I capped a recent trip to Charleston with a single-night stay on the beach – not nearly long enough, but better than nothing. Early on in my trip-planning process, I decided I couldn’t be this close to the ocean and not get my feet wet.
But which beach?
Charleston is located about halfway between South Carolina’s best known stretches of sand – Myrtle Beach to the north and Hilton Head Island to the south, each about a two-hour drive. But you don’t have to travel that far from the city for a terrific oceanfront overnight.
After a bit of research, I selected Folly Beach, a 6-mile-long barrier island about 15 miles south of Charleston.
Less developed than Myrtle and less polished than Hilton Head, Folly has a casual, funky vibe all its own. It’s popular with locals and an easy day trip from Charleston, but with enough amenities and overnight options to attract some longer-term guests, as well.
If you go: Folly Beach, South Carolina
Getting there: Three airlines now fly between Cleveland Hopkins and Charleston International Airport: Allegiant, Frontier and United. While you don’t need a rental car during your stay in downtown Charleston, you will want one to get to the beach. We picked up a car downtown, at Enterprise, for the last day of our trip.
Where to stay: The Beachside Boutique Inn offers well-located, reasonably priced accommodations in historic cottages and bungalows a short walk from both the beach and Folly’s main drag, Center Street. We stayed in the Treehouse Room for $149.
Where to eat: We ate just two meals in town, both of them terrific. For breakfast or lunch, try the Lost Dog Café, 106 W. Huron Ave., home to the Folly Benedict, poached eggs atop side-by-side crab and shrimp cakes (yum). For dinner: Bowens Island Restaurant, 1870 Bowens Island Road, with fresh seafood in a rustic, scenic setting.
My family, wedding party and I booked the entire Beachside property and Riverside property for my wedding in Charleston the weekend of 11/5/22. Laura made the process easy and enjoyable and dealt with my crazy family with kindness and grace.
Joyce was also amazing with breakfast! We all enjoyed Laura, Joyce and Wrigley the dog hanging out with us and getting to know them.
The rooms and the whole property are just amazing. Every single person that stayed with us last weekend said they want to do it all over again every year because of how wonderful our stay was and how unique the inn is. We are so grateful for everything!– Elizabeth Kilpatrick
My husband and I stayed at Beachside Boutique Inn for our 6th anniversary, and we can not wait to visit again!! We talked about how fortunate we were to find this place…It’s absolutely beautiful, friendly staff, and felt like home away from home. We stayed in the Prince and LOVED IT! We loved it had its own private entrance right next to the kitchen where we enjoyed the stocked refrigerator of water, yogurt, and juice. They also provide a delicious continental breakfast which was actually more than any other continental setup I’ve seen. We can not say enough great things about this wonderful hidden secret. Perfect location, right off Center St. and steps away from the beach. Provides bikes, towels, and sun lotions. — Marcie A (Google)
Wow!! This Beachside Boutique Inn has such great energy and comfort!! We are parents of 3 boys and wanted to get a healthy getaway from Pennsylvania and our boys!! We walked in and felt the warmth and easy-going vibes this property was offering us. Thank you! 🙏 We will be back soon!!😘 The toilet paper is so soft and the snacks and drinks in our fridge were a fantastic caring touch!! We appreciate all the care and hard work that the owners do every day for their quest. This place is very clean and having a front porch really made us feel at home!!! Thank you! — Kimberly F. (Google)
