WELCOME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND!
Hilton Head is the second largest island on America's East Coast. Several things set Hilton Head apart, other than the obvious things like broad beaches, sub-tropical weather and friendly residents.
Perhaps the important is that ours is largely a planned community. Our Island has a master plan that sets aside certain areas for single family homes, condos, commercial development and so on.
There are relatively few exceptions to our master plan, and almost all of them are leftovers from before Hilton Head became a town. Look around you and you will see no oceanfront towers or amusement parks.
One of the most unusual characteristics of Hilton Head, especiallly for a newcomer, is our "plantations." The substantial majority of our island is within the boundries of plantations.
To enter many of our plantations, however, you must be a guest of a property owner or someone with special entry privileges. To enter Sea Pines Plantation and visit Harbour Town and several other well-known attractions, you need only invest $5.00 per vechicle for a daily pass at the Sea Pines gate.
The fees paid for entry to Sea Pines are not a source of "profit" to the plantation. Entry fees are a partial source of funding for road maintenance and other plantation expenses. There are no state funds contributed toward such expenses.
Even though plantations occupy a majority of our Island, some of our best beaches are located outside of plantations. In addition, the substantial majority of our dining spots and shopping facilities are not located behind plantation gates. Similarly, most hotels, motels and many rental villas (condominiums) are not on plantations. Although most golf courses and racquet clubs are on restricted access plantations, special passes are available to allow access to those that are open to the public. Refer to the golf and tennis sections for more information.
Meet Our People
Perhaps the best thing about Islanders is their diversity. Our median age is around 35, so Hilton Head clearly cannot be classified as a sunbelt retirement community, although thousands of people of good taste have chosen to retire here. Islanders come from many places, with Ohio, Georgia, New York, New Jersey and other areas of South Carolina probably heading the list. We also have lots of people from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, New England and many other places. And, we have a small, but vibrant population of native Islanders whose roots extend to a "long-ago" time when there was no bridge to the mainland.
If you are just visiting, we hope that you enjoy your stay on Hilton Head...and that you will consider returning often. If you already are a resident, next time you talk with visitors why not help them find the same things that made Hilton Head so attractive to you!
