The Isle Of Palms center point is approximately 4 miles southeast of Boone Hall Plantation.
There's no bad time to visit Isle of Palms, SC. When you come depends on what you intend to do during your stay. Beach bums should come between May and August, which coincides with peak season. The beaches will be more crowded, and parking may be a challenge, but you will be glad to cool off when the humid temps hit the upper 90s and low 100s.
Isle of Palms enjoys a semi-tropical climate, so you can expect a lot of rainfall at any time of year, but the rains can be regular and brief, lasting only a half hour. This lull offers a good time for a restroom break, a shopping interlude, or treating yourself to an ice cream sundae.
If you're planning a beach wedding at Isle of Palms, you're in luck. The beaches are public, so there is no cost associated with your wedding. You just need to plan ahead with vendors like photographers, who are required to obtain an Isle of Palms business license to shoot. You should also be careful to take any items like flowers or chairs with you. Since it is a public beach, essentially, anyone can be a guest of your wedding — even if they're in a bikini! Privacy might not be optimal, but the ocean view definitely will be.
It's wise to plan your Isle of Palms beach wedding for late spring through the fall, though you should still watch the forecast for rain or even the occasional hurricane. It's also a good idea to monitor the tide tables, to make sure you don't get washed out during an evening ceremony! Winters are fairly warm, typically in the 60s, but the winds can get quite breezy. You wouldn't want your veil (or your guests) to blow away!
If you're headed to Isle of Palms and you're a AAA member, you're in luck. The highly rated Holiday Inn Express & Suites Charleston NE Mount Pleasant US17 offers great value and proximity to the beach. The hotel's AAA discounts aren't limited to a one-room layout; in fact, the hotel management pledges to try to accommodate your preference upon arrival. This is great news for those who need accessible room options like roll-in showers or ground floor access.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites lies only about 3 miles from Isle of Palms, in Mount Pleasant. You don't have to go out to enjoy your stay, however. An indoor pool offers the opportunity to refresh and relax without ever driving anywhere. If you're traveling on business, the concierge and dry-cleaning services and the business center are amenities to appreciate here, as well. The hotel offers free breakfast each morning to get your day started, whether you plan to spend it on the sand or in the hotel's meeting room.
If your vacation goal is to truly get away, you can't do better than a stay at The Palms Oceanfront Hotel. The hotel just underwent a major renovation, and its cheerful and spacious rooms are decorated in beachy pastel tones that are more sophisticated than cheesy. Families can stay comfortably here, and the hotel allows two children to stay with parents free of charge using existing bedding. Most rooms feature an oceanfront or beachfront view, so you can watch the sunset over the waves from your own balcony.
The value continues with the free continental breakfast served each morning from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Free Coffee, tea, and newspapers also help you save money, so you won't need to find a coffee shop for your daily caffeine fix. An in-room fridge is a perfect spot to stow late-night snacks and other treats for the kids after a long day playing in the surf. On the beachfront, guests can enjoy the hotel's lounge chairs or opt to splash around away from the sand in The Palms Oceanfront Hotel's outdoor pool.
From colonial beginnings to the Revolutionary War, Antebellum period, Civil War, and Reconstruction era, Southern history centers in and around Isle of Palms — especially in Charleston, SC. History buffs can't miss a tour of Fort Sumter. The first shots of the Civil War were fired here, and you can marvel at its cannon-marked façade up close when you take a boat tour through the Charleston Harbor right to the fort.
Isle of Palms began its residential period in the mid-20th century as a Charleston, SC, bedroom community. For years before that, the island was uninhabited, but it is said that pirates once buried their treasure on Isle of Palms, though none has been found — yet!
The first submarine ever to sink an enemy vessel, a Confederate vessel from the Civil War era known as The Hunley, departed from the beach of Isle of Palms. Though the submarine and crew were lost at sea, the sub was recently recovered nearby, and you can see the original on display in Charleston.
While you are in Charleston for the day, stroll into the Charleston City Market and shop Gullah handcrafts like sweet grass baskets or munch on some fresh pralines (roasted sweet pecans.) Go on foot for a walking tour, including the city's famous Rainbow Row houses, take a carriage tour, or head out to explore the historic plantations that surround the city, like Boone Hall. There's so much to discover in Charleston. Be sure to end the day with some of the best crab cakes or shrimp and grits you'll ever taste in your life at nearby Shem Creek.
Despite the city's front-row seat to history, these days, a visit to Isle of Palms is more about kicking back in a lounge chair. Answer the call of the unspoiled oceanfront, and a low-country South Carolina welcome will await you at Isle of Palms.
Below are reviews of the city of Isle Of Palms, SC from an actual visitor's perspective.
The beach area and the center was lit up so pretty. Very clean everywhere we walked!
Loved hearing the waves crashing on the beach as we walked along listening to the ocean sounds. Very relaxing.
Family friendly with a safe atmosphere. Litter free. Well maintained & classy decor. We even saw two deer in the main neighborhood street at night!
I love the ACME Low Country Seafood Restaurant and being able to walk to it. I like here better than Folly Beach.
Family atmosphere.
Isle of Palms is a sweet city, quaint and enjoyable!