Shopping in Hilton Head Island

The second largest Barrier Island on the East Coast is Hilton Head Island (or simply Hilton Head), a town in South Carolina approximately 20 miles away from Georgia. This “treasured coast,” or so it’s commonly called, is an eco-friendly tourist destination that offers a large number of outdoor activities including kayaking along the Atlantic coast, tennis at one of the 300 tennis courts and golfing—over 20 golf courses are spread throughout the area. Each year, Hilton Head hosts the Verizon Heritage PGA Golf Tournament and the Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament. 

The Gullah Celebration at the Shelter Cove Community Park, gives tourists a taste of Hilton Head’s Gullah culture that traces back to the early 1800s, when most of the land was owned by local families. Celebratory activities include arts and crafts, concerts and traditional Gullah food like “hoppin’ john,” a type of pea and rice dish. Hilton Head hosts a wide spectrum of arts and entertainment, from plays at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina to outdoor performances of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

Hilton Head boasts several historical landmarks that give tourists a sense of the town’s rich history including the Penn Center on St. Helena Island, where the first school for freed slaves was opened in 1862 as well as the Drayton Plantation Tabby Ruins, where you can roam through ruins of old slave quarters.