2 weeks Ago
Plenty of folks hit the road for a visit to the tidelands of Georgetown County. Pawleys Island, in particular, has a centuries-long tradition of being one of America’s oldest seaside resorts, going back to the days of the indigo and rice planters who packed up their households to get away from the fields and enjoy the salt air by the beaches. That being said, you might not know that the first European settlement in what is today the United States dates back 500 years.
In fact, Spanish ship captains from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola first came to Pawleys Island in 1520-1521. One ship was sent out by his sponsor to find land. He came upon another ship’s captain who was a friend and they journeyed together.
After landing at Pawleys Island, they reported back to the first ship’s sponsor, Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, that the land would be fertile. It took several years and a trip back to Spain, but de Ayllón put together an expedition with about 600 people and close to 100 horses. They returned to what is today Pawleys Island and then Winyah Bay and established the settlement of San Miguel de Gualdape.
While that Spanish settlement only lasted a few months, in many ways it was a precursor to the many people who’ve come to the coast of Georgetown County to visit, and some have decided to stay. There’s a lot to enjoy in this little slice of heaven on earth. George Pawley inherited the barrier island that carries his name.
He sold parcels of the land on the small island to other planters in the early 1700s. Many rice planters brought their families and some enslaved Africans to the island in the summer months in order to escape the heat and malaria of their riverfront plantations. But it's important to distinguish the Pawleys Island community from the Town of Pawleys Island when discussing the area's history as a travel destination.
While visitors to Pawleys Island were first recorded in the 1790s, it's difficult to pin down an exact date. Research shows that no one vacationed on the barrier island home to the Town of Pawleys Island until after 1822. When plantation owners traveled to the “seashore” in the 1700s, they were actually staying in the Pawleys Island area on the mainland by the salt marshes, according to historian Lee G.
Brockington, who has written several books about the town. Even though most of the beach houses and cottages are much more modern now, still Pawleys Island and Litchfield have plenty to offer for a break from the routine with salt water, fresh air, many attractions, shops and restaurants. You may not be able to stay from May to November like the folks did back then, but you can still enjoy the beauty, the atmosphere and the laid-back lifestyle of the tidelands.
The town encompasses all the island. Within the incorporated community there are approximately 130 full-time residents. There are about 450 rental properties available through various realty companies.
The town and the county have three boat landings on the island and about a dozen beach public access points. The largest and most popular beach area is at the south end of Pawleys Island. At that location there is parking, beach access as well as Pawleys Creek access and there are portable toilets available.
The other beach public access points each have some limited parking available. All the beach access points are open to the public. Pawleys Island has even been recognized at the state level for its attractive qualities.
It was named “Best Beach in South Carolina” by USA Today's 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards in May 2024. These awards highlight “top-notch attractions and businesses, providing readers with trusted recommendations,” according to a news release, and the list was part of a series to name the best beaches in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, California, New Jersey and Michigan. Three Georgetown County destinations — Huntington Beach State Park, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island — were among the beaches in the contest, and while Pawleys came out on top, Litchfield Beach placed No.
4 and Huntington placed No. 5. Others in the running included Daufuskie Island, Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove Beach in North Myrtle Beach, Coligny Beach Park, Edisto Beach State Park, Folly Beach, Folly Field Beach Park, Hunting Island State Park, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Beachwalker Park, Myrtle Beach State Park, North Myrtle Beach, Sullivan’s Island and Surfside Beach.
Catching some rays from the sun, swimming in the ocean, surfing and surf fishing, fishing in the creek or crabbing or gathering oysters are all activities that people enjoy. One of the fun things on the beaches that a lot of children — and moms and dads — enjoy is building sandcastles. Beachgoers should have fun but be aware that a county ordinance requires that if a hole is dug on the beach to build a sandcastle, they must return the sand to the hole so it doesn’t present a hazard to other visitors.
Turtles also frequent the beaches. Speaking of turtles, all the beaches in Georgetown County have varying numbers of sea turtles that come ashore each year to lay their eggs. There’s a volunteer group called South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts.
Member volunteers patrol the beaches on a daily basis during turtle nesting times to make sure that the nests are undisturbed by man or by any predators. You may visit the S.C.
U.T.E.
Facebook page for more information about this group. Along with the incorporated town of Pawleys Island, the general area is also called Pawleys Island and is served by a post office that takes in a large part of the Waccamaw Neck. Nearby Litchfield Beach also includes public beach accesses maintained by Georgetown County.
Litchfield Beach has residential homes and neighborhoods. There is plenty of shopping and a wide selection of restaurants available for people to enjoy in Pawleys Island and Litchfield. There are several supermarkets that provide groceries and other necessary items for residents and visitors alike.
Within the Pawleys Island/Litchfield area there are about a dozen golf courses that are open to the public. Many of them receive high rankings by the various golfing organizations. As with some of the golf courses in the Murrells Inlet area, most are built on lands that were at one time part of the indigo or rice plantations in the area.
Running from Murrells Inlet down to the Pawleys Island area, the Bike the Neck group has spearheaded efforts to develop and then maintain bike paths that provide designated areas for people to get their exercise and enjoy the area’s scenery and various attractions. A target of the Bike the Neck group is to help to develop the local portions of the East Coast Greenway. The ultimate goal for that Greenway is to have a bike path along most of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.
As with other parts of Georgetown County, the Parks and Recreation Department maintains a number of neighborhood parks. There are four regional parks within the county and various ball fields and tennis courts. Throughout the year, there are seasonal sports programs for children and some for adults as well.
Many of the regional recreation centers have scheduled programs and teams that are open for people to enjoy. Throughout the Waccamaw Neck there are local oyster beds where during designated times people may harvest oysters. There are several seafood outlets and fish houses that have oysters for sale.
In partnership with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, there are several oyster shell recycling locations where people are encouraged to take the oyster shells after enjoying them.
Periodically, SCDNR will gather the oyster shells and take them to a quarantine area where they may be treated and ultimately used to help establish and maintain oyster beds in the coastal waters of Georgetown County and along the South Carolina coast. Along with oceanside boating opportunities, there are several boat landings and marinas. Some are operated by Georgetown County.
There are also several commercial operations that are open to the public. For many years, Georgetown County in general has had among the highest per capita numbers of boats in South Carolina. With the Atlantic Ocean, five rivers and numerous creeks, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the water.
People enjoy boating, personal watercraft, paddle-boarding and waterskiing. There’s also, of course, plenty of fishing. The fishing pier at Pawleys Village is for owners and guests.
People also fish along some of the bridges and causeways. If you head south to Georgetown, there are two Winyah Bay fishing and observation piers at the city limits. They are remnants of the old Lafayette Bridge.
When you’re out and about enjoying the beaches, the rivers and creeks, be sure to use sunscreen regularly and drink liquids. Most of all — enjoy yourselves..
