Hilton Head vs. Myrtle Beach

We are trying to decide whether to stay on Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach. We are going next August, from California, and have never been to either area. How are they different? Which is the prettiest? Which is the quietest?

Thanks!

Hilton Head vs. Myrtle Beach

Mytle Beach is a typical beach resort with a boardwalk and much of the trappings such as miniature golf and some rides available. The area has many golf courses, though none are of championship caliber.

The area also sometimes is called ';East Branson'; since it features theatres with shows that run several times a day. It is about 2 hours from Charleston SC, via Route 17 which is a great day trip.

Hilton Head is much quieter. The island is famed for its devotion to maintaining as much of the natural state as possible. The island is divided into a number of communities commonly called plantations. Beach oriented vacationers would want to stay at Palmetto Dunes, Sea pines, or Forest Beach. All these have hotels or condos available for rent which are right on the ocean. Each plantation has it%26#39;s own set of golf courses with the world famous Harbourtown course located in Sea Pines. The choice of day trips is more varied since Beaufort, Charleston, and Savannah are only a short drive away. Hilton Head is also a top rated tennis resort with three of the top fifty tennis facilities located there. There are over 200 restaurants in the area ranging from Family style to haute cuisine.

hope this helps.

Hilton Head vs. Myrtle Beach

I agree with the previous review. Form a slightly different perspective, Myrtle beach is geared towards singles, groups of guys that want to play golf and younger couples that want to stay up late. hilton head is more geared towards families. Hope that helps also

Please read the replys to ';pitt';s posting of the same question under the Myrtle Beach forum

I disagree with the previous postings.Myrtle Beach is part of the Grand Strand.This area covers North Myrtle south to Georgetown.Yes, Myrtle Beach does have many family attractions, including great shows of many types.

If you stay south of Myrtle-

Pawleys Island is a very quiet, lay-back area.Extremely family orientated.No hustle-bustle there!

Georgetown is also a great place to visit.It%26#39;s the 3rd oldest city in SC(1st Charleston,2nd Beaufort).

Great restaurants, fun things to do--that%26#39;s the Grand Strand. Included you can find great shows, an awesome aquarium,many miniature golf sites, great shopping, etc....

As to golf courses. I totally disagree with the comment that the Grand Strand doesn%26#39;t have high calibur golf courses.I can tell he hasn%26#39;t played golf at True Blue or Caledonia just to name two. There are too many to talk about. You can contact the Horry County or Georgetown County Cahmber of Commerce for all information to help your decision.

I forgot to mention one very important factor-COST!Hilton Head is very expensive to visit %26amp; stay.This deals with every aspect of a vacation!!

I am a native Oregonian, now living in Guam. My daughter lives in NC, so we often go to the beach in that area in the summertime. Myrtle Beach is, in my opinion, kind of ugly and crowded, with kind of a ';girls gone wild'; ambience. Hilton Head is more picturesque and ';family-oriented.'; I like it a lot better. Hilton Head is also quieter, I would say--but both have quite a bit of traffic. I like the Forest Beach area (of Hilton Head), myself, which is less plastic than much of Hilton Head. There are lots of bike rentals, with nice paths and you can also ride on the beach, itself (the sand is firmer than in California).

I agree with most of the previous postings. I have spent time in both, and I lived in Charleston for 4 years. In short, Hilton Head is a much more upscale place than Myrtle Beach. It doesn%26#39;t have the %26#39;in your face%26#39; commercialism that you would find in places like Daytona and Cocoa Beach.

Both have their pros and cons. If you have teenagers, they will enjoy Myrtle Beach more. If you have younger children (under age 8 to 10) they will probably enjoy Hilton Head more. If you have no children, you will probably enjoy Hilton Head more.

As a resident of Hilton Head, I am definitely biased. HH is prettier. HH is quieter. HH is close to Beaufort and Savannah for site-seeing opportunities. But some find HH too quiet. Come after mid-August. It gets dramatically quieter after our kids go back to school.

Obviously, hhiguy from Hilton Head Island is having some difficulty giving on unbiased opinion. However, there is some truth to what he said. The heart of Myrtle Beach is very touristy and features, amusements, putt-putt golf, and is extremely loud and crowded, especially during June and July. However, North Myrtle and Garden City (south of Myrtle) are quite different. Limited high-rises, less touristy, more family oriented. Great condo%26#39;s and resorts on or very near the beach. It%26#39;s all a matter of taste. If you truly want a beach vacation North Myrtle is great. Beaches are fantastic. Good restaurants nearby and good (some great)golf courses everywhere.

Hilton Head is nice, but talk about crowds and traffic!!

If one of your major requirements is which place is the prettiest, than Hilton Head wins hands down!! The locals on the island do a fantastic job of keeping the island VERY well maintained and gorgeous.

A few examples are: No building is allowed to be higher than the tallest tree, other than the lighthouse, and there are no neon signs allowed. Hope this helps!!

PS Hilton Head is GORGEOUS!!!

Steve in Ohio

I have never been to Myrtle, only based on what I have heard from people who like the same things I do and did not have a good experience there. However, last May at HHI, there seemed to be a lot more of the younger crowd (college age) there, with a lot of late-night noise (fireworks at 3am???). We are going back this year, but I hope this isn%26#39;t a trend. And as far as MB being ';more affordable'; than HHI, keep in mind you get what you pay for!