Embrace the Sun Area Guide
Activities
Explore
What to see and do around the island during your snowbird season.
Sea Love Candle Making
At Sea Love Candle Bar in The Shops at Sea Pines Center, you’ll pour custom soy candles with a Certified Scent Stylist guiding you through a wall of more than 100 fragrances, so you can blend a scent that feels like your winter on the island. Sessions run 45 to 60 minutes, candles start at $42 per person, and beer and wine are available while you pour. Book ahead and allow about two hours for your candles to set, and every time you light one back home, the season comes back with it.
Pickleball
Mild winter weather keeps Hilton Head Island’s courts busy straight through snowbird season, with games for every pace and skill level. Palmetto Dunes Tennis & Pickleball Center has 24 dedicated courts, $20 round robins twice a day, and $34 clinics, including Pickleball 101 with paddles provided. If you’d rather play indoors, Dill Dinkers on Mathews Drive has eight cushioned indoor courts, open play, and private lessons, open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Join a round robin your first week, and you’ll have a standing game and a few new friends for the rest of the season.
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Just off US 278 between the bridges onto the island, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge protects 4,053 acres of salt marsh, maritime forest, and freshwater ponds. Flat gravel and grass trails welcome walkers and cyclists, from the two-mile round trip to Ibis Pond to the 7.8-mile route out to White Point, and cool winter mornings are an ideal time to go. Look for white ibis, snowy egrets, herons, and alligators sunning at the water’s edge. Entry is free from sunrise to sunset, and there are no restrooms or water on site, so pack a thermos and binoculars, then head back to your villa for a slow afternoon.
Michael Anthony’s Cooking School
At Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana in Orleans Plaza, the cooking school turns a winter weekday into a long Italian lunch. In the demonstration class, you’ll watch the chef prepare a full menu step by step, with a welcome glass of Prosecco, a generous tasting of every dish, a glass of wine, and a recipe booklet to take home. Classes run from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and cost $90 per person plus tax and gratuity, or $125 for the hands-on version, where you’ll cook three recipes alongside the chef. Reserve by phone at 843-785-6272, since seats are assigned by party size in the order bookings come in.
Relaxed Atmosphere · Island Favorites
Dining
A few local favorites to work into your weekly routine, from American-Italian classics to fine-dining hidden gems.
Pick a regular table early in the season, and by February they’ll know your order.
From a recent guest
“Amazing lunch options — sandwiches, fancy salads, seafood — huge servings, everything was fresh and delicious. Very affordable upscale-ish lunch.”
Truffles Cafe
Truffles has been feeding Sea Pines since 1983, and its dining room at Sea Pines Center still feels like a regular’s table. The menu runs from fresh seafood and steaks to the house chicken pot pie under puff pastry and mango-glazed salmon with pineapple chutney. Pair dinner with a glass from the wine list, then stroll the shops at Sea Pines Center before heading home.
Lulu Kitchen
Chef Scott Hastings opened Lulu Kitchen in 2021 in the Fresh Market Shoppes, with a bright, eclectic dining room built around fresh, high-quality ingredients. Plates range from bold to refined, with Lowcountry staples like shrimp and grits and seasonal specials that keep fine dining approachable on a weeknight. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Frankie Bones
Frankie Bones on Main Street channels a 1960s Rat Pack supper club, with high-back burgundy leather booths and a martini list to match. The American-Italian menu covers steaks, seafood, and house-made pasta, with standouts like lobster mac and cheese and a coffee-marinated ribeye. Settle into a booth for a slow dinner, or come for early dining, served daily from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Winter Beach Walks · Island Favorites
Beaches
Snowbirds cherish Hilton Head Island’s coastal haven for its pristine, broad stretches of uncrowded winter sand and calm, gentle Atlantic waters.
Winter is the island’s quietest season on the sand, with sunrise on the Atlantic and sunset over Calibogue Sound.
