Things to Do in Pawleys Island, SC: A Local Guide
The Oldest Summer Resort on the East Coast
Pawleys Island has been drawing visitors since the 1700s, when rice planters from Georgetown would bring their families to the island during the hot summer months to escape the heat and malaria on the plantations. That makes it one of the oldest seaside resort destinations in the United States, though "resort" is a generous word for what Pawleys Island is today.
It is quiet. It is small. There are no high-rises, no boardwalks, no chain restaurants on the island itself. The speed limit is 25 and nobody seems to go that fast. This is the kind of beach town where people still leave their doors unlocked and wave at strangers from their porches. If you are looking for Myrtle Beach, you are about 25 miles too far south. If you are looking for a place to breathe, you are in the right spot.
The Beach
Pawleys Island beach is about 3.5 miles long and rarely crowded. The sand is wide at low tide, the water is warm from May through October, and the only sounds are waves and birds. Public beach access points are scattered along the island, and parking is limited on purpose. This is not an accident. The residents like it this way.
Bring a chair, a book, and low expectations for WiFi coverage. That is the correct Pawleys Island beach experience.
Hammock Shops Village
Just off the causeway on the mainland side, Hammock Shops Village is a collection of small stores and restaurants built around ancient live oak trees. The Original Pawleys Island Rope Hammock company is here, and their hammocks have been made by hand on the island since 1889. You can watch them being woven if the shop is open.
The village also has local art galleries, clothing boutiques, a good bookstore, and several restaurants. It is the commercial center of Pawleys Island, which means about 20 shops and a parking lot. By design, not by failure.
Stella and Remi Unique Gifts
This is where you will find us. Stella and Remi is a selected gift shop on Ocean Highway that the Tollmann family runs alongside Molly and Me Pecans. You can sample our pecans in person, pick up gift boxes, and browse a collection of Lowcountry gifts and home goods. The store is at 10880 Ocean Highway, Unit 25. Open Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday, noon to 5 PM.
If you are driving through the Lowcountry and want to grab fresh pecans straight from the source, this is your stop.
Where to Eat
Pawleys Island punches above its weight for food. The Lowcountry cuisine here is built on shrimp, oysters, crab, and rice, cooked by people who learned from their grandparents.
For local seafood, Rustic Table and Bistro 217 both serve excellent Lowcountry plates. The Pig out at Pawleys does barbecue the right way (low, slow, wood-smoked). Frank's Restaurant is a Pawleys landmark for fine dining in a casual atmosphere. And Island Cafe and Deli has been serving breakfast and lunch to locals for decades.
Reservations are a good idea during summer months. The island's population triples between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Brookgreen Gardens
Ten minutes north of Pawleys Island, Brookgreen Gardens is a 9,127-acre sculpture garden and wildlife preserve built on the grounds of four former rice plantations. The outdoor sculpture collection is the largest in the country. The Lowcountry Zoo on the property houses native wildlife including otters, foxes, raptors, and alligators.
Plan to spend at least half a day here. The gardens are beautiful year-round, but spring (March through May) is when the azaleas and camellias peak.
Huntington Beach State Park
Directly across from Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach is one of the best state parks in South Carolina. The beach is pristine, the birding is excellent (over 300 species documented), and Atalaya Castle, the Moorish-style winter home of sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington, is open for tours.
Camping is available at the state park if you want to extend your visit. Sites fill up fast during summer, so reserve early.
When to Visit
The best times to visit Pawleys Island are late spring (April to May) and early fall (September to October). The weather is warm but not brutal, the beaches are less crowded, and the restaurants are easier to get into. Summer is peak season, so expect more people and higher accommodation prices from June through August.
Winter is quiet and mild. Temperatures rarely drop below 40. If you want the island almost to yourself, January and February are your months.
Stop by our shop while you are here. The pecans taste even better when you buy them where they are made.
The Ghost of the Gray Man
No Pawleys Island guide is complete without the Gray Man. According to local legend and a surprising number of firsthand accounts, the ghost of a young man appears on the beach before major hurricanes. If you see him, your property will be spared from the storm. The story has been told since the 1800s and was featured on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries in the 1990s.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the story is part of the island's identity. Ask any local about the Gray Man and you will get an opinion. Some have seen him. Some think the whole thing is nonsense. But the story keeps getting told, generation after generation, and that says something about a place where tradition matters more than trends.
Getting Here
Pawleys Island is about 70 miles south of Myrtle Beach and 75 miles north of Charleston along US-17. Both airports (Myrtle Beach International and Charleston International) are roughly equidistant. The drive from either takes about 90 minutes depending on traffic and how many times you stop for boiled peanuts at a roadside stand.
From Columbia, SC, it is about a 3 hour drive east on US-378. From Charlotte, NC, plan for about 4 hours south on I-77 and then east. Once you arrive, everything on and around the island is within a 10 minute drive. There is no public transit and you will not need it. A car is essential for getting here, but you will not be doing much driving once you settle in. That is the whole point of Pawleys Island.