Beaches Near Charleston, SC Hotel

Sullivan’s Island Folly Beach, Charleston Kiawah Island

Charleston is surrounded by barrier islands and sandy beaches. Many beautiful beaches are near our Charleston, SC hotel, within only a few miles. Just over the Intracoastal Waterway is James Island, continue for about 5 miles along Folly Road to reach Folly Beach. Kiawah Island, which is famed for its five championship golf courses, offers a pristine retreat just 25 miles from the Vendue Inn. Closer to our historic Downtown Charleston hotel is Sullivan’s Island, which is considered one of the best beaches in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sullivan’s Island. Sullivan’s Island started as a settlement in the 1790s for Charleston residents trying to escape the yellow-fever epidemic. Ravaged by hurricanes, the island is still marked by station numbers from a long-gone cable car system that ran on the island. The strong surf is ideal for windsurfers and kite-surfers, and the island offers many historic spots for touring including Fort Moultrie National Park, a Revolutionary War artillery battery and the site of famed Civil War battles. Other former war batteries on three-mile-long Sullivan’s Island have been converted into luxury private homes. Sullivan’s Island is one of the best Charleston beaches for tourists with plentiful parking and easy access to public beaches. [Top]

Folly Beach, Charleston, SC. The surf’s up at Folly Beach. Six-mile long Folly Beach is home to the biggest waves on any Charleston beaches and provides a gathering spot for local surfers at sunrise. Folly Beach is dotted with surf shacks and rental cottages seemingly from another era, one of which was home to George Gershwin while he composed “Porgy and Bess.” Folly Beach features a marina and restaurant and is Downtown Charleston’s closest beach. [Top]

Kiawah Island. Kiawah Island offers beautiful beaches and championship golf courses designed by golf legends Clyde Johnston, Gary Player, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Fazio. The golf courses at Kiawah Island have hosted the Ryder Cup and Senior PGA Tournament and include the Cougar Point Golf Course, Turtle Point Golf Course, the Ocean Course, the Osprey Point Golf Course and the Oak Point Golf Course. Kiawah Island is also home to tennis courts and recreation, plus sweeping ocean views.  [Top]