Myrtle Beach

Visitors come for long, gently sloping beaches, an oceanfront boardwalk, dozens of golf courses, family entertainment and seafood, and for quieter state parks, marshes and gardens to the south. The Grand Strand includes several distinct towns, from North Myrtle Beach and its shag-dancing heritage to Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Vacation rentals are a major part of the stay: oceanfront condominiums and resort towers, beach houses for large families, and golf villas a short drive inland, suiting everything from a summer week to a quiet winter month.

Where to stay on the Grand Strand

Central Myrtle Beach, along Ocean Boulevard near the boardwalk, has the tallest oceanfront towers and the most going on, with restaurants, shows and amusements within walking distance. It suits groups, teenagers and first-time visitors.

North Myrtle Beach, about 15 miles northeast, was formed in 1968 from the beach communities of Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill. It mixes condos with family beach houses and has a slightly calmer pace, especially at Cherry Grove near the North Carolina line.

To the south, Surfside Beach and Garden City are classic family beach towns with houses, smaller condos and fishing piers. Farther south in Georgetown County, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island are quieter still, with marsh views and older beach cottages. Golf communities inland, west of the Intracoastal Waterway, offer villas and condos for golfers and longer stays.

Beaches, the boardwalk and state parks

The Grand Strand's beaches are wide and gently sloping, with firm sand that suits long walks and children playing at the water's edge. In central Myrtle Beach, the oceanfront boardwalk, opened in 2010, links piers, shops, arcades and small parks along the oceanfront.

Myrtle Beach State Park, the first state park in South Carolina, opened in 1936 on land donated two years earlier. Developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, its 312 acres protect about a mile of undeveloped beach, dunes and a maritime forest of live oaks and magnolias, with nature trails and a fishing pier.

Huntington Beach State Park, near Murrells Inlet, covers about 2,500 acres of beach, marsh and freshwater lagoon and is known among birdwatchers for wading birds and winter waterfowl. It also contains Atalaya, the winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, built during the Great Depression.

Things to do beyond the beach

Golf is one of the Grand Strand's defining activities, with dozens of courses across the region and mild weather that allows play much of the year. Live music and variety shows, mini-golf, aquariums and amusement attractions fill the evenings, particularly around central Myrtle Beach.

Murrells Inlet, a former fishing village known for seafood, has the MarshWalk, a half-mile boardwalk along the salt marsh where boats come and go. Nearby, Brookgreen Gardens, opened in 1932 by the Huntingtons on land that was once four rice plantations, combines American figurative sculpture with gardens, a small zoo and nature trails across about 9,100 acres. It is a National Historic Landmark together with Atalaya.

In North Myrtle Beach, the Carolina shag, a partner dance to beach music that became South Carolina's state dance in 1984, is still danced in clubs and at festivals, especially around Ocean Drive.

History and culture

Before European settlement, the Long Bay coast was home to the Waccamaw people, who fished along the shore. In the colonial era, the King's Highway, today's US 17, ran along the coast, and George Washington traveled it during his presidency. The Withers family farmed near what is still called Withers Swash.

Modern Myrtle Beach began with a railroad. Burroughs and Collins, a timber company, opened a line from Conway to the coast in 1900, and the Seaside Inn followed in 1901. The new resort was named for the wax myrtle shrubs that grow wild along the coast.

Atlantic Beach, a small town next to North Myrtle Beach, developed in the 1930s as a resort built and run by Black entrepreneurs during segregation, and is still known as the Black Pearl. Hurricane Hazel in October 1954 destroyed most waterfront homes in Myrtle Beach, after which the coast was rebuilt and expanded.

Getting there and around

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), about 3 miles southwest of downtown on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, is the main airport and is close to much of the Grand Strand. Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in North Carolina and Charleston International Airport (CHS) are larger alternatives, each roughly one and a half to two hours away by car.

US 17 is the main coastal road, with a business route along the older beach areas and a bypass farther inland. SC 31, the Carolina Bays Parkway, offers a faster route north and south, and US 501 leads inland to Conway and toward Interstate 95. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, completed here in 1936, separates the beach strip from the mainland.

A car is the easiest way to get around the Grand Strand, though traffic on US 17 and Ocean Boulevard can be slow in summer. Within central Myrtle Beach, many visitors walk along the beach and boardwalk.

Weather and when to visit

Myrtle Beach has a humid subtropical climate shaped by the Atlantic. Summers are hot and humid, with frequent but usually short afternoon thunderstorms, while winters are cool and mostly mild; snow is rare. The ocean is warm enough for most swimmers from late spring into early fall.

Summer is the peak season for families, and the Fourth of July is especially busy. Spring and fall are popular for golf and for travelers who prefer milder temperatures and lighter traffic, and each March since the early 1960s Can-Am Days has welcomed Canadian visitors on their spring break. Winter is the quietest season and suits long stays in oceanfront condos.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and storms occasionally affect the coast. Rip currents are a real danger on these beaches, so swim near lifeguards, heed warning flags and signs, and never swim alone.