Neil Arlett – (the author of this article) has lived on Hilton Head Island for the past 19 years. Neil is a partner and seasoned Captain with Hilton Head Boat Charters (www.hhiboatcharters.com) – a private boat charter company that runs private Dolphin tours in Hilton Head, Hilton Head Sunset Cruise, Large Group Water Taxi Service to Daufuskie Island, and custom tours for things like weddings and if you are planning a Hilton Head Bachelorette Party. They are located on the north end of the island at Hilton Head Resort and Marina.
In this multi-part series – I am going to share a local’s perspective on another one of the best group activities in Hilton Head – Daufuskie Island. Because there is too much to go through in a single article – we’re going to focus on grouping our favorite things to do into buckets of three.
So, let me share with you why we local’s here think Daufuskie Island is one of the best attractions in Hilton Head SC. This hidden gem of an island sits just a stone’s throw away from Hilton Head Island. From the Harbour Town Lighthouse, you feel like you can almost touch it. But this little island treasure couldn’t be further away in the overall experience, vibe, and culture.
Daufuskie Island is the yin to Hilton Head Island’s yang. At least that’s what I like to tell my friends when they are looking for fun things to do in Hilton Head Island that are just a total break from the norm. It’s like you step out of one world when you step off the dock on Hilton Head – and step into a completely different world when you disembark on Daufuskie Island. Hilton Head is this teeming destination resort that is consistently ranked as the top island destination in the country. Daufuskie, on the other hand – is like this completely remote, wild, and relatively speaking, undiscovered island.
So first, here are some quick facts on Daufuskie Island. It is:
- Located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah. It is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina.
- Surprisingly large – It is approximately 8 square miles in area – or about 25% the size of all of Manhattan.
- Sparsely populated – based on the last census, there are only 450 – 500 full-time residents.
- Remote – Consider this – Daufuskie didn’t have electricity until 1953! And it didn’t have telephone service until 1972. How crazy is that? Oh, and did I mention that there are no hospitals or Doc-in-a-Box solutions on the island?
- Accessible by boat only – There are no bridges and no car ferries. But multiple water taxi and ferry providers can get you there like Island Head, Outside Hilton Head, May River Excursions, Hilton Head Boat Charters, or the Daufuskie Island Ferry.
- Famous – Kind of…Pat Conroy wrote about his experiences as a teacher on Daufuskie (Yamacraw Island) in the well-known book The Water is Wide.
- Steeped in culture and history – The entire island was named a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places due to its Gullah and Civil War history.
- A good place to go off the radar – I like to joke with my friends about it – if you don’t want to be found, Daufuskie is the place for you!
So, have I gotten your attention yet? If you are looking for some unusual things to do in Hilton Head while you are here, Daufuskie Island just might be the spot for you. In this, the first in our ongoing series – I’m going to share three of my very favorite things to do on Daufuskie whenever I have friends or family in town.
Favorite Thing #1 – Visiting Freeport Marina
Odds are that if you are going to Daufuskie via water taxi or ferry service, you will be landing at Freeport Marina. Once you get off the docks, the first thing you will come across is the Old Daufuskie Crab Company Restaurant. This is where you can grab a quick drink or bite to eat before you embark on your Daufuskie Adventure. There’s a massive deck, fire pit, massive outdoor bar and picnic tables, and even a playground for the kids to play on. When we head over to the island – the first thing we do, and you should as well, get yourselves an adult beverage.
No trip to Daufuskie would be complete without sampling an ice-cold Scrap Iron! It’s an absolute must and word to the wise; this is a delicious and potent libation, so no more than two as the old saying goes about Scrap Iron, One, Two, Three – floor!
Once you have some food and hydration in you – the next stop you are going to want to make is the General Store. This is the best place on the island to load up on supplies for your day – and where you grab your one-of-a-kind authentic Daufuskie merch. The General Store is also where you secure your Daufuskie Island golf cart rental for the day. One important note, they don’t take reservations ahead of time – so it is first come, first serve on the golf carts. This is important to keep in mind should you come in the summer high season. If you want to reserve ahead of time, the best group to do that with is Tour Daufuskie.
Freeport Marina is as close to a downtown area as you are going to get on the island. If you are lucky enough to be around on a Saturday anywhere from May – September, they have live music on the deck, generally starting around 1 pm. The party is definitely in full swing every Saturday – and if you are looking for a good time – this is 100% the spot for you.
