Myrtle Beach

myrtle beach area | northern grand stRand | southern grand stRand | beyond the beach

South Carolina beach getaway

A rrayed along 60 miles of shoreline—rightly known as the Grand Strand—Myrtle Beach doesn’t ask you to commit to one kind of getaway. While you could happily spend all your time there chilling on the golden sands, mixing it up is just as tempting. Whether that means golfing, boating, fishing, food touring, boardwalk strolling, brewery hopping, concert-going, horseback riding or even time-traveling, Greater Myrtle Beach obliges with 14 distinct communities that offer all of the above. And that’s just for starters. So whether you’re traveling with the family, your significant other or solo, set your sights on this easy-to-reach stretch of the South Carolina coast. It’s less than a day’s drive from much of the Eastern U.S., and a quick direct flight from ever more airports.

Little River One of the oldest settlements along the coast, Little River is best known these days for all things seafood-related, as your first glance at the waterfront will help you understand. You’ll spot shrimpers, fishermen and charters that can take you on anything from party-boat fishing trips close to shore to daylong angling excursions in the deep Gulf Stream waters. (Check out Captain Smiley Fishing Charters, for one.) Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s a signature seafood celebration here: the World Famous Blue Crab Festival (May 18-19), when the waterfront transforms into an all-you-can-eat extravaganza of not just the namesake crustacean, but also plenty of other local specialties.

North Myrtle Beach The community that surrounds Atlantic Beach is worth checking out for the live entertainment options alone. North Myrtle Beach is home to—to name just a few—Barefoot Landing, a complex of restaurants, bars and music venues (some all-in-one) along the Intracoastal Waterway; the Barefoot Queen (noticing a theme?) a riverboat that pairs entertainment with lunch and dinner cruises along that same waterway; Crooked Hammock, a neighboring brewery with live events that include comedy shows; and the House of Blues, home to gospel brunches, murder mystery dinners and more. The newest entertainment venue to open here is the Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre, where the namesake local country music legend will be a frequent performer, among many other musicians.

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Conway & Aynor A couple of artsy enclaves sit farther inland. First is Conway, where the Theater of the Republic has sat at the heart of downtown’s Main Street for more than half a century. Shows there are perfectly paired with dinner at Rivertown Bistro and a stroll along the Conway Riverwalk. For bonus culture (and steps) walk the local stretch of the Myrtle Beach Arts Trail with stops to admire the F.G. Burroughs Steamboat Mural and Teal Alley. Keep following the trail, and you’ll hit Aynor, where a famed train mural nods to the area’s tobacco history. The sandwich shop across the street is home to not only the famous eponymous Ned Burger, but also a mural-sized homage to the meal.

Back to golf: There’s good reason the PGA is debuting a tournament here. Myrtle Beach is often heralded as the Golf Capital of the World, and starts fans young with more than 30 putt-putt courses in the area. If you like your putt-putt old-school—in more ways than one—consider the ancient mythology-themed Mt. Atlanticus Minotaur Golf, a longtime local crowd pleaser with ocean views. If your family's brand of ancient history looks more like 10-million-year-old dinosaurs, check out Jurassic Golf, one of four themed minigolf courses by Myrtle Beach Family Golf (with well-priced passes that include all four). But there’s also a new offering you literally can’t miss: the eye-popping Ripley’s Crazy Golf, a three-story, neon-lit funhouse that blends minigolf with zip-lining, pinball and other amusements. A different kind of indoor facility for when you’re feeling more serious about golf: Topgolf Myrtle Beach, with high-tech hitting bays and self-scoring balls.

At a minimum, you’ll be passing through Myrtle Beach, where the international airport is a recent USA Today Readers’ Choice for “best small airport.” But there’s so much to do here, you’ll want to allow for plenty of local exploration before you move on to other communities along the Grand Strand. Of course, you may well have plans to stick around for a bit, if you’re pegging your trip to a big upcoming event, whether the city’s first ever PGA TOUR event—The Myrtle Beach Classic, May 9-12—or the triumphant 2024 return of the Carolina Country Music Festival, June 6-9, with Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen as headliners.

Murrells Inlet A walkable (and boatable) historic fishing village set along a saltwater estuary, Murrells Inlet is filled with as many culinary riches as gorgeous views, arguably best seen on a Murrells Inlet Eco Tour. While you could certainly taste your way through the area on your own, an excellent alternative is Carolina Food Tours’ offering at Murrells Inlet MarshWalk. You’ll learn some local lore—which ranges from hushpuppy history to the pirates who plied these waters—in addition to trying curated culinary offerings. Regardless of whether you book a tour, consider Inlet Prohibition Company and Voodoo Brewing Co. for adult beverages, or a Children’s Pirate Adventure for kid-appropriate fun.

