There’s no shortage of things to see and do in South Carolina’s quaint waterfront community of Georgetown.

DO & SEE

Chat Up Ghosts

Saunter along the seaport (above) at dusk and commune with pirate ghosts, maritime apparitions and other denizens of schooners lost at sea. Elizabeth Huntsinger’s lantern led tours depart Friday evenings while Williams Ghost Walks takes reservations seven days a week.

Museum Hop

South Carolina’s favorite grain takes center stage at the Rice Museum. Next, “kumbaya” over to the Gullah Museum (above) to get versed in Gullah Geechee culture. The English-based creole language adopted by enslaved African Americans so they could communicate with each other also gave us “yo,” “yam,” and “gumbo.” There’s also the Georgetown Country Museum to keep the history fix going. 

Fish On

Drop a line into Winyah Bay and reel in a redfish (above), flounder or tarpon. Looking for an inshore angling experience or leisurely sightseeing tour through the salt marsh estuaries? Big Marsh will hook you up. Targeting Lowcountry tarpon? Kingfisher Guide Service  specializes in the saltwater game fish.

EAT & STAY

The George Hotel

This brand new 56-room boutique hotel (above), built over the footprint of the old Georgetown Times newspaper building, is perched right on the main drag along the town’s waterfront. Hotly anticipated for half a decade, the three-story edifice puts guests steps from the boats on the marina that provide fishing, sailing and sightseeing excursions.

Between The Antlers

According to local lore, back when this bluff on Vinegar Hill overlooking the Sampit River was a federal wharf, George Washington used to sip rum here. Nowadays boat drinks and martinis are the tipples of choice and the grub runs the gamut from Lowcountry surf to classic American comfort fare.

Historic B&B options

Soak up the history of South Carolina’s third oldest city, where dwellings date back to 1737, by getting up close and personal with the early colonial, Georgian and classical revival architecture. Stay on the Spanish moss-draped grounds of a three-century old antebellum rice plantation or in an elegant inn (above) situated in the historic district with a pool to cool off in. For more adventurous travelers, a bed and brewhouse with upstairs guest rooms and a beer parlor below that is occasionally opened to the public.