Fripp Island Travel Guide

The seaside town of Fripp Island, SC, is the perfect getaway destination. Found on a barrier island on the Atlantic coast in South Carolina, the island is home to beautiful beaches and water activities including paddle boarding, kayaking, and boating. It’s also got some fantastic beaches where you can truly unwind and relax, alongside some resorts with pools. Fripp Island is also home to a range of dining options, with restaurants offering oceanfront views and tasty local dishes.

Things to Do in Fripp Island

Animal-lovers should head to the Fripp Island Activity Center where they can learn more about local wildlife and partake in nature cruises, wildlife walks, workshops, and activities. For something a little more active, visitors can also go paddle boarding down Old House Creek, or they can go horse-riding. If you like to get a hole in one, there’s also some of the best golf options in all of South Carolina. For history buffs, visit the Hunting Island Lighthouse, or the nearby Penn Center, to find out more about one of the first schools in the country to be built to offer education to freed slaves.

Best Time to Visit Fripp Island

The best time to visit Fripp Island is during the summer, as well as the spring when the weather is pleasant.

A Local's Guide to Fripp Island vacation rentals

Fripp Island, South Carolina, is a wildlife sanctuary and resort island known for its relaxed and uncrowded atmosphere. This small beach town is the perfect destination for a family vacation or a romantic getaway.

Fripp Island boasts 3.5 miles of uncrowded sandy beach.

Fripp Island has a unique and picturesque beach small-town feel. With an off-season population of just 1,000 residents, Fripp Island is a great beach destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life.

If you like wildlife, you absolutely have to visit the Fripp Island Activity Center. At the center, you can find out more information about turtle conservation, a variety of nature programs and you can see their resident baby alligator and python. It’s a great center filled with fun activities for all the family and a variety of different programs, from how to go crabbing through to movie afternoons, wildlife walks and plenty more! It also can provide a great site map with things to do on the island, if you’re looking for some more ideas.

Meanwhile, for golf enthusiasts, there is the Fripp Island Golf Beach Resort, Ocean Point or Ocean Creek-- which all offer great golf courses with stunning views. Ocean Point Golf Course is known to be one of the best in South Carolina, and has a dramatic view of the sea. Meanwhile, Ocean Creek is set next to some of the island’s marshes, also offering stunning scenery.

For another great activity, head to the Hunting Island Lighthouse, which is one of the area’s most popular sights. It’s around a thirty-minute drive from Fripp Island and was built in 1859. It suffered severe damage during the civil war and much of it was rebuilt in 1875 and it was used as a lighthouse until the 1920s. If you visit the lighthouse today, you can climb the 167 stairs and be rewarded with stunning views out to sea. The surrounding beaches are also a great place to relax.

For a history fix, you can also visit the nearby Penn Center in St Helena, which was one of the first schools in the US built for freed slaves. The school was established in 1862 and today serves as an excellent educational center for African American history. They also host interesting events year-round.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a more light-hearted, fun daytime activity, what about doing a spot of horse-riding? Visit the Camelot Farms Equestrian Center which offers a selection of different rides, such as through former plantations or along the coastline.

And when it’s time to kick back with fresh ocean breezes, head to nearby Pritchard’s Island, which is an uninhabited island only accessible by ferry or kayak. It’s got stunning beaches, tons of wildlife and is the perfect place to unwind. If the beach isn’t your thing you can also relax by a pool at the Cabana Club Complex, home to three pools, including a kids pool. It’s also got a bar and restaurant.

Vacation Homes

Just nineteen miles east of the historic town of Beaufort, South Carolina, Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort is home to a luxury hotel as well as a variety of stylish and roomy beach vacation rental homes. You can find every type of house rental, from large houses for family and friends, through to romantic condos for two, which are a short walk from the beaches close to Fripp Island. Find a vacation rental by St Helena or Beaufort, where you’ll find the largest selection of options and can base yourself for your trip.

Transport

The preferred mode of transportation for locals and visitors alike is a golf cart. So hop on your golf cart and ride to the beach, the golf course, or the resort tennis courts for a perfect day in this Sunny South Carolina island getaway.