's inside Hunting Island State Park, and the view from the top over the beach and marsh is the payoff for all those stairs. Wear real shoes, not flip-flops.
Hunting Island Lighthouse
An old railroad line turned into a paved trail that runs over the marsh. It's flat, so it's easy for walking, biking, or pushing a stroller, and the views of the tidal creeks are gorgeous at golden hour. Free, and a great way to see the Lowcountry wi...
Spanish Moss Trail
The brick shell of an old church that was burned during the Revolutionary War, rebuilt, and burned again during the Civil War. Now it's just columns and walls under giant live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Quiet, a little eerie, and one of the pre...
Old Sheldon Church Ruins
Beaufort History and Historic Sites
Beaufort's history runs deep, from colonial planters and the Civil War to Reconstruction and the Gullah Geechee culture of the Sea Islands. These are the stops that tell the story best.
If you only do one history stop, make it this one. Penn School opened on St. Helena Island in 1862 as one of the first schools in the South for formerly enslaved people, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. later held retreats here. The museum tells the st...
Penn Center
The first national park focused on the Reconstruction era, and Beaufort is where so much of that story started. Begin at the visitor center in the old firehouse downtown, then follow the sites out to Penn Center. Free, and the rangers know their stuf...
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
A Federal-style house on Bay Street built in the early 1800s for a wealthy merchant. The Marquis de Lafayette visited in 1825, and Union troops used it during the Civil War. Take the guided tour if you want to see how the other half lived when Beaufo...
John Mark Verdier House
One of the country's oldest national cemeteries, established during the Civil War. Row after row of white headstones under moss-draped oaks, with soldiers from the Civil War through today. It's peaceful and moving, and in December the wreaths make it...
Beaufort National Cemetery
This is where Marines have been made for generations, and the museum on the base covers Marine Corps history plus the island's own story going back centuries. You'll go through the base gate to get in, so bring a valid ID for every adult in the car a...
Parris Island Museum
Where to Eat in Beaufort
Waterfront seafood, a good barbecue joint, and a cozy tavern. Most of these are right on or just off Bay Street, so you can walk to dinner.
The date-night pick. Fresh seafood and a sushi menu right on the water next to Waterfront Park, with outdoor tables overlooking the Beaufort River. Make a reservation, especially on weekends.
Saltus River Grill
The easy, casual lunch spot on Bay Street, with a shady patio that backs up to Waterfront Park. Burgers, seafood, and the kind of place where nobody minds if you show up in flip-flops after a morning of walking.
Plums Restaurant
Barbecue right on Bay Street, with a covered patio for sitting a spell. When you've had your fill of shrimp and oysters, this is the move. Bring an appetite and a cold Dr Pepper attitude.
Q on Bay
A cozy tavern on West Street, a block off the water. Dim lights, brick walls, and a dinner menu that's a real step up from bar food. It's a small spot, so plan ahead on busy nights.
Old Bull Tavern
Worth the short drive to Port Royal. It sits right on the water overlooking the marsh, with porches and outdoor seating made for long seafood dinners. Time it for sunset if you can.
Fishcamp on 11th Street
Where to Stay in Beaufort
Historic inns with big porches, plus one modern option. Everything here is walkable to Bay Street and the waterfront.
The classic. A Victorian inn from the 1890s in the historic district, with verandas made for doing absolutely nothing. You can walk to Bay Street and the waterfront, and it's pet-friendly, so the dog can come too.
The Beaufort Inn
The showstopper. A grand old tabby mansion on Bay Street with huge porches looking out over the Beaufort River, now a small boutique inn with its own restaurant. Book a room with a view and plan to spend your evenings on that porch.
Anchorage 1770 Inn
A white Federal-style mansion from around 1790, sitting on Bay Street with river views and porches full of rocking chairs. It's a B&B full of antiques and old-house charm. Word is General Sherman stayed here, so you'll be in good historical compa...
Cuthbert House Inn
The modern pick. An old 1960s motel turned into a sleek boutique hotel, a short walk from Bay Street and the waterfront. Free parking and pet-friendly rooms, and a good choice if antiques and creaky floors aren't your thing.
City Loft Hotel
Beaufort Tours Worth Booking
Let someone else drive and tell the stories. Carriage, minibus, and walking tours of the historic district, plus a Pat Conroy tour and a ghost walk.
The best way to see the historic district without wearing out your feet. A small group, a big gentle horse, and a guide who covers everything from colonial days through the Civil War while you roll past the grand old homes under the oaks.
Beaufort Historic Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour
More than two dozen Hollywood movies have filmed around Beaufort, and this small-group tour takes you to the spots plus the history behind the big houses. A good pick when it's too hot to walk, and morning and afternoon times make it easy to fit in.
Beaufort History & Movie Locations Minibus Tour
If you like to get up close, walk it. A small group and a guide covering Beaufort's 500-year story, from Native Americans and pirates to the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, with stops at the churches, monuments, and old homes along the way.
Beaufort Small-Group Historic Walking Tour
Calling all Pat Conroy fans. Beaufort was the town he called home and the backdrop for The Great Santini and The Prince of Tides, and this tour visits the places tied to his life and books. If you've read them, seeing the real spots is a treat.
Pat Conroy's Beaufort Tour
An old Southern town with this much history is bound to have a few restless residents. This walk winds through the historic district while your guide tells the spookier side of Beaufort's past. Fun with a group of girlfriends.
Beaufort Ghost Walking Tours