From the best sunsets on the East Coast to the only top-of-the-lighthouse views in the state, spring in Beaufort is its own special destination. Temperate weather, perfect for strolling through the waterfront park, combine with a gracious goodbye to winter to make outdoor dining, shopping and playing the only things on your mind. Find your way to refresh and recharge before the busy summer months hit with any one of these five perfect-for-spring to-dos.

  1. Experience the Gullah Festival – Taking place annually during Memorial Day weekend, the original Gullah Festival happens in the historic waterfront park in the middle of downtown Beaufort. Started in 1986, the three-day festival celebrates the African American Gullah heritage in the Lowcountry and is designed for families with live music, educational activities, food and entertainment.
  2. Taste Soft Shell Crab – For just a few short weeks each spring, soft shell crab hits plates and special menus across town. This limited-edition dish is celebrated at the annual Soft Shell Crab Festival in Port Royal and at restaurant favorites like Saltus and Ribault Social Club.
  3. Plan a Trip to Hunting Island – Every season is a good season to spend a weekend at the beach at South Carolina’s most-visited state park, Hunting Island. With over 100 campsites that include water and electrical hookups, shower and restroom facilities and beach walkways, a weekend camping trip here is an easy spring trip for families and solo travelers alike.
  4. Stroll through The Point – In spring, the smell of blooming Carolina jasmine floats through the air while breezy, cool sunrises fill the streets of antebellum homes that make up The Point. See where movies like the Great Santini were filmed and where historical figures like Robert Smalls lived in one of the Lowcountry’s most beautiful neighborhoods.
  5. Bike the Spanish Moss Trail – In the hot summer months, an eight-mile bike ride along the Spanish Trail may not be an ideal vacation activity. But in the spring? That’s when the Spanish Moss Trail, which runs through Beaufort and neighboring Port Royal, really shines. Stay in a downtown bed-and-breakfast, like Anchorage 1770 Inn, who offers guests free beach cruisers and ride out to Pluff Mud Coffee Co. for your morning caffeine fix.

Visiting Beaufort this spring? Be sure to share your #LuvBFT images with us on Instagram and Facebook!