Pale sands, fluttering palmettos and melting sunsets – Myrtle Beach is the OG of South Carolina beaches. Claiming the lofty title of ‘America’s Beachiest Beach’, whether it’s learning to surf, cruising with dolphins or jet skiing with friends, Myrtle is all about the beach. Add in a cotton-candy kitsch boardwalk, a glut of championship golf courses and some of the best seafood on the East Coast, and this sunny South Carolina resort deserves its esteemed accolade.
With 14 bustling beach towns daisy-chaining along South Carolina’s Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach will appeal to all. In the north, you can relax on the family-friendly sands of Cherry Grove or ride the neat surf of North Myrtle Beach, while in the south visitors enjoy the pristine shores of Litchfield or strolling through the spiky dunes which fringe Pawleys Island. And when you add in the many inland waterways, maritime forests and salt marshes that South Carolina’s wildlife calls home, then Myrtle Beach is primed for the ultimate outdoor adventure.
Get salty in the surf
With 60 miles of soft sandy beaches, each lapped by the foamy riffs of the Atlantic Ocean, Myrtle Beach is great for those who like to get... a little salty. It has a clutch of surf beaches – great for both beginners and advanced surfers – and several surf schools, includingKokopelli Surf Camp, which has lessons by pro-surfers. To really pump up the adrenaline, speak to the team atDownwind Sails Myrtle Beach who offer parasailing flights soaring 400ft above the ocean, jet ski hire and banana boat rides.
Go hiking and biking
When the mercury starts to seriously sizzle, swerve the crowds on the main beaches and head to the cool calm ofMyrtle Beach State Park, one of the most spectacular and unspoiled stretches of the Grand Strand. Banking a mile-long stretch of quiet beach, the park’s maritime forest is shaded by southern live oaks and magnolia and has several hiking trails to explore.
Winding through Myrtle Beach – where South Carolina’s Lowcountry meets the ocean – you’ll find a section of the Intracoastal Waterway, a 3,000-mile-long inland waterway. Exploring the region’s salt marshes and inland rivers is a magical experience: join a guided kayaking tour withBlack River Outdoors who’ll take you to some of the most hidden, critter-filled corners of Myrtle Beach.
Family flume fun
While the ocean might be nature’s water park, kids will always want the thrill of the flumes. Luckily, Myrtle Beach is not short of chutes, wave pools and splash pads. Home to several water parks, including South Carolina’s largest,Myrtle Waves Water Park, it’s the perfect spot for cooling off in the summer heat. Alternatively, enjoy a shaded canopy trail and a zip line ride through the trees atRadical Ropes Adventure Park.
Wildlife walks
A few miles south of Myrtle Beach is Murrells Inlet, a historic fishing village which was once the lair of Blackbeard the pirate. Aside from the dozens of seafood restaurants lining the waterfront, a highlight is theMarshWalk, a half-mile-long boardwalk which winds through the saltwater estuary where you can spot blue herons, pelicans and other wading birds. Budding twitchers can also head north of Myrtle Beach to Waites Island, one of the few barrier islands to have escaped development. Stretching across 1,000 acres, the sand dunes, saltwater marsh and inlets attract nesting loggerhead turtles, bottlenose dolphins and the odd bald eagle. The best way to explore it on a kayaking tour with Great Escapes Kayak.
Fishing and dolphin cruises
Sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, Myrtle Beach has become a favourite destination for America’s fishing enthusiasts. With your toes in the sand, you can haul in red drum, king mackerel and even tarpon on a lucky day, straight from the beach. While freshwater fans can venture over to the backwaters and the Great Pee Dee River to fish for speckled trout and largemouth bass. For those after the big fins, there’s no shortage of sport fishing charter boats to help you land marlin, shark and barracuda –VoyagerDeep Sea Fishing & Dolphin Cruises is one.
Myrtle Beach is a hotspot for bottlenose dolphins, which are at their most active between October and December. Watch them frolicking in the ocean and inlets on a wild dolphin-watching cruise withBlue Wave Adventures.
Plan your visit to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – America’s beachiest beach
