Kiawah Island

Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 25 miles southwest of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is a seasonal beach and golf community. Wikipedia.
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Top attractions in Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island
1. Kiawah Island
Nature & Parks
Islands
Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 25 miles southwest of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is a seasonal beach and golf community. Wikipedia.
Freshfields Village
2. Freshfields Village
4.6
(1480)
Shopping mall
Shopping
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Nice shopping area with a mix of shops, restaurants, and a grocery store. Ample parking available but can be congested during peak periods. Nice spot to walk around; there is a green space in the center where they occasionally have live music, movies, and Santa Clause during the holidays.
We all enjoyed a wonderful Friday evening listening to music in the outdoor amphitheater…brought chairs, wine and our relaxing attitudes.
Easily accessible from Bohicket Marina and has everything we need for shopping and provisioning!
Beautiful shopping center to visit while in Kiawah. Get groceries, dinner, dessert all your souvenirs. Even a gas station with a car wash.
Better than corporate chain subs. And you get a 6 inch bag of chips and a drink for $7. You can't beat it, watch out subway!
This a great place to stop and walk around before hitting the beach. They have an old style pharmacy/soda fountain that makes you feel like you're in a "Grease" movie set. It's a charming and quaint American village.
Freshfields has just about everything that you need while vacationing. There’s a grocery store, coffee shops, great restaurants, and more. There’s a nice lawn in the center where kids play, and I believe there might also be live events held there.
Beautiful shopping village directly across from the Andell Hotel. Games and evening movies for the kiddies. Live music as well. Pizza, pasta, burgers, beer, and Ben and Jerry's all in one place. Skin care and bookstores also in the village. Quaint, not too crowded. Decent parking. There's also a small parking lot in the back of the village, near the pond.
Kiawah Beachwalker Park
3. Kiawah Beachwalker Park
4.7
(1599)
Park
Outdoor Activities
Public beach with picnic areas has lifeguards part of the year & seasonal chair & umbrella rentals.
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Paid $25.00 to park. Nice boardwalk to bathrooms/changing rooms. Pretty drive to get to the beach also. We enjoyed this beach. Weekends, go early or in the early evening otherwise lot may be full of cars already.
Very beautiful and clean beach. Has restrooms, changing rooms, shop to buy refreshments, and picnic areas. People are polite and it's not over crowded.
There are tons of beaches around Charleston, but this may be one of my favorites. Yes, you do need to pay to park, but the amenities are very nice. There are lifeguards and condition warnings, there are quality bathrooms and changing areas. The beach itself may not be the biggest, but it is in good repair and has a lot of places that you can walk to. I would not count this location out!
A great place to go to spend a day at the beach. A lot of beach to walk on.
The place is just absolutely stunning. No other beach in the area can simply compare! The dolphins are so friendly and the pretzels at the snack bar are better than Philadelphia’s pretzels 🥨
The beach was clean and peaceful. The restrooms and changing rooms were clean. There was an area to rinse off before heading back to your car, and even a place for fresh water for the dogs. Parking was a bit expensive but all the parking was expensive!
Fantastic beach with thin sand, very comfortable to walk , feel the sea breeze and spend a relaxing moment. There are nice clean restrooms and outdoor showers. Unlike other beaches, this one has very restricted access, I believe there's only 150 parking spots, so plan to arrive early or you'll have to wait long time. We went there on a Saturday at 10am, and the staff put us in a waiting app and had to wait 50 minutes to be called, they text you once a parking spot is available, but you cannot wait in the premises so you'll see yourself just driving around until then. Despite the parking hassles, once you're in everything is perfect! Parking price was 20 dollars on the weekend.
This is my chill mode beach. Usually, it isn't busy, and you're able to walk the beach. The scenery is different from any of the other beaches around. There are not a lot of shells to collect, but not here for that. Well maintained beach, restrooms were immaculate, changing area, rinse off area, rental place open throughout the day, nice walkout area, and Dog friendly, (have to be on a leash) You will not be disappointed if you try it!
Night Heron Park
4. Night Heron Park
4.7
(296)
Park
Nature & Parks
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It is one of the cutest parks on the island and a family favorite. New playground, tons of parking and overall a very safe place.
The Nest offers amazing selection of coffees, teas and snacks. Great gift shop too. Lots of seating, kid friendly. Park itself is clean and several climbing structures for kids of all ages.
There are endless activities happening here in the summer. There is also a soccer field, disc golf course, and playground. When you arrive check the schedule to make sure that you don't miss anything. You do not have to preregister for many activities, but most activities do have a change.
My kids will never again be able to vacation at a resort with a “regular” pool! This complex is amazing with everything you need for a fun vacation. Besides the pools with kid-friendly water features and slides, the park also has a playground, market and cafe, poolside restaurant with great food and drinks, and fitness center. There are plenty of complimentary towels, lounge chairs, and shaded tables for having a meal. There are family activities throughout the week, and the highlight is the festival every summer Wednesday evening with games, entertainment and $3 ice cream!
This is an amazing park! It has so much stuff going on! On our most recent visit we used the nature center (the one in use right now is temporary until they build a bigger one) and the playground. There Is also disc golf, a pool, a coffee shop, lawn games, a basketball court, a gagaball court, a stage, and so much more that I can't even think of! We will definitely be back often!!
A really nice park with a very impressive grid basketball court. Lots of other activities for littles as well.
The nature center and park alone are worth several trips. We did not stay with the resort while we were on the island. So, we did not enjoy the waterpark. However, the animals, events, playgrounds, and fields are great for people all ages!
Night Heron Park is a very relaxing. Plenty of tables to have picnic lunch. There many planned activities throughout the week for kids and adults. The is swimpool to cool off. The highlight of the park is the Nature Center. They have many of native animals for you see. The nature center staff is wonderful.
Osprey Point Golf Course
5. Osprey Point Golf Course
4.7
(237)
Golf course
Outdoor Activities
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Such a fun course. The conditions were perfect. Everyone there was friendly and helpful. Driving range grass hitting areas were in great shape. Electric carts all worked well. The course itself is beautiful. Lots of holes along the water lots of trees and plants make you feel like you're in nature. There are houses but well hidden. Never felt like I was going to hit a house. Greens rolled true and most had some slope but nothing terribly hard. All in all a very fair course for a variety of skill levels. I had a great time and highly recommend it.
We played in late Feb so it was pretty cold and our tee time got pushed to later due to early morning frost. The starter, Larry, was somewhat rude and rigid in his approach to starting players on the first tee. He turned us off to wanting to play this course again. Additionally, there were no Marshall’s asking people to speed up play. We barely got done before the sun went down due to slow play in front of us. The saving of the day is we truly enjoyed the couple we played with from North Carolina and the golf course was lovely.
Awesome golf experience! Fairways and greens lush and smooth. Not so difficult that it took the fun out, yet challenging enough to make you want to go back.
We played Osprey Point during our annual guys’ golf trip to Kiawah Island, and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. The course was in fantastic shape — lush fairways, smooth greens, and just an all-around beautiful layout. Osprey had more of a relaxed, resort-style feel compared to some of the other courses we played, but it still kept things interesting. Wide fairways gave you a little breathing room off the tee, but the bunkering and water hazards definitely made you think on your approach shots. Every hole had its own look and feel, which kept it fun the whole way through. The staff was great, really welcoming and kept everything running smoothly. Pace of play was right on point too — no waiting, no rushing. Osprey Point was a perfect part of an unforgettable trip, and it’s definitely a course we’ll be coming back to next time we’re at Kiawah.
This course is amazing! As someone who has played nearly a quarter of all Golf Digest Top 100 Public courses, it amazes me that this course did not make the last in recent years. The course is in immaculate shape, even for the end of winter. The course is very scenic and provides a lot of challenge, and provides no ounce of gimmicks. You will be challenged with intimidating shots over water, and tight out of bounds markers. But, you will still appreciate plenty of scorable holes. The greens are in fantastic shape, however they are just a little on the slower side. Additionally, I was disappointed in the quality of the courses carts, lacking features, jerkiness with the brakes, and I was disappointed to find that on the first hole our tire was completely flat. Lastly, I was very surprised that the clubhouse offers minimal food options on Sundays throughout the entire day. After being offered a microwavable Jimmy Dean sandwich, I was a little turned off. However, If you have the opportunity to play Osprey Point, I would highly recommend it.
Course was in great shape. Loved the views. Plenty of wildlife. Ranger with cold wet towels was a nice touch on a hot day.
Beautiful, Peaceful, Relaxing. The Veranda at Cherryeood is an amazing place for lunch or dinner. Food is delicious.
Employees of this course run stop signs in their carts— going the opposite direction of play— and nearly cause accidents multiple times a week. Never any apology or even a wave from the old man with AirPods or the cart girl. Today I had a cart nearly collide with me on one of the many areas where the cart path overlaps with a bike path. Get your act together Osprey Point. It’s one thing for tourists to be uninformed but for your staff to do it is a problem.
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
6. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
4.6
(1126)
Hotel
Spas & Wellness
Seaside golf & spa resort with a hotel & villas, 12 restaurants, 4 pools & free WiFi to the beach.
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The Sanctuary is the nicest hotel we’ve stayed at in years. It was my wife’s 70th birthday and they upgraded our room to club level with excellent views of the ocean and one hole on the golf course. Dinner at the Ocean Room was excellent as well as the service. The hotel is expensive but you get your moneys worth with superb food and service. We had great hamburgers at the Ryder Cup Bar outside on the porch w ocean and golf course view. Doesn’t get any better. The coffee shop in the hotel had very good lattes and almond croissants. Service again was excellent. The staff at the hotel are always friendly and really try to please you at all times. We only stayed two nights but are heading back in October to celebrate our anniversary for 3 nights. The hotel is only 30 minutes from Charleston another fun place to visit.
Excellent ocean views from our room, classy hotel and great vibes; staff was friendly and management will go the extra mile for you. Definitely book at least one dinner at the Ocean Room. 5-star all around was our experience! Note: villas on the island are completely unrelated to this hotel, the 1 and 2 star review people are confused somehow and writing reviews in the wrong place.
I love this place so much! This is my 3rd time here ,and its always amazing! They pay attention to literally every detail! The beach is extremely clean and peaceful, even the busiest months its not crowded or overwhelming at all! The hotel staff is super professional, really a well organized place! I highly recommend staying here!
I came here to see a concert. I liked the fact that I could use the valet service to park my car even though I was not staying at the resort! The concert area was nice! When they said they treated the outside so that there weren't any mosquitoes, there wasn't a single one-and I thoroughly enjoyed that! Flies-there were a few but not so many that you couldn't eat and enjoy yourself! There was plenty of space to watch the show and dance if you wanted to. The views behind the concert area was the Atlantic Ocean so that was nice plus! If you need to go to the bathroom, be ready to walk to the nearest one...and the bathrooms are gorgeous!! The outside food that they served during the concert was $30 for a hamburger and chips! We ended up going inside and ordering from one of the restaurants and even the kids' meals were starting to $20! I can't eat a lot so I ordered a kid's hamburger meal which came with fries and a drink and let me tell you...that filled me up and it was WAY better than what my friend ordered outside!! I wish I knew what was in the burger meat-lol! This is a very upscale hotel so if you are planning on staying, you are looking at $300+ a night. Getting on the resort was a PAIN because there's only one check-in line and if you are in the wrong line, you are SCREWED!! If you are visiting, stay to the left!! If you need to get there early, plan on arriving at least an hour beforehand! Kiawah island is mostly upscale resorts and golf courses so if you aren't into that, I don't recommend coming here.
It’s always a joy to be part of events at The Sanctuary. With my music group, Charleston Virtuosi, I’ve had the pleasure of performing at many beautiful weddings here — and I’ve also enjoyed a romantic staycation with my wife.
Prefer not to rate it for I have not been there yet. They advise to book, reserve etc in advance but despite calling at different times during the day, the concierge at The Sanctuary is difficult to reach. Is this standard practice for a luxury resort hotel? They also confused my last name with my email address. Really? Have to fill out the questionnaire to post so know that my ratings are not accurate.
I have yet to even arrive at this resort. I have continually attempted to get ahold of anyone at the concierge to help with scheduling basic items for my arrival, car transportation and reservations. I have left countless messages at this point. I assume I have been patched through to voicemail at least 30 times. The front desk is available and has even told me they can see that the concierge is available and not helping anyone at the moment “let me transfer you over”. Voicemail again. That has happened 3 times. Not even there and service has been inexcusably poor.
The hotel is very nice, we were booked in for a conference for 6 nights with King Bed. Checked in and arrived to 2 Queens. Asked to be moved to a King bed and was told by the manager on duty the "you are on a group rate and we can put you anywhere we want". So, I was left to feel like a lowlife while paying $680 per night. Manager could use a little tact training. Everyone else was spectacular. Shows how 1 person can change the entire thought process of the stay.
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Other notable attractions

Cougar Point Golf Course
Golf course
Outdoor Activities
Turtle Point Golf Course
Golf course
Outdoor Activities
Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Resort hotel
Outdoor Activities
Opulent oceanside hotel offering posh quarters & fine dining, plus golf, 3 pools & a swanky spa.
Peyton William Handmade Jewelry Kiawah Island
Boutique
Shopping
Sonny Boy Charters
Permanently Closed
Fishing charter
Tours
Palmetto Scent Studio - Freshfields Village
Permanently Closed
Candle store
Shopping
Tidal Trails Tours/Kayak
Boat tour agency
Tours
St Johns Kayaks & Boat Tours
Canoe & kayak tour agency
Tours
Kiawah Island Bike Rentals
Bicycle rental service
Outdoor Activities
Nail Salon in Freshfield Village
Day spa
Spas & Wellness
Best-of categories in Kiawah Island

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Weather in Kiawah Island

Here's the historical average temperature in Kiawah Island over a full year based on data compiled by NASA: for more details by month, see the weather in Kiawah Island in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, or December
Monthly temperature highs and lows in Kiawah Island
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