Favorite Thing #2 – Melrose Resort
Once you grab your golf cart and head on your way down the dirt road, my recommended first stop is Melrose Resort. I like to describe Melrose Resort as a cross between the shining and an abandoned mansion from a Scooby Doo mystery (more on that later). The top line on Melrose Resort is that the Resort went under right about the same time as the housing market bubble burst in 2007/2008. Multiple attempts have been made to bring it back to its former glory – but none to date have succeeded. The last major attempt to bring it back a few years ago was a Ponzi scheme (Bankrupt Daufuskie Resort Linked to Investigation of $20 Million-Plus ‘Ponzi-Like Scheme’ – Hotel-Online)
Since 2007/2008 – all of the major community assets have gone largely unattended. The Melrose Inn – was completely abandoned and still is to this day – although there is a new investment group involved and working to bring it back to life. This is the crazy Scooby Doo Mansion that I mentioned earlier. When you drive past it, check out the widows watch at the top of the hotel and look at the general level of disrepair, and you will see what I’m talking about.
There’s an amazing Rookery that is full of birds on most days in a pond next to the Melrose Inn. It’s really beautiful when the birds are there in big numbers. One thing to know about that pond though is that there are a whole bunch of alligators in it. So, I wouldn’t necessarily leave the safe confined of my golf cart to drink it all in, if you know what I mean.
Further down the road along the beach – you can drive down to the Melrose Beach Club. There are two pools there and a bar/restaurant as well. As of this writing, neither of which are open – but I hear that will be changing soon. This is the best and most remote place to hang out with your family and friends, and if it is open – there is no better place to spend a sunny day. When you head back out of the Beach Club, on your left, there is Melrose Beach – which you can park your golf cart and walk on. From the beach, you will have an amazing view of Hilton Head Island, which sits directly across the Calibogue Sound.
Favorite Thing #3 – Tour Daufuskie
There are tons of things to like about Tour Daufuskie. At the very top of the list are the following:
- You can reserve carts online or by phone ahead of time so you don’t show up, and there isn’t a cart for you.
- They are your one-stop shop for whatever type of experience you want to have. You can take the self-guided approach or have an experienced tour guide – as well as anything in between, which I will get into. Important Note – Tour Daufuskie is based on the Melrose Resort Dock, which is right next to the Freeport landing. So if you take a boat over to Freeport, you can simply walk over to the Melrose landing – it is within a couple of hundred yards.
Ok, so what kind of things can I see and do with Tour Daufuskie (Daufuskie Island Tours, Ferry & Golf Cart Rental Packages, and Kayaking (tourdaufuskie.com)?
- They have a super fun Scavenger Hunt – where you get a healthy bit of island history mixed in with a whole lot of scavenger hunt madness. This is a new offering, I have done it, and it is amazing!
- The Community Farm and Artisan Village Tour – This activity is super family-friendly and also uniquely Daufuskie. With this guided tour, you get to see and learn about the community farm up close and personal. The farm is run by island volunteers and has sustainable gardens and farm animals of all kinds.
- There’s also the Guided Island History and Artisans Tour – This one is an absolute must-do! It’s one thing to ride around the island by yourself and see some cool stuff. But it’s another thing entirely to take the guided tour, which gives you a deep history of the island by one of their expert tour guides. It’s the best thing that you can do so that you get context for everything that you see. This tour also gives you time on the front and back end to do some exploring of your own.
- If you are into nature – The Daufuskie Island Eco Tour is sure to please. On this offering, you will get to know the birds, gators, and other reptiles, edible weeds, and plant life that is abundant on Daufuskie Island.
- Hilton Head Sunset Cruise – And if you happen to be staying overnight on the island or for a couple of days – this is a great activity for your group. With Tour Daufuskie’s partner Hilton Head Boat Charters (that’s us!) – We will get you well into the backwaters of Daufuskie Island and even out by the New River and by Bloody Point and Jack Rowe Island.
Hollie and her team at Tour Daufuskie are an absolute treat to work with and will do everything that they can to ensure that you get the most out of your experience with them on Hilton Head Island.
Well, that’s it for our initial exploration of the unusual things to do in Hilton Head-Daufuskie Island edition! We’ll be back shortly with more insider secrets on how you can make sure your stay at majestic Daufuskie Island is unforgettable.
