Edisto Island

South Carolina is clearly one of the most gifted coastlines in the world, blessed with beautiful islands and beaches that dot the stretch of this wonderful state. One such island that has become a haven for laidback seaside living is Edisto Island, located in Charleston county. The island is a good half hour drive or less from coastal Highway 174, and opens up after one reaches the McKinley Washington Junior Bridge.

Aside from the endowments of the sea on both the environment and the people's way of living, island communities hold a unique charm all their own, and for Edisto Island, it is their famous antebellum plantation estates that were a legacy of the English and Spanish settlers who populated the island from 1500s to 1790s.

These plantations produced rice, indigo and the famed Edisto Sea Island Cotton, which ranked among the list of finest cottons in the world and accounted for the affluence of early Edisto Island residents. Both the plantations and their private home estates are now declared as historical sites by the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, Edisto Island lures tourists with an unforgettable oceanside vacation where the bounty of the sea can be shared right on the coastlines with fresh catch of shrimps, fish, oysters and crabs or in the island restaurants nearby. Other things to do include boat tours, a round of golf, museum visits and hours of relaxing exploration of the island wonders on your own.