11 Unforgettable Moments You’ll Experience on a Trip To Bluffton, South Carolina
Bluffton is a small Southern town just 10 minutes east of Hilton Head Island and 30 minutes north of Savannah, Georgia. The first thing that’ll hit you when you arrive is the oh-so-sweet smell of saltwater marshes. Then you’ll spot that classically Southern sight of tangled Spanish moss draping from age-old live oaks, see the May River winding its way through Old Town — and you’ll be hooked.
Prepare for a slow pace here, whether it’s at the local breweries, restaurants serving up fresh-caught oysters, first-class golf courses, or out on the water in a kayak. If you’re open to matching the town’s relaxed vibes, here are 11 moments you’ll experience in Bluffton — and 11 you won’t soon forget.
1. Walking through historic Old Town for the first time
Photo: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB
When the town of Bluffton was first established in the mid-19th century, it consisted of just one square mile — a stretch of homes and shops that sat atop a bluff overlooking the May River — which is now the area known as
Head to Old Town at the corner of Calhoun and Lawrence for the Thursday
2. Shucking freshly caught Lowcountry oysters
In Bluffton, oyster season takes place in the ‘R’ months — meaning any month that has the letter in its spelling (i.e., September through April). Oysters are traditionally served steamed, but you can find these little mollusks in all forms, from raw to baked to cooked in stew.
For a real Lowcountry experience, hit up an oyster roast, where cooks literally shovel buckets of bivalves over open fires before dumping them on community tables for guests to shuck themselves. If you can’t find a roast during your trip, pay a visit to
3. Breathing in salt air — on a river
Photo: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB
Sometimes referred to as “the last true coastal village of the South,” Bluffton is absolutely tangled with waterways. The May River, which flows around Old Town, is a great place for spotting dolphins (yep, you’re that close to the Atlantic) or fishing off one of the docks.
For a more adventurous way to experience the marshland, rent a kayak or canoe and paddle down the river. During low tide, head out to the May River sandbar, where people swim, dock boats, host picnics, and play beach games. A lazy afternoon on the river is pretty much guaranteed to get you into that Bluffton state of mind.
4. Knocking back some locally brewed beer
Bluffton — a town of fewer than 20,000 — takes its beer seriously. There’s a craft brewery right in Old Town,
5. Painting your masterpiece
Photo: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB
If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at painting or sculpting — or photography or any other creative adventure — then the
6. Visiting a potter’s studio
Jacob Preston,
7. Discovering a classic Southern escape
Photo: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB
Find out what Lowcountry Luxury is all about at Montage Palmetto Bluff, one of the South’s most famous and finest resorts. In an area where golf is taken seriously, the guests- and members-only
8. Brushing up on your Civil War history
Though the first shots of the Civil War were fired two hours up the road in Charleston, Bluffton’s history is certainly entangled in this time period. In 1863, Union troops descended on the town, burning most of it to the ground. But a bunch of signs remain — some are unassuming, like the small fort off Confederate Avenue east of Old Bluffon. Some are large but go incognito, like the “Secession Oak,” where crowds once gathered to spur on the eventual secession movement that took over the South.
Others you just can’t miss. Check out the
9. Tasting a Southern-esque food and drink scene
Photo:
For breakfast, lunch, or brunch,
Bonus: Bars around these parts are big on live music. Start the night at
10. Attending the Blessing of the Fleet
With temps rarely dipping below 50 degrees, Bluffton is an awesome spot for year-round festivals and events, and the annual Blessing of the Fleet is one of its most popular outdoor celebrations. This is basically the are-you-a-Bluffton-local litmus test.
The Blessing of the Fleet, part of the
11. Touring the Garvin House
Photo: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB
A small Lowcountry cottage built around 1870 by Cyrus Gardner — a freed slave who became one of Bluffton’s more illustrious citizens — the Garvin House was a ramshackle ruin painstakingly restored brick by brick and shingle by shingle by the Town of Bluffton in 2016-2017. Perched on the banks of the May River, the house was used for decades as storage for the Bluffton Oyster Company, and today it’s a great example of what public involvement can do to save culturally important structures.
Tours are offered through the Heyward House, Bluffton’s official welcome center. Afterwards, head next door to Oyster Factory Park for river views and to take advantage of their oyster-roasting pit. If this doesn’t get you in the Bluffton mindset, nothing will.