Fish Haul Beach Park
Fish Haul Beach Park sits on the calm water of Port Royal Sound at the island’s north end, far from the busier resort beaches. At low tide, wide mudflats, sun-bleached driftwood, and the edge of the maritime forest give you room to wander, hunt for shells, and watch the shorebirds that winter here in near privacy. The park sits in the historic Gullah neighborhood of Bay Gall beside Mitchelville Freedom Park, with parking, restrooms, and outdoor showers on site.
Folly Field Beach
Folly Field Beach trades the crowds for wide, soft sand, reached by a wooden boardwalk that winds through the dunes. It faces the Atlantic, which makes it an easy mid-island pick for a sunrise walk, and the tide line is a good place to look for intact sand dollars. Parking, outdoor showers, and restrooms at 55 Starfish Drive make an early start simple, with coffee waiting back at the villa.
South Beach
At the southern tip of Sea Pines, South Beach is a wide, quiet stretch of shore facing Calibogue Sound, where Atlantic bottlenose dolphins often feed just offshore. Its view to the west makes it one of the island’s best places to watch the sun drop into the water in gold and pastel light. When the light fades, follow the tide line to South Beach Marina for dinner or a cocktail at the Salty Dog Cafe.
Local Tip · Catch the Golden Hour
Plan your walk for golden hour, the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset, when low, warm light runs across the water and the shore is at its quietest. Through snowbird season, that means a sunrise walk at Folly Field around 7 a.m., or a sunset walk at South Beach around 5:30 p.m. as the sun drops over Calibogue Sound. Then check the tide chart: the water here rises and falls about seven feet and turns roughly every six hours, and the two hours on either side of low tide leave the widest, firmest sand of the day.
Select Experience
Hilton Head Distillery
Distillery tour and tastings at Hilton Head Distillery
Island’s Only
Distillery on Hilton Head Island
One of a Kind
Spirits made on the island since 2016
Tasting Tour
One hour · six spirits, neat
Craft Spirits, Made on the Island
Of all the ways to fill a slow winter afternoon on Hilton Head Island, few are as satisfying as a visit to Hilton Head Distillery, the island’s first and only distillery. Brothers Joe and Tony Dawson opened the small craft house at 14 Cardinal Road in 2016, and it now makes rum, vodka, gin, and whiskey right on the island. Step up to the tasting bar, where the team, who call themselves “Rumslingers,” pour each spirit and tell the story behind it, from the ingredients to how it’s made. Book the one-hour tour and tasting to see distillation up close in the still house, then finish with six spirits poured neat. It’s an unhurried hour that suits the snowbird pace, and a welcome change from the beach and the fairway.
Classes, Bottles, and Before You Book
If you’d rather get hands-on, the two-hour History of Rum cocktail class ($95 per person) revives the classic cocktail hour and sends you home with timeless recipes and a few modern twists for your next sunset on the lanai. Before you leave, browse the bottle shop for the Spiced Rum or Espresso Roast Rum, both 2026 ADI silver medalists, as a souvenir or a gift for friends still shoveling snow back home. The distillery is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 6:30 p.m., with the last tour and tasting at 5 p.m., so it’s easy to plan around a round of golf or a bike ride on the beach. Tours and classes are for guests 21 and older, and we recommend booking ahead in the busy winter season.
Select Course
Robert Cupp Course
Robert Cupp Course at Palmetto Hall Plantation
18 Holes
Par 72 · opened in 1993
7,079 Yards
From the gold tees · four tee sets
Semi-Private
Visitors welcome to book tee times
A Bold Design Since 1993
A crisp, clear winter afternoon brings out the best of golf season on Hilton Head Island, and the Robert Cupp Course at Palmetto Hall is the place to spend it. Opened in 1993, the semi-private, par-72 layout was first drawn by computer, with straight lines, sharp angles, and geometric bunkers unlike anything else on the island. Time has softened those edges, but the bold design character and sound shot values remain. Four sets of tees, from 5,220 to 7,079 yards, give seasoned players a real test while keeping the round fun for every skill level.
