SHELTER COVE MARINA sits along Broad Creek in a protected deep-water cove on South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island. The marina is part of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, a spacious beachfront development that is home to three world-class golf courses, vacation home and condo rentals, a tennis center, and an 11-mile saltwater lagoon that winds its way through the property.
The marina offers 178 slips accommodating vessels up to 145 feet. On-site amenities include free WiFi, ship’s store, and daily charter services that include everything from nature cruises to dolphin excursions to onshore and offshore shing. The marina is a go-to source for all your watersport needs and desires. Guests can try stand-up paddle boarding, wake-boarding or tubing through Broad Creek. Guided kayak tours are available for discovering the more than 40 species of birds and fish that call the salt marshes home.
Surrounding the marina is the entertainment hub of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, Shelter Cove Harbour. is area is sprinkled with shopping boutiques such as Taffeta, Neptune’s Niche, Seasons, and Treasure Island, and galleries including Nash Gallery and LaBelle Image Fine Art Gallery. The village has an eclectic mix of restaurants, like Bistro 17, a French café; Ela’s Blu Water Grille, a creekside seafood spot; Mediterranean Harbour Bar & Grill; San Miguel’s Mexican Café; and Scott’s Fish Market, also on the waterfront.
If you can, plan your visit to coincide with the popular summer-long HarbourFest, which runs every day from early June through mid-August. It attracts thousands of locals and visitors alike and features live entