Roof Repair in Sullivan's Island, SC

The Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island are two of Charleston's most popular beaches, where countless locals and visitors alike visit year-round for pristine shores, great food and good times.

There are plenty of vacation rentals on the family-oriented Isle of Palms. Just across Breach Inlet is the quieter Sullivan's Island. Both islands offer public access to several miles of beaches, unique restaurants and a seaside charm.

Explore

Sullivan's Island is mostly residential, without resorts, public beach facilities or lifeguards. Beaches tend to be less crowded here, with nature-centric and history-focused attractions.

Around the island, Civil War-era relics and batteries can still be spotted. Each year, the island gathers to commemorate Carolina Day, or the Battle of Sullivan's Island. The June celebration includes musket and cannon firings and reenactments.

For the history buff, take a tour of Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, or take a peak at the Charleston Light, a unique triangular lighthouse constructed on the island in 1962, and one of the last major lighthouses to be built in the United States.

Check out the island's maritime forest by using the Sullivan's Island Nature Trail. Explore the two-mile trail that winds through the young forest next to the beachfront.

Visit the farmers market on the Isle of Palms every third Thursday from June to October, at 24 28th Ave. from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Play pickleball or tennis on the courts at Stith Park on Sullivan's Island or on the Isle of Palms' public courts near the Recreation Center on 28th Avenue. Play a round of golf at the Wild Dunes resort on the Isle of Palms.

Tag along on one of the Isle of Palms’ Recreation Department’s monthly “Sea Stroll and Learn” talks, where local guides take visitors on early-morning beach walks while guides share information on a variety of topics, like marine life, sea turtles and birds.

The Windjammer is a popular concert venue on Front Beach at the Isle of Palms, with drinks, food and dancing. Check out their schedule for concerts held on the outdoor sunset stage or indoors, plus other events, online.

And of course, no day on either island is complete without a visit to the beach.

The Isle of Palms County Park has bathrooms, changing rooms, playgrounds and lifeguards (on duty from May 27 to mid-August). Beach chairs, boogie boards and umbrellas are available for rent. The park is a popular destination in the summertime, so plan to get there early if driving to the beach. There is a $15 entrance fee to the park during the week and a $25 fee on the weekends and holidays.

During beach season, expect heavy traffic to and from the islands and pay attention to parking rules, which tend to be strictly enforced. The parking rules are:

Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island are sites for nesting sea turtles. The turtles crawl out of the ocean and lay eggs, hundreds at a time, in the sand and dunes.

Breach Inlet separates the two islands. The inlet is a favorite spot to take a stroll, walk dogs and fish on the Isle of Palms.

Swimming in the ocean near Breach Inlet is dangerous, and illegal, due to the powerful tidal currents in the waters there. There are small, free parking lots on both sides of the bridge that connects Jasper and Palm boulevards.

Smoking and vaping are not allowed on Sullivan's Island or Isle of Palms beaches. Both islands have banned the use of single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and foam containers on the beaches.

Dogs are permitted on both Isle of Palms and Sullivan's, but before taking your canine companion to the beach, be aware that the islands have different rules.

On Sullivan's Island, annual dog licenses are required, and can be purchased at Town Hall (proof of rabies vaccination required). They cost $25 for residents and $50 for non-residents.

From May 1 to Sept. 30, dogs can be off-leash on the beach from 5-10 a.m. and on-leash from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Dogs are not allowed on Sullivan's from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From Oct. 1 to April 30, dogs can be off-leash from 5 a.m.-noon and on-leash all other times.

On the Isle of Palms, dogs can be off-leash on the beach from April 1 to Sept. 14 from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from Sept. 15 to March 31 from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m.

All other times, dogs must be leashed, have an ID tag and be vaccinated against rabies. Dog permits aren't required but are free and can help reunite lost dogs with owners.

Eat and drink like a local

Both islands offer a variety of restaurants, from casual, cash-only cafés to upscale dining experiences.

On Sullivan's Island, Dunleavy's Pub anchors the small business strip on the island. The Irish bar offers a small but reasonably priced menu featuring classic pub fare.

Grab a burger at Poe's Tavern, named for famous author and poet Edgar Allan Poe, who spent a year on Sullivan's Island.

Fresh seafood won't be hard to find on these islands.

Try out Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, Islander 71 or The Boathouse on the Isle of Palms. The Longboard and Sullivan’s Island Fish Camp on Sullivan's Island serve up plates of fresh fish and shellfish daily.

Plenty of dinner options can be found in Home Team BBQ, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina or High Thyme Cuisine. For dessert, be sure to grab a cone at Republic Ice Cream or try the house-made gelato at Beardcat's Sweet Shop, a shop adjoining the Obstinate Daughter on Middle Street.

Check out the Co-Op for their famous Frosé. Or for a higher-end dining experience, make a reservation at eclectic The Obstinate Daughter, a local favorite.

Grab breakfast at the quaint, cash-only Sea Biscuit Café, or cap off your evening with a reservation at the upscale Coda Del Pesce for Italian cuisine.

Clemson University graduate student Maddie Richardson was enjoying a summer beach day with her boyfriend, Christopher Miles ‘22, on Sullivan’s Island on May 16 when a man swimming out into the ocean caught her eye.

“I noticed that he swam out decently far from his friends as they were all hanging out in knee-deep water,” says Richardson, a Master of Education in higher education and student affairs student from Delaware, Ohio. “The water was very choppy. I’ve swam all my life, competitively growing up, and love to scuba dive and snorkel – and even I wouldn’t have gone in there.”

A gut instinct made Richardson keep a corner of her eye on the man as she and Miles chatted and enjoyed the breezy afternoon.

The man couldn’t have caught the eye of a better person. Richardson lifeguarded, coached swimming and taught swimming lessons throughout high school and as an undergraduate at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While living in Florida, she took up scuba diving as a hobby, which requires learning about ocean currents and aquatic search-and-rescue techniques.

As Richardson watched, another woman swam out to the man and immediately began waving her arms urgently. Richardson jumped into action, running across the beach to the man’s group of friends and his spouse, who were starting to panic; she reassured them she could help and to stay calm, then dove into the waves.

“I would say he was 50 yards from the shore by the time I reached him,” Richardson says. Two other good Samaritans reached the man before she did, and they were themselves fatigued from struggling against the rip current by the time Richardson got there. Her years of experience training in water clicked into autopilot as she took control of the situation.

“He was unconscious and did not seem to be breathing,” Richardson recalls. “I took hold of him and made sure to keep him floating on his back, with his airway above the water. I spoke to him as we floated there and looked for signs of breathing.”

Richardson also tried to keep the other people calm as they bobbed up and down, treading water in the waves. After a few minutes, one more good Samaritan swam out and joined the group as they desperately tried to keep the man from sinking.

“The water was so choppy – we got thrown around quite a bit,” says Richardson, who will graduate in 2027. “But I knew as long as I had the energy to help, I would stay there, and those other people were right there with me.”

The four strangers worked together to keep the man afloat for about 10 long, exhausting minutes. Finally, first responders from the Sullivan’s Island Fire Department reached the group with a jet ski towing a rescue board. Richardson and the three other helpers loaded the victim onto the board and clung to it as the first responders towed them all to shore.

Once on the beach, the emergency medical services team succeeded in getting the man to regain consciousness and resume breathing, then transported him to the Medical University of South Carolina for treatment.

[As of this writing, the 23-year-old man’s name and current condition are unknown.]

Richardson is spending her summer working as a graduate assistant for the Summer Start program, a natural extension of the sense of community that drew her to Clemson.

“I chose my major because of the passion I have for others, especially working with college students, making sure they feel advocated for, supported and heard,” she says. “I looked at many different schools for my master’s but was drawn to Clemson for the feeling of family – of us all being on the same team.”

Looking back on that fateful day, she says, a young man is alive because a handful of people happened to be on that beach who shared that same innate feeling.

“A small group of strangers came together that day to help a fellow human being,” she explains matter-of-factly. “That to me is beautiful.”