Historic Charleston

Historic Charleston covers the central South Carolina coast around Charleston Harbor, the colonial-era port and the resort-and-barrier-island country surrounding it. The terrain is flat coastal plain — tidal salt marsh, low pine flatwoods, sandy barrier islands at Sullivan’s, the Isle of Palms, Folly, Kiawah, and Seabrook, and the broad Charleston Harbor where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet. Founded in 1670, Charleston is one of the oldest cities in the country. Charleston and Dorchester counties cover the region. Charleston County holds Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, and Kiawah Island; Dorchester holds Summerville. Anchor attractions include the Battery and White Point Garden, Rainbow Row, the Charleston City Market, Fort Sumter National Monument, the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point, Boone Hall Plantation, Magnolia Plantation, and the Angel Oak (a 400+ year old live oak on Johns Island). Most trips here run colonial-history and beach focused. Charleston handles the historic-walking-tour itinerary — the cobblestone streets of the French Quarter, the carriage tours, the antebellum mansions; Fort Sumter ferry trips run from Patriots Point; Folly Beach and Isle of Palms handle the family-beach traffic; Kiawah runs the upscale resort-and-golf itinerary.