Daufuskie Island

Surrounded by water with no bridge in sight, Daufuskie Island, just south of Hilton Head, is the southernmost tip of South Carolina and every person's dream of a private, tropical island. Arriving by your own boat, or ferries from Hilton Head you will find an island untouched by urban development that is five miles long by 1 ½ miles wide. Cars are few and relegated to specific driving areas. Golf carts, bicycles and walking are the preferred ways to get about.

Until recently Daufuskie was primarily a Gullah island. The people had little contact with the outside world for a hundred years after the Civil War. Author Pat Conroy taught school and it was this experience that led to a writing career. Now, in addition to the historic neighborhood, there are three communities with homes, condominiums and resort living plus golf, tennis, horseback riding, and all kinds of boating and fishing.

The island is split into five parts. To the northeast is the Haig Point Club, a private, member owned residential club with a small number of year round residents and a fair number of members who maintain vacation homes there. South of this is the Daufuskie Island Resort and Breathe Spa. A full service resort complete with an inn and meeting facilities, rental cottages, golf, tennis, swimming pools, restaurants, equestrian center and a state-of-the art spa. Further south on the eastern side of the island is Oak Ridge, a small oceanfront community followed by Bloody Point, a private residential community with amenities that are an accessible part of the Daufuskie Island Resort and Breathe Spa.

The western part of the island is unincorporated land, with several dozen residents living in a variety of accommodations, from trailers to beautiful waterfront homes with private docks. This section of the island is often referred to as the Historic District. Visitors can take a tour around this historic portion of the island, with boat transportation available from nearby Hilton Head Island, Bluffton or Savannah on the mainland. Highlights include the site of the Bloody Point Lighthouse, the school where Pat Conroy taught, and the home workshops of local artisans.