South Carolina
- Nickname:
- The Palmetto State
Discover South Carolina, a feast of Southern food, history and charm

Tales of the South
No matter where you go in the state, South Carolina is steeped in U.S. history. It was at Fort Sumter near Charleston where the first shots of the American Civil War rang out in April of 1861. Go antique shopping and sightseeing in Camden, the oldest inland city in the state where a Revolutionary War battle took place in 1780. History buffs will also love exploring picturesque Charleston, founded in 1670 – voted the #1 City in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure for five years running and the #1 City in the World in 2016. Also along the coast, learn the history and culture of the Gullah, descendants of African slaves who have historically inhabited the Lowcountry and developed a distinct culture and language still preserved today.
Food, Glorious Food
You can’t visit South Carolina without an appetite. Enjoy just-caught seafood at a waterfront restaurant, which are plentiful in a state with the ocean at its doorstep along with dozens of lakes and rivers. Join the locals at a classic Lowcountry boil, consisting of a generous mix of shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn boiled to perfection and served in a heap right on the table. Help yourself! Don’t forget about the barbecue: There are four different types of sauces to try – vinegar and pepper, mustard, light tomato and heavy tomato – at more than 200 barbecue restaurants throughout the state.
Golf and Beaches for Days
Bring your best clubs, because South Carolina is a year-round golf destination and home to more than 350 courses. You’re sure to find a course no matter when and where you visit, but the state’s top-ranked greens are generally concentrated along the coast. Notably, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort is one of only four courses in the country to have hosted every major PGA event and is consistently rated one of the top courses in the world.
If your idea of a perfect vacation is less “sand trap” and more “sandcastle,” South Carolina offers 301 kilometers of picture-perfect coastline. Families tend to congregate in Hilton Head Island. Its plethora of bike trails and relaxing white-sand beaches are two of many reasons it’s been voted Travel + Leisure’s top island in the contiguous USA five times in six years. Myrtle Beach is another family-favorite, complete with affordable beachfront resorts and boardwalk amusements. More low-key beachgoers can check out Isle of Palms, Folly Beach and Kiawah Island.

Fun Fact

South Carolina has more golf holes per capita than any other state in the USA.

Staking its claim as the "Birthplace of Barbecue," South Carolina has four "official" styles of barbecue sauce and more than 200 barbecue restaurants.

Historic Wadmalaw Island is home to Charleston’s only winery (Deep Water Vineyard) and the only large-scale tea garden in North America (Charleston Tea Garden).
Must see places


Ashley River Road National Scenic Byway

Sea Islands

Congaree National Park

Caesars Head State Park

Harbour Town Lighthouse

Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk

Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade

Hunting Island Lighthouse

Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Explore South Carolina destinations

Explore South Carolina destinations
