Imagine a cluster of coins in a fountain of shallow water and you have a rough model of the geography of
Beaufort,
SC
and the intricate network of barrier islands that separate it from the Atlantic Ocean. It is a fascinating geography with water everywhere in the form of inlets, creeks, rivers, tidal marshes teeming with wildlife, the sound, and the sea. And in between all this water are the nature-sculpted land forms - islands of various shapes, all rich with thick forests of pines, oaks and other Lowcountry vegetation.
Located only a few miles north of
Hilton Head
as the crow flies but about 45 minutes drive, Beaufort, which is located on Port Royal Island, remains relatively undeveloped and it is still possible to walk down main street and see long-time neighbors chatting at a coffee shop or gas station.
In the old section of town, a horse-drawn carriage takes picture-snapping visitors over cobble-stoned, oak-lined streets past wood-frame houses and homes that echo back to a different time and era. Walking tours of Beaufort, which played a strategic military role in The American Revolution and The Civil War, include pre-colonial churches, a cemetery where 9,000 Confederate soldiers were buried, and plantations where state and local leaders met to draft the Articles of Secession establishing the Confederacy.
It remains to be seen how long the area's pristine charms will survive commercialization but it is safe to say that, as a travel destination, the Beaufort archipelago is losing its status as one of South Carolina's best-kept secrets. If you haven't been there in fact, maybe you've been there through pages and films. Native son Pat Conroy's novels are set here and such films as The Prince of Tides, The Jungle Book, and Forrest Gump have used the islands as backdrop. When you visit the town, stroll down Laurens St. toward the Beaufort River and there at the end of the street is the house where The Big Chill, an American classic, was shot.
Speaking of shots, what about Golf in the Beaufort area?
Beaufort Archipelago Golf
