Kiawah vs. Isle of Palms. Pros and cons? (Charleston, Myrtle Beach: appointed, 2009)

[beachlover24]

Hello everyone,

I have done a search already to find the answer to my question, but have had no luck in finding an answer posted in this 2009 beach season...

My family (with college-aged children) is interested in vacationing in the Charleston beach area in mid-August 2009. After a bit of research, I have narrowed our list down to just two places: Kiawah Island and Isle of Palms.

Can you tell me the pros and cons of each? Please comment on the quality of the beach (and how IOP is post-restoration) and any other insights you may offer.

The family's main priority is the best beach, with plenty of waves to jump and for boogie boarding, good sand that's gentle on the feet, and one that's very clean. Crowds aren't too much of an issue, since our usual destination is Myrtle Beach. Next in order of importance is close proximity to plenty of great restaurants (seafood and buffets a plus) and shopping (partial to flea markets like Myrtle Beach's and outlet/shopping malls). We are not really into the outdoors, since we are from the city, so we are indifferent to golf, tennis, etc.

Thanks for your help!

[OleTomCat]

IOP fits your bill better than Kiawah......

Still nothing like Myrtle Beach.....

[beachme]

I agree Kiawah is beautiful but not much closeby. You'll have a drive to everything. IOP is very nice and the beach is fine. The best beach for waves is Folly. But I much prefer IOP.

[DJShymansky]

IOP for the family vacation. Kiawah is gorgeous, but it's almost in the middle of nowhere.

[beachlover24]

How noisy does Isle of Palms get in the middle of August? Are there a lot of parties and disruptions at night?

Which area of IOP is usually the quietest and most family-friendly?

[Rggr]

Originally Posted by beachlover24

How noisy does Isle of Palms get in the middle of August? Are there a lot of parties and disruptions at night?

Which area of IOP is usually the quietest and most family-friendly?

As long as you're not right next to the Windjammer, you should be okay.

[ohioaninsc]

The beach at Kiawah may be cleaner b/c it's less crowded over all...it is 20 miles or so from Charleston, but it also has some high quality restaraunts out there on the island as well as at Bohicket Marina next to Seabrook and Kiawah...IOP though is better for college age kids...they can go party at the Windjammer (if they are of age of course), there are some decent restaraunts on the island plus good ones in MT P and downtown Charleston is closer...both places are pretty close to the same driving time to the Tanger Outlets up in N Charleston...but IOP is also closer to the Mt Pleasant Town Center which is an outdoor mall w/ most of the major chain stores and a multiplex cinema...I haven't been down to the Wild Dunes area of IOP where the restoration was, but the part by the county park and the south end of the island where I hang out at is pretty good...though it doesn't seem quite as wide this year, but that could just be the moon phases I've been there at as tides run higher w/ a full or new moon than w/ the quarter moon...if you don't like much noise at all, Kiawah is obviously quieter and is more upscale, but IOP is pretty quiet everywhere except the strip w/ the Windjammer and a couple other bars and hotels right down from the County Park...the rest of the island is just rental homes and condos.

[aetcas]

We just walked along the beach near the Wild Dunes area off 53rd street and I was very disappointed with the beach there. It was in terrible shape. Not sure if this area has been replenished, but the sand was very coarse (lots of little shell pieces) and there was a dip where the waves crash on the shoreline. The beach area near the IOP county park is in much better shape, so I guess it depends on where you will be staying in relation to the county park area.

[SCBeaches]

If you stay at Kiawah, it is what I would term a "self-contained" vacation. It is beautiful and very upscale there.....it has clean, wide beaches, shopping (small shops), bike & golfcart rentals, canoeing & kayaking, hiking trails, restaurants & pubs, golf, pools, tennis, environmental programs for kids - all without ever leaving the resort. Three minutes away, you have the Shops of Farmfields which includes island-grown produce as well as other groceries and shops....every Friday night there is live music on the green there....and you have boat rentals, off-shore fishing excursions, jet-ski rentals, and I believe wind-surfing, as well as more restaurants, pubs, and shops at Bohicket Marina Village (about 2 minutes from the Kiawah Island gates). Also nearby on Johns Island (15 minutes from Kiawah) is Angel Oak (one of the largest and oldest oak trees in the country - full of history) and 6 locals' favorite restaurants, and on Wadmalaw Island there is the only tea plantation in the U.S. (which you can tour & sample) and a small winery (which you can also tour and sample).

For major shopping and movie theaters, downtown shopping, and attractions like the plantations you would have to drive 30-40 minutes, which you could do one or 2 days of your trip. Everything else is right there at Kiawah without having to drive or drive more than a minute or 2. Even though I live on Johns Island (which you have to drive through to get to Kiawah), we sometimes rent a villa for the week in the summer just to get away and experience a true vacation without having to constantly get in traffic and fight crowds. It's kind of like being on a cruise ship where everything is at your fingertips!

I don't have much to say about IOP because of the crowds and traffic, and as far as vacations go - I personally like to avoid all that and enjoy peace and relaxation. IOP is closer to downtown Chas. and all the tourist attractions, so if you'd be doing a lot of those things, IOP would be a better fit. As far as surfing goes, Folly Beach is where all the surfers in the area go and where they have East Coast surfing competitions. IOP and Kiawah are both fine for boogie boarding and sea kayaking.

I hope this helps give you some perspective from a local. Hope you and your kids have a fun vacation!

[beachlover24]

Thanks for everyone's help!

The family has chosen to go to Isle of Palms

Any advice for us? Things to do/things to avoid?