Myrtle Beach.
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Sitting two hours north of Charleston along US-17, Myrtle Beach centers the Grand Strand, a sixty-mile arc of Atlantic sand. The town is built around family-run pancake houses, mid-century oceanfront motels, and wooden piers where anglers haul in whiting and spot. It is unpretentious and loud in peak summer, yet quiet along the salt marshes of Murrells Inlet just south. Myrtle Beach is worth visiting if you want wide Atlantic beaches paired with fresh Lowcountry seafood and unvarnished seaside entertainment. Look elsewhere if you want historic architecture, a walkable city center, high-end fine dining, or secluded, undeveloped coastline.
Last updated 9 Sept 2026
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What to do in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
The rhythm here follows the tide and the sun. Mornings start early on the sand before the humidity climbs, followed by fried seafood lunches and afternoon strolls along the wooden piers. Beyond Ocean Boulevard neon, the region offers quiet maritime forests and tidal creeks. It suits families seeking unfussy beach time, seafood lovers eager for fresh catches, and road-trippers tracing the Carolina coastline.
24 hours in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Start at 2nd Avenue Pier for ocean views, then walk the boardwalk. Grab fried shrimp and hushpuppies for lunch. Spend the afternoon swimming at Myrtle Beach State Park, three miles south. End the evening at Murrells Inlet for she-crab soup while watching fishing boats dock. Select 1 Day above to see it.
2 days in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Spend your second day thirty minutes south in Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Tour the sculpture gardens at Brookgreen, explore the Moorish arches of Atalaya at Huntington Beach State Park, and finish with Lowcountry barbecue or grilled flounder on the marsh. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
3 days in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
A third day allows a leisurely drive to historic Georgetown, forty-five minutes south, where shrimp boats line the Sampit River. Stop at roadside stands along Highway 17 for boiled peanuts and peach cobbler, or kayak the peaceful Waccamaw River backwaters.
Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States itineraries by interest
Local Seafood in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Order she-crab soup laced with sherry, fried flounder with hushpuppies at Murrells Inlet marshwalk, or boiled local blue crabs straight from the paper.
Coastal Walks in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Walk the 1.2-mile wooden boardwalk between 2nd Avenue Pier and 14th Avenue Pier, or stroll the quiet shoreline at Myrtle Beach State Park.
Saltwater Fishing in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Cast for flounder, red drum, and pompano with bloodworms from the deck of the Cherry Grove Pier, or hire an inshore skiff out of Little River.
Southern Cooking in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Line up for stone-ground grits, country ham, buttermilk biscuits, and scratch-made fruit cobbler at longstanding diners along Highway 17.
Public Gardens in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Wander the live oak avenues at Brookgreen Gardens, where over 500 American figurative sculptures stand among old rice plantation grounds.
Coastal Wildlife in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Watch for loggerhead sea turtles, brown pelicans, and egrets along the salt-marsh boardwalks and maritime forests at Huntington Beach State Park.
Heritage Sites in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Tour Atalaya, the 1930s Moorish-style winter residence of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, constructed with local brick and ironwork.
Water Sports in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Paddle a kayak through the tidal creeks of Murrells Inlet or catch rolling Atlantic surf breaks near 67th Avenue North before the midday chop.
Golf in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Book morning tee times on classic pine-lined layouts like the Dunes Golf and Beach Club or the Caledonia Golf and Fish Club in Pawleys Island.
Nightlife in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Catch live beach music and coastal shag dancing at Ocean Drive clubs in North Myrtle Beach, or grab a cold draft along the Murrells Inlet boardwalk.
Day Trips in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Drive south to historic Georgetown for eighteenth-century brick townhomes, shrimp boats unloading on the Sampit River, and maritime exhibits.
Regional History in Myrtle Beach South Carolina United States
Explore the Gullah Geechee cultural corridor, learning about West African coastal rice cultivation and sweetgrass basket traditions in Horry County.