A Charlottean’s weekend getaway guide to visiting history-packed Beaufort, South Carolina
Charlotteans, if you’re looking for a trip equal parts restorative and stimulating, this is the place you’ve been waiting for.
Beaufort, South Carolina, is just under a 4-hour drive from Charlotte at around 230 miles. The town itself is just small enough to get a true feel for on a weekend. But the striking Lowcountry nature — the vistas, lagoons and mossy trails — tucked between waterways is expansive enough to barely just get a taste. You’ll want to come back for more.
The feel: When I visited in the fall, I couldn’t help but be struck by the Lowcountry beauty of this land. It’s subdued, quiet charm, akin to Charleston, but more untouched. Salt air, drooping oaks and waterways snake and pool through this historic town.
Bay Street, a main stretch in Beaufort, overlooks the harbor, as walks through the unhurried streets reveal historic sites at every corner. History seeps through each column of the Federal and Classical Revival style homes, and each ornate window of the Victorian-era residences.
As for food, you’ll get clean, crisp oysters, some Gullah Geechee cuisine and even some trendy natural wines.
Historical context: Founded in 1711, Beaufort lives on as one of the oldest cities in South Carolina, rich in Reconstruction history. After the Union Army occupied the town in 1861 during the Civil War, it became a center for early Reconstruction efforts, including the Port Royal Experiment, where formerly enslaved people transitioned to freedom through land ownership and education.
How to use the guide: Like our Alexandria guide and our Greenville, South Carolina, guide, this Beaufort guide made all the decisions for you, so you can show up, drop your shoulders and just go.
FRIDAY
Cuthbert House Inn
Location: 1203 Bay St, Beaufort, SC 29902
Check into the historic Cuthbert House Inn for one of the most spectacular views overlooking Beaufort Bay. The inn isn’t shy of windows or porches, teasing visitors with sun-drenched sights of Spanish moss, sunsets and the waterfront. The mansion dates all the way back to 1790, and has seen many lives being on the National Register of Historic Places, from a wealthy outpost to a Union Army refuge.
If you’re a history buff, this is the place. In one of the inn’s 10 rooms, Union soldiers’ names are actually carved into the marble fireplace to note they once lodged here during the Civil War.
Stick around (or make your way back) for its complimentary happy hour for guests, where wine flows easily and conversation bubbles on the front porch.
Sea Island Carriage Company
Location: 930 Bay St, Beaufort, SC 29902
Before happy hour at the inn, hop on a historic carriage tour. Normally, I’m not one for official tours, but this tour provides an engaging, all-encompassing overview of the city’s unique Lowcountry history. It helps to contextualize your weekend trip with a bit of history, such as:
Movie sites filmed in town, like “Forrest Gump,” “The Big Chill,” “G.I. Jane” and more.
The Federal, Victorian and Neo-Classical architecture styles that give the city its stately charm.
The role Beaufort played in Civil War history and in the Reconstruction efforts for formerly enslaved people on the sea islands.
Old Bull Tavern
Location: 205 West St, Beaufort, SC 29902
Start the weekend dining strong with this brick corner gastropub. It’s situated in a relatively casual ambiance with wood barrels, a phone booth and eclectic mirrors. The food is made to share, with local touches. Get the white anchovies with pesto, the local garlic shrimp and any (all) of the housemade pastas.
Saturday
Port Royal Farmers Market
Location: Ribaut Road and Pinckney Boulevard, Port Royal, SC 29935
First, enjoy an early, housemade breakfast at Cuthbert House, thanks to the on-property chef. (I had a blueberry bramble when I was there, and I can only hope you get to try it, too.) Take your time in the morning and settle into the property’s long, perched porches for some reading, writing or conversing with fellow guests.
Then, visit the Port Royal Farmers Market — which comes alive every Saturday, rain or shine, starting at 9 a.m. in the Naval Heritage Park. Along with fresh produce and meat for sale, vendors pop-up with barbecue, baked goods, paella and tacos to enjoy then and there.
St. Helena Island
Take a short drive to St. Helena Island. There is a large network of islands off of Beaufort, but for just one weekend, take a few hours to explore St. Helena Island and its long connection to the Gullah Geechee heritage.
To explore that, visit the Penn Center, one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people. It’s a small museum honoring the history of African Americans across the Sea Islands and the ways in which these communities built independence, education and an economy in the Lowcountry.
For some traditional cuisine, try the gumbo, collards and chicken from Gullah Grub Restaurant for lunch on the island.
This island leans more rural, with a heavy agriculture presence and a few bonafide seafood shacks. Get a taste — or at least a sight — of this local agriculture, from watermelons in the summer to strawberries in the spring, at family-owned Dempsey Farms. Here, guests can handpick their own fresh produce in the field in peak seasons. P.S. The place only takes cash or checks, and the availability is weather-dependent.
Blacksheep x Sabbatical
Location: 1216 Boundary St, Beaufort, SC 29902
Return back to Beaufort and get some early dinner fare — your pre-dinner aperitif hour. At hip Blacksheep x Sabbatical, small plates and small-production wines take center stage. It’s a self-titled luncheonette, but even more so, a wine shop.
Fishcamp on 11th
Location: 1699 11th St, Port Royal, SC 29935
A trip to the sea islands would be remiss without oysters. For the best oysters in the area, visit Fishcamp on 11th. Order a dozen or so Bluepoint and James River oysters (or whatever specialty one is being served that day.). Douse them in mignonette and/or perch them on a cracker.
The Lowcountry Boil — with crab legs, corn, and shrimp and lots of Old Bay seasoning — is worth the price, too. It’s best had on Fishcamp’s sweeping outdoor patio with an all-encompassing waterfront view.
P.S. If you’re thinking or preparing your own oysters at home, buy them at Bluffton Oyster Co. When you’re transporting oysters, there are a few rules, since oysters and fresh water (melted ice) don’t mix.
Sunday
Spanish Moss Trail
After a leisurely breakfast at the inn, stroll the Spanish moss trail. It’s an impressive 11 miles, but it’s easy to access from the inn at the Depot Road Trailhead, about a 10-minute walk away.
On the trail, get flattering and up-close views of oaks and locals. Feel the mossy, sometimes humid air, and the sea breeze swept from the Beaufort bay.
Shop and stroll
After a slow breakfast at the inn, head back out for some sightseeing on foot. During the walk, stroll some memorable sites and shops, like:
The First African Baptist Church which is now a Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.
Lisa Rivers Fine Art for award-winning folk art from African American artist Lisa Rivers.
Woods Memorial Bridge in downtown Beaufort, where Forrest Gump crossed “the Mississippi River” in the iconic movie scene.
Bathe for local and handmade soap.
Hunting Island
Location: 2555 Sea Island Pkwy, St Helena Island, SC 29920
Take a quick — or long — pitstop to Hunting Island for 5 miles of South Carolina shores. The 1875 lighthouse offers some history, while the fishing pier offers some activity.
Waterfront Park picnic
Location: Bay Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
For the final act, grab cheese and crackers from local provisions shop, Chapman’s Grocer, for a picnic at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Enjoy the bites on a bench overlooking the quiet bay, with oaks draping and casting shadows over the water.
A mystical, historic air floats through this city, enriched with regional cuisine, marshy nature and a palpable Civil War era history. Put it all together and it’ll make for a delightful weekend getaway from Charlotte.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
