Enveloped by expansive beaches, moss-draped oaks, and salt marshes, Saint Simons Island, part of the Golden Isles chain near Brunswick, is a nearly 18 square mile island, once dominated by rice and cotton plantations. Today, it’s a recreation wonderland with superb championship golf courses, miles of bicycle paths, great fishing, historic sites, and excellent restaurants. If you love golf, you’ll love Saint Simons Island, which is home to the 18-hole King and Prince Golf Course and 27-hole Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort. Nearby are 234 more holes of golf at popular spots like the 63-hole Jekyll Island Golf Club and 36-hole Sea Island Golf Club. Anglers have lots of opportunities to fish in the rivers, tidal creeks, sounds and the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find charters and guides at the Golden Isles Marina, and you can also fish off the St. Simons Island Pier and surf cast on stretches of beach on the island’s north end. For such a compact island, Saint Simons is brimming with historic sites. Don’t miss the Saint Simons Lighthouse, where you can climb the 129 steps for a magnificent view of the island; the Fort Frederica National Monument, which has remnants of the British fort built in the 1700s; and the Bloody Marsh Battle Site, where the Spanish defeated the British in 1742.

Nature lovers unite on this barrier island on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean 21 miles south of Charleston. Brimming with lush foliage at every glance, Kiawah Island has ten miles of wide sandy beaches, 123 acres of parks, 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, and world-class golf courses. </p><p>To get a true sense of the beauty of Kiawah Island venture to Marsh Island Park where you’ll be rewarded with stunning scenic views atop the Marsh Island Lookout Tower of the Kiawah River, saltwater marshes, and island hammocks. For animal lovers, don’t miss the Heron Park Nature Centre where you can participate in nature tours and programmes, birding walks, butterfly walks, and alligator walks. Bird admirers love the Great Egret Rookery, a spot where you can typically see several dozen of the magnificent white birds in trees over a lagoon. For an exceptional picnic area head to Beachwalker Park, which has a wide boardwalk that winds through palmettos, oaks, and pines. Golf on Kiawah Island is not just any recreation amenity, it’s a way of life. There are five championship courses on the island highlighted by the Pete Dye designed Ocean Course site of the 1991 Ryder Cup matches and 2007 Senior PGA Championship. In 2012, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort will host the 94th PGA Championship. Other courses to play include the Jack Nicklaus designed Turtle Point and Gary Player designed Cougar Point courses.