Things to do on your Hilton Head family vacation

Everyone knows about the beautiful beaches and world-class golf courses on Hilton Head Island. But there's a lot more to do on this tropical paradise than golf or a day at the beach. In fact, there are so many fun filled activities for the family that in order to complete them all you may need to come back again and again and again!

Go Kayaking - Kayak rentals are a great way for the family to enjoy the natural beauty of Hilton Head Island's waterways. Whether you are looking to go off on your own or take a guided tour, each rental company provides complete safety equipment, instruction, and maps. You and your family will get a chance to explore the coastal waters, sounds and marshes and get close to local wildlife including dolphins, otters, osprey, wood storks, and other native creatures.

Take a Day or Evening Cruise - If you're looking for something a bit roomier than a kayak, the area offers a wide variety of day and evening cruises including motorized and sailing cruises. One of the most exciting cruises for children are one of the many dolphin watch cruises. The Hilton Head area boasts a large bottlenose dolphin population, and you can usually see them all year round. Although it is illegal to feed the dolphins, you may catch them "strand feeding". At low tide, dolphins will herd a school of fish up onto the shoreline, then beach themselves for a feast!

Deep sea fishing cruises are also a popular family vacation event. Flounder, king mackerel, grouper, bluefish, and snapper are prevalent in our South Carolina coastal waters. If you would rather dine on fresh seafood than catch your own, there are a number of dinner cruises with breathtaking sunset views of Daufuskie Island and the Calibogue Sound.

Hit The Bike Trails - Explore the Island at a leisurely pace by bicycle on the seemingly endless miles of bike trails. In fact, the public bike trail along Highway 278 will bring you all the way from Sea Pines up to Hilton Head Plantation! Along the way there are plenty of places to visit including quaint shops, restaurants, art galleries, and miniature golf courses. If you are staying at one of the resort hotels within plantation gates you can also explore the resort grounds. Sea Pines has over 40 miles of bike trails within the community! If you don't have the space to bring your own bikes, there are numerous companies that rent bicycles by the day and by the week. Be sure to bring a lock to secure your bicycles when you rest, and never leave your valuables unattended.

Explore Nature - Hilton Head Island was designed to ensure that the structures blend in with the natural surroundings and that woods and wetlands remain undisturbed. If you happen near one of our many lagoons you're sure to eventually spot an alligator. Keep your distance, though. They can outrun a human on a straight line. It's also illegal to feed the alligators. It's best to keep clear of the shores of the lagoons during the warmer months and observe from a distance.

On the beach, you may catch a glimpse of a loggerhead turtle. Loggerheads are an endangered species, and it's illegal to interfere with the turtles or their nests.

While your apt to catch a glimpse of the many shorebirds and other wildlife, you may want to take a guided eco-tour through the marshes, creeks, and rivers. Guided tours are also available along the beaches.

Spend a Day in Harbour Town - The Harbour Town lighthouse in Sea Pines Plantation is one of the most photographed landmarks in South Carolina and the U.S. You and your family can climb to the top of the lighthouse and catch the spectacular view of the 18th hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links and the Calibogue Sound. There's plenty do do within the area including shopping and dining while taking in the sights of the yachts in the harbour. During the summer months there are children's activities every evening. Within the Sea Pines gates there are many other family vacation activities including horseback riding, boat rentals, sailing, water skiing, parasailing, fishing charters, bike rentals, and boat cruises.

Kid Stuff - Sometimes a kid just wants to be a kid - and so does his parents! Hilton Head has miniature golf courses, a water park, and plenty of playgrounds and ball fields. On Tuesday nights the family can gather at Shelter Cove for the weekly fireworks display.