Kiawah Island, S.C., is a privately owned 5-star resort open to residents and guests only. The island is named for the Kiawah Indians who lived on the island in the 17th century. The island is a 10,000-acre eco-conscious, private residential and resort community located 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. A nature-lover's paradise, the resort also offers golf, tennis, water sports and other recreational activities.
Kiawah Island is a private resort island open only to residents and guests (except for one public beach). The Kiawah Island Golf Resort and its Sanctuary at Kiawah Island is the only hotel on the island. There are two resort villages, East Beach and West Beach, where you can book a rental condo, cottage or home for your stay.
Kiawah Island is an eco-conscious resort where special attention is paid to conservation. Two dollars of every night's stay at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort is contributed to the Kiawah Island Conservancy. A treasured resident of Kiawah Island is the loggerhead sea turtle who nests near the beach. There are no streetlights so that the loggerheads won't be attracted by them and leave the safety of their nests. The natural environment of island includes sand dunes, magnolias, live oaks, marsh and pine forests. Deer, gray foxes, bobcats, raccoons, otters, ospreys, various water fowl, alligators and numerous kinds of fish also thrive on Kiawah Island. Even the golf courses have Audubon Sanctuary Certification, a testament to their environmentally friendly nature.
Kiawah Island is a noted golf destination with five championship courses along the thin island. Celebrated golfer Jack Nicklaus designed Turtle Point, and "Golf Digest" rates it one of top 10 courses in South Carolina. The oceanfront course at Kiawah hosted the 1991 PGA Ryder Cup.
Recreational opportunities abound at Kiawah Island, like water skiing and water sports, boating, kayaking and paddling tours. There are nature programs including walking tours. Fishing, tennis and biking are also favorites.
There are 10 miles of public beach at Beachwalker County Park on the west end of Kiawah Island. Here, visitors will find ocean swimming, dressing rooms, bathroom facilities, showers and picnic areas with grills, chair and umbrella rentals and a river view. Lifeguards are on duty seasonally.
