Life is always better at the beach. The natural sandy getaways far from the hectic city life are some of the most relaxing locations we could ever hope to be in with a bright warm sun shining down and a crystal clear oceanic view.

A visit to the beach with your family is also always a hugely fun experience where you can spend time with your loved ones that may be much harder to fit in normally. If this is what you’re looking for then South Carolina is the perfect destination, providing some of the world’s most renowned family beaches.
Maybe your kids have been a bit irritable or cranky lately or maybe they spend nearly all of their time out of school in front of a screen, or it could be the case that in our busy everyday lives you struggle to find the time to spend as much time with them as you’d like.
If so, it is very worthwhile visiting one of the many family beaches in South Carolina not only for the health benefits for our body and mind, but also to enjoy that much-needed time with our families in a lush area with a huge variety of activities for everyone to enjoy.
We have neatly listed below the 6 most renowned and popular family beach spots in South Carolina so that you can pick the most ideal spot for you and your family to have the most enjoyable, well-earned getaway possible.
Sullivan’s Island Beach

Located about 20 minutes away from Charleston, Sullivan’s Island was sadly heavily damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, however, since then with the tremendous work of the local community, the island and its beach have been fully restored and protected.
The most intriguing thing about Sullivan’s Island Beach is that because of resistance to beachfront development, there is a great lack of facilities like restrooms and sports activities on the beach. While this may at first seem concerning, it actually creates one of the most peaceful beach experiences, far distanced from the loud noises and stresses of everyday life, with facilities only being a short trip away.
The beach also features Fort Moultrie, one of the oldest revolutionary period forts still standing that can be great fun to explore around and find little trinkets of the past.
Sullivan’s Island beach is perfect for families looking to spend some relaxing and more personal experiences together and make their own fun in such a peaceful and beautiful space.
Myrtle Beach

If you’re looking for an area with a few more activities to get involved with on the beach itself and one known to provide some of the cleanest views of the Atlantic Ocean, Myrtle Beach could be right up your alley.
First developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, the beach is perfect for relaxing and building some sandcastles. However, if you travel deeper the outskirts of the beach are lined with hotels all with pools allowing anyone to quickly go back to get changed, or get some swimming practice in before paddling into the ocean.
If you go slightly more inward from the beach the amount of entertainment on offer covers everything from amusement and water parks to haunted houses and aquariums. This means that whether you decided to go here before or after your visit to the beach, an array of services and great entertainment are right around the corner so no one gets too irritable or bored during their vacation.
There is even a Coastal Discovery Museum not far from the beach that gives an interesting glimpse into how the beautiful island looked decades ago when being built during the Great Depression, along with general facts about aquatic animals often seen around South Carolina which can be a great learning experience.
Folly Beach

Also located in Charleston, Folly Beach is a famous family swimming beach with some very calm and warm waters because of how the sand to the west end is situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Folly River.
This makes Folly Beach perfect if you’re looking to throw some swimming shorts on and maybe even spot some turtles or dolphins that occasionally make an appearance in the sparkling blue sea.
If your kids want to have some fun in the clear blue waters too, lifeguards are always on duty to watch over swimmers’ safety so you can rest assured you will always be in safe hands.
Restrooms, outdoor showers, and a snack bar are also dotted around the beach so if you decide to rest on some sunbeds after a long calming swim and want to get some drinks and snacks for the family to enjoy, you won’t have to travel far.
The biggest addition to Folly Beach is the giant county park located at its west end.
This spacious building fitted with a boardwalk, beach chairs, and umbrellas is great to visit mid-way through your beaching experience or to wind down at the end of the day with an outdoor family picnic.
The park also features wheelchair access ensuring everyone can enjoy all of its wonderful facilities with full support.
Burkes Beach, Hilton Head

Earning titles like “World’s Best Travel and Leisure” and “Reader’s Choice” is nothing to scoff at, and Burkes Beach at Hilton Head earns these titles by essentially being an all-in-one package. All you need to do is show up to enjoy yourself.
The mile-long beautiful beach features a huge amount of umbrellas and sunbeds facing toward a glistening crystal clear sea that is warm enough to have a relaxing swim in.
The beach is also easy to get to by having metered parking and both sand and paved trails leading directly to the beach, making it very hard to get lost even when the GPS decides it wants to act up again.
While you can relax and soak up the sun at Hilton Head, the range of activities dotted around the beach itself is staggering. From an oceanfront pool to 5-star cuisine dining, there are so many things to do in one beautiful area that it is impossible for anyone in the family to ever want the vacation to end.
If after the beach you’re looking for a bit more of a play area for the kids or pets, then the Chaplin Community Park is no more than a 5-minute walk away featuring a playground, dog park, and basketball court so you can show your kids how it’s done!
Hilton Head is perfect for having the authentic beaching experience while having enough facilities set up around you to always have a fun activity on the go.
Isle Of Palms

Wrapping around the entire island, the Isle of Palms beach size makes it extremely accessible to either get involved in some of the area’s beach activities or to just find your own little spot where you can read while the kids can have fun in the sand. It’s entirely up to you!
There are more than 50 access spots to the beach for families along with reliable parking and a variety of activities to get involved with.
Whether it’s a family match of sand volleyball, mini-golf, or even if you decide to go turtle hunting with the beach’s ‘Turtle team’, the size of the beach means it can host so many activities that there’s always something to be getting up to.
Or maybe you and the family just want to relax, and that can be done just as easily with many areas being distanced from the sporting activities with just a few snack bars around for any refreshments.
Lifeguards are also on duty in the warmer months in case you decide to go swimming, which can be a great experience when looking back and seeing the curved shape of the amazing island.
If your preferences are flexible and maybe you can’t decide what kind of beaching experience you want yet, the Isle of Palms offers a wide range of activities for you and the family to try out.
Hunting Island

For those who want a real natural getaway that they and their family can enjoy, away from all the noises and busyness of everyday life entirely, the luscious Hunting Island beach located about an hour from Hilton Head is the best choice.
Attracting over 1 million visitors each year, the beach is surrounded by natural allure from marshes and saltwater lagoons with seashells scattered all across the sandy floor and the common appearance of osprey and turtles.
This site is perfect for a family looking to combine camping with their beach vacation with over 100 camping sites being dotted around all with running water, showers, and playgrounds nearby along with picnic benches all down the length of the beach.
The 130-foot lighthouse that you can explore also adds to the natural atmosphere with the beach being a wonderful spot for those families seeking an exciting nature-filled adventure on their vacation.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Turns out, South Carolina is filled with family-friendly beaches that are ideal for the perfect day or weekend getaway with the kids.