Beaches or Waterfront Areas in/near Charleston? (Isle of Palms, Folly Beach: rentals, to buy)

[azsportpilot]

Moving to Charleston and curious what nearby Beaches or popular Scenic Coastal areas are in Charleston County

looking on a map is see Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Morris Island, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms etc but wondering which are the more scenic and popular beach areas

thanks

[LocalHero]

Scenic and popular are objective measures but typically the beaches are roughly categorized this way:

Folly Beach is the "party" or "young persons" beach. (it does offer the best surfing)

I've heard Kiawah is one of the nicest beaches in the country and I can believe it. The island is private but Beachwalker Park is a county park open to the public. On certain days the parking lot fills up and you won't be able to get in.

Morris Island is great for shelling and has the least people, but you'll need a boat to get there.

Sullivans is very nice and has a few great restaurants as well. There are fewer vacation rentals on Sullivans and it's pretty pricey if you want to buy out there.

IOP is often referred to as the "family beach". It does seem to have more families with kids.

All of the beaches will give you great sunrises/sets and all can be crowded on the peak summer days.

I'm sure more posters will continue to add details.