The name of the city originated from a shrub called the wax myrtle, a common plant in the area. The first people to arrive in Myrtle Beach were a group of Spaniards from Hispaniola in 1526 who established the first European settlement 30 miles south of the beach town called San Miguel de Cauldape; however it was abandoned one year later when the settlers returned to their homeland.
Orientation
Located on the Atlantic coast, east of Colombia and Sumter, the city is near the North Carolina border. Myrtle Beach is close to the cities of Georgetown and Conway. The area is rich in Civil War history and a magnet for those interested in this vital part of Americana.