Myrtle Beach, SC Travel Guide

Myrtle Beach is known for...

1. Beaches:

Let's face it, few would visit Myrtle Beach if it were called "Myrtleville." It's the beach that brings millions of visitors to the Grand Strand every year, but there's plenty of room for them to stretch out over the 60-mile stretch of coastline. With white sand beaches and relatively calm ocean waters make for a perfect playground for kids of all ages to swim, surf, sunbath and build sandcastles. One of the great things about Myrtle Beach is its abundance of public beach accesses. Unlike many beach resorts where the oceanfront is privately owned, Myrtle Beach provides beach access on virtually every block that provide wooden walkways, restroom facilities and spray showers so you don't have to take too much beach home with you.

2. Seafood:

No trip to the coast is complete without a taste of the local cash crop, and Myrtle Beach's happens to be under the sea. Surrounded by the fishing villages of Murrells Inlet, Little River and Calabash, N.C., the Grand Strand has an abundance of fresh seafood and restaurants that serve it. Whether it's all-you-can-eat buffets, rustic oyster bars, fine dining or hole-in-the-wall seafood shacks, your taste buds can get their fish fix in Myrtle Beach. Prefer food from dry land? The Grand Strand is home to more than 1,000 eateries, including the famed Restaurant Row, to satisfy everyone's appetite.

3. Golf:

The Grand Strand features more than 100 courses that reflect both the importance of the sport and the scenic beauty of the area. Beginning with Pine Lakes International Golf Club, which opened in 1927, developers found fertile land and growing demand for more courses, constructing championship layouts from the Lowcountry in Pawleys Island, including the prestigious Caledonia Fish & Golf Club and True Blue Plantation, up beyond the North Carolina border, like River Hills Golf Club and Oyster Bay Plantation. In between are more than 2,000 holes where golfers flock year-round to chase the little white ball.

4. Fun and Games:

Everyone can feel like a kid at Myrtle Beach's many attractions, especially for those into water sports. From amusement parks like Family Kingdom and Broadway at the Beach's Pavilion Nostalgia Park, to water-inspired thrills such as Myrtle Waves, there's plenty of fun to be found. Parasailing, boogie-boarding and jet-skiing are other popular activities, and fishing piers and charter boats make fishing more than a pastime. While "real" golf is Myrtle Beach's top sport, putt-putt courses also line the Strand. From April through September visitors can catch a Myrtle Beach Pelicans' baseball game for fun at the ol' ballpark and free fireworks shows can be spotted in the skies up and down the coast.