Travel Guides Culinary Vacations
Lexi Kassler
Just a few hours’ drive south of the ultimate foodie destination, Charleston, South Carolina, you can encounter yet another haven for seafood lovers: Hilton Head Island. Located just off the eastern coast of the United States, this gorgeous island has garnered a reputation for its incredible seafood offerings. With the Atlantic Ocean at its doorstep, it’s no wonder why. If you head to any of the local restaurants on the island, you can find a variety of sea creatures to choose from, including shrimp, crab, oysters, and all kinds of fish, from swordfish to sea bass.
But that’s not all you’ll discover at Hilton Head. This island is one of the top destinations on the East Coast and is well-known for its must-visit beaches and numerous golf courses. This makes Hilton Head the perfect destination for the whole family, whether you have seafood lovers, beachgoers, or golfers in the group.
Enjoy a seafood extravaganza at Hilton Head Island
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When visiting Hilton Head Island, you simply cannot miss out on the culinary experiences offered by its seafood restaurants. If you’re wondering which is the best, though, the internet pretty unanimously names Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks as the top pick. As the name suggests, this is a waterfront restaurant that serves freshly caught local fish alongside southern classics like crab cakes, hush puppies, and fried green tomatoes. Be prepared to wait, though. Hudson’s is quite popular for both visitors and locals alike.
If you find yourself wanting more, don’t worry. The waters surrounding Hilton Head will provide! The annual Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival, which is hosted every February, features a smorgasbord of gastronomic delights straight from the Atlantic and beyond. There’s live music, multi-course dinner events, and, of course, an abundance of seafood dishes to sample. It’s really the perfect opportunity to dive into the local food scene and get a taste of some of the freshest and best seafood around, as well as other local food and drink purveyors.
Get hands on with Hilton Head seafood
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Do you think the seafood eateries on Hilton Head Island will be enough to satisfy your seafood craving? If not, you might just need to try your hand at fishing. Luckily, few places on the East Coast offer better fishing experiences than Hilton Head. The best part is that there are many different types of marine ecosystems in the area, so you have a few options for where you can do your fishing. Depending on the fishing charter, you can choose between inshore, nearshore, or offshore fishing.
You can probably guess where each type of fishing takes place, but let’s break it down. Inshore fishing takes place in shallower waters in estuaries and just beyond beach jetties. Nearshore fishing takes place just beyond the jetties to the offshore drop-off, and offshore fishing goes beyond the drop-off. In each area, you’ll have a unique experience both due to the surroundings and the types of fish you’ll catch.
Hilton Head’s fishing charters all have hundreds to thousands of reviews, and each has close to five stars. This gives us the confidence to say that you’ll likely have an excellent experience with any of these companies. The best ones are Outside Hilton Head, which not only offers fishing charters but also many other excellent tours and activities in and around Hilton Head. The next charter we recommend is Off The Hook Fishing Charter, which not only has fishing activities but also shrimp trawling!