Garden City Beach Another family-friendly hub with a signature pier, Garden City Beach is a must for those who love fishing and crabbing, because this is where an inlet meets the ocean to teeming effect. Riding the local waves is another popular pursuit, as you’ll discover at the Village Surf Shoppe, the oldest in the Myrtle Beach. Refuel at Sam’s Corner, a local favorite for beach hot dogs with all the fixins’.

Surfside Beach Not just incredibly family-friendly, Surfside Beach is also an Autism-friendly family travel destination with attractions such as All Children’s Park, a picnic and play area accessible to everyone. The star attraction is the fishing pier, a new iteration of which is scheduled to open this spring. Stretching to either side is beautiful oceanfront, much of it accessible to wheelchair travelers, and lined with cute houses, restaurants and hotels. Family favorites on the food scene include Los Gordibuenos for Mexican food, Pizza Hyena for gorgeously wood-fired pies and Neal & Pam’s for burgers served up with—alternately—karaoke, trivia, live bands and big games on the big screen.

Blue Crab Festival

Northern Grand Strand

Beyond the beach

Myrtle Beach area

Southern Grand Strand

Aynor Hoe Down

Steamboat Mural

Plan your trip

Wahoos Fish House in Murrells Inlet

Big Mike's Soul Food in Myrtle Beach

Get on the water with Downwind Sails

Garden City

Crooked Hammock

SkyWheel Myrtle Beach

Mt. Atlanticus Minotaur Golf

Garden City Beach

Voodoo Brewing Co.

Reffen Street Food Market Photo credits: Lukas Bukoven (left); Reffen - Copenhagen Street Food (right)

The BLOX Building (left); The Black Diamond (right) Photo credit: Daniel Rasmussen

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Little River Blue Crab Festival

Myrtle Beach Arts Trail in Conway

Downwind Sails Watersports

Brookgreen Gardens

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Loris An old railroad town, Loris has made a name for itself in foodie circles. This tiny community is home to a singular Lowcountry dish called chicken bog, and though you’ll have to wait until October to attend the annual Loris Bog-Off, you can try the rice-chicken-sausage-and-spice extravaganza for lunch on any given Thursday at the beloved Shorty’s Grill. Or try a twist on the classic at Ritchie’s General Store & Eatery: chicken bog eggrolls. Either way, walk off lunch along the lovely, leafy trails of the Loris Nature Park.

Loris Bog-Off

Socastee & Carolina Forest Just west of the Myrtle Beach International Airport, historic Socastee is home to a rare swing bridge that dates to 1935 and still pivots over the Intracoastal Waterway on schedule. To get out into the local waters, book with Waccamaw River Tours or Island Adventure Watersports—and to immerse yourself in local history, food and fun, visit during the Socastee Heritage Festival on April 27. If you make it to the festival, don’t fill up too much; you’ll want to leave room for the famed burgers at River City Café. And fear not: You can walk everything off doing laps around the Tanger Outlets in Carolina Forest, a shopping hotspot only a few minutes away.

Socastee Waterway

Then again, Myrtle Beach is famous for all kinds of shows, at The Carolina Opry, where you shouldn’t miss a music, comedy and dance revue; the Charles Bach Wonders Theatre, home to magic, comedy and hypnosis; and even a Simpsons in 4D Theater, where you become part of the action through special effects. Another local take on special effects? The Illusion Lab at Ripley’s Myrtle Beach — home to optical, photographic and interactive mindbenders — adds a whole new dimension to the brand’s offerings in town, which include Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium down the street and Ripley's Aquarium, a short drive away.

Simpsons 4D

For refueling between activities, Myrtle Beach appeals to every possible palate. Head to Big Mike’s Soul Food for fried chicken, collard greens and cornbread; Hook & Barrel for sustainable seafood; Winna’s Kitchen for inventive seasonal chef’s menus, The Hangout for live music paired with party fare (nachos, wings, all the good fried stuff) and RipTydz, the largest local oceanfront grill and rooftop bar (think blackened shrimp and beer). For local brew fans, favorites along the Myrtle Beach Craft Beer Trail include Grand Strand Brewing Co. and Tidal Creek Brewhouse, both kid- and pet-friendly, plus skilled at small batch beers.

Pawleys Island At the southern end of the Grand Strand, Pawleys Island is a historic resort community where a dozen residences still date to the 1700s and 1800s, and life has emphatically resisted a 21st-century pace. As if to underscore the point, one of the best-known and most beloved stops is the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops, where you’ll find not only the original local rope hammocks, but also hammock weaving demonstrations, daily wine tastings, and shops filled with candy, kitchenware and crafts. For proper meals, head to Bistro 217, the Chive Blossom Café and the Caledonia Grillroom at the famed Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

The BLOX Building (left); The Black Diamond (right) Photo credit: Daniel Rasmussen

Pawleys Island Hammock Shops

Litchfield Beach Home to soft sand, gorgeous golf courses and the 26-mile Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, Litchfield Beach exudes a lovely leisureliness. This is also the perfect home base from which to explore the area between Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island where you’ll find Brookgreen Gardens—a private retreat turned artistic and botanical dreamscape, complete with a live oak allée—and Huntington Beach State Park, a rare combination of stunning wilderness and historic landmarks. Through April, you can catch an acclaimed Art Deco exhibit at the gardens, but you should always check the calendar to see what’s on, and plan for a meal at the Old Kitchen by the live oaks or the Harvest Restaurant by the Rainey Galleries.

Brookgreen Gardens

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Regardless of when you visit, a good first outing is to the SkyWheel Myrtle Beach, not only for the old-timey boardwalk fun of it (though the SkyWheel itself is modern and recently refurbished), but also for the overview of the area you’ll get from 200 feet up. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, check the schedule to see if there’s a sunrise flight on the calendar, then watch the legendary lighting-up of the Atlantic—paired with pastries and coffee—from on high.

Atlantic Beach One of a handful of historic Black-owned beach towns in the nation, Atlantic Beach is a four-block municipality carved out of North Myrtle Beach. Worth visiting any time to check out the colorful wooden beach houses, the gorgeous stretch of local shoreline—and the historic marker that gives you a glimpse into the town’s past—Atlantic Beach will take on an especially fascinating and festive air in early summer. The new Gullah Geechee Festival is returning for a second year this June, when music, food and crafts will help tell the amazing story of the Southeastern coastal communities that descended from enslaved plantation workers—and managed to preserve African spiritual, artistic, culinary and linguistic traditions against all odds.

Gullah Geechee Festival

Family fun is big here. If, for example, you like bowling together, why not take your outing to the next level someplace that also offers axe-throwing and arcade games (Stars and Strikes) or pool (810 Bowling & Billiards). If go-karting is your thing, hit The Track, and if that ocean is calling your name, head to Downwind Sails Watersports, where April 2024 will kick off its 46th season of getting out on the water. Offerings include parasailing, banana boats, stand-up paddling, kayaking and sailboat rides. Young mariners will want you to book another iconic Myrtle Beach experience: the Pirate’s Voyage Dinner & Show, set aboard a full-sized ship in an indoor lagoon.

Ripley's Crazy Golf

The Dunes Golf and Beach Club

Downwind Sails Watersports (left); The Track (right)

Grand Strand Brewing Co.

Winna's Kitchen

Big Mike's Soul Food

RipTydz

Darius Rucker playing at the House of Blues

Barefoot Queen

Surfside Beach Pier (left); Live music in Surfside Beach (right)

myrtle beach area | northern grand stRand | southern grand stRand | beyond the beach

Murrells Inlet A walkable (and boatable) historic fishing village set along a saltwater estuary, Murrells Inlet is filled with as many culinary riches as gorgeous views, arguably best seen on a Murrells Inlet Eco Tour. While you could certainly taste your way through the area on your own, an excellent alternative is Carolina Food Tours’ Murrells Inlet Marshwalk Food Tour where you’ll learn some local lore—which ranges from hushpuppy history to the pirates who plied these waters—in addition to trying curated culinary offerings. Regardless of whether you book a tour, consider Inlet Prohibition Company and Voodoo Brewing Co. for adult beverages, or a Children’s Pirate Adventure for kid-appropriate fun.

Socastee & Carolina Forest Just west of the Myrtle Beach International Airport, historic Socastee is home to a rare swing bridge that dates to 1935 and still pivots over the Intracoastal Waterway on schedule. To get out into the local waters, book with Waccamaw River Tours or Island Adventure Watersports—and to immerse yourself in local lore, visit during the Socastee Heritage Festival on April 27, details TK [waiting on these]. If you make it to the festival, don’t fill up too much; you’ll want to leave room for the famed burgers at River City Café. And fear not: You can walk everything off doing laps around the Tanger Outlets in Carolina Forest, a shopping hotspot only a few minutes away.