Amenities, and After the Round
Warm up on the driving range, then head out with everything taken care of: professional golf staff, rental clubs, and carts, with the cart included in your green fee. Palmetto Hall’s sister layout, the Arthur Hills Course, opened in 1991, so a snowbird season easily fits regular rounds on both. After your final putt, the clubhouse at 108 Fort Howell Drive keeps the afternoon going with dining and happy hour. Fish Haul Beach Park is just a few minutes away off Beach City Road, so the day can end with a sunset walk on Port Royal Sound.
From the course
“A truly unique experience, the Cupp course is, from a player’s standpoint, refreshingly new and great fun to play for all skill levels.”
Book Direct · No Platform Fees
Signature Snowbird Stays
A few of the homes we recommend for a winter escape, from a few weeks to a full snowbird season.
Popular Pick8 Juniper
Set in Forest Beach near Coligny, this updated single-level home wraps around a private, landscaped backyard with an expansive pool and spa, and heating is available for winter swims. The king primary suite and three more bedrooms each have their own bath, and the open living and dining room fills with light through large windows. Beach chairs, towels, and a cart are ready for the short trip to the sand, with parking for four cars.
Popular Pick200 Olive Shell
Inside the gated Homes at Olive Shell in Spanish Wells, this three-story townhome pairs 9-foot ceilings and high-end finishes with two king suites, each with its own screened porch. Step out back to a fenced plunge pool ringed with Adirondack chairs, or walk over to the community pool. North End waterfront dining, golf, and fishing are close by, and a game room with ping-pong keeps rainy afternoons easy.
58 Ocean Breeze
Tucked beneath a canopy of live oaks and palmettos, 58 Ocean Breeze is the kind of Hilton Head townhome that makes slowing down feel natural, and this time, your dog gets to come along too. Morning coffee on the private back deck comes with a view of lush greenery, while Coligny Beach, the island’s bike paths, and favorite local restaurants are all within easy reach.
1672 Bluff Villas
Just steps from the sand and a short stroll to the Salty Dog Marina, this beautifully updated villa offers the perfect home base for your Hilton Head getaway. Spacious, light-filled interiors with soaring vaulted ceilings create an easy, open feel throughout, while the nearby community pool and beach access make it effortless to fill your days with sun and relaxation.
C346 Hilton Head Beach & Tennis
Escape to this inviting condo at Hilton Head Beach & Tennis Resort, where resort-style amenities and coastal charm come together for an easy island getaway. Tucked within the lush, palm-lined grounds of the resort, this retreat puts you just steps from the resort’s Community Pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and on-site dining at Coconutz Pizza & Wings and Jamaica Joe’z oceanfront beach bar.
12 views · last 72 hrs7102 Treetops Villa
Centrally located on Hilton Head Island, 7102 Treetops Villa offers an idyllic setting just minutes from Van Der Meer Tennis Center and a scenic, shaded stroll to South Forest Beach. This spacious top-floor retreat sleeps up to six guests with three bedrooms, each with its own dedicated bathroom, and features a screened patio overlooking serene wooded views.
Looking for Something Else
Host & Home manages homes across Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Shelter Cove, Forest Beach, Shipyard, Folly Field, and beyond, from harbor-view villas to oceanfront homes made for a long, easy season. Ask our local team about monthly and extended winter stays, and we’ll find the snowbird rental that fits.
Ready to Book
Plan Your Seasonal Sanctuary
Host & Home offers a higher standard of stay: comfort, care, and craft; thoughtfully prepared for your arrival. Our team excels in providing high-end customer service and takes a proactive approach to ensure every detail is meticulously handled.
Drawing from hands-on experience in the 5-star hotel, real estate, and vacation rental industries, we’ve taken best practices to the next level, delivering a stay that feels effortless, local, and genuinely well cared for.
Everything Handled Before You Arrive
This is where a thoughtfully hosted stay makes the difference — more than just a place to sleep for the week. With Host & Home, the details are handled before you ever arrive: local support, a well-prepared home, and a Hilton Head experience that starts long before check-in.
Contact Us
Find Your Snowbird Stay on Hilton Head Island
Ready for a better way to spend the winter in the Lowcountry? Connect with us and book direct to start planning your snowbird season.
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