There's also the Wicked Charleston Walk, a tour profiling historic districts in downtown Charleston, such as the French Quarter and old German Tenderloin District. You can visit Fort Sumter, see the harbor by boat or wander through area plantations. Approximately 3.9 million people visited the Charleston area last year. Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island offers 12 miles of sandy beaches, along with a romantic, Lowcountry atmosphere of salt marshes, lagoons, creeks and moss-draped oaks. The island, which gets about 2.4 million visitors annually, offers a variety of outdoor activities, ranging from kayaking and scuba diving to water-skiing and surfing.
Visitors also can take guided freshwater trips or play endless rounds of tennis and golf.
Shoppers will find a variety of boutiques, art galleries and specialty shops. Dining has an international flavor, with more than 250 restaurants serving French, Caribbean, Japanese and other ethnic cuisines. Families also may want to check out gallery exhibitions, classical concerts and Broadway-style theater at The Self Family Arts Center. For science fans, there's the Coastal Discovery Museum, which offers walking tours highlighting the Island's history, ecology and cultural heritage. The Greenville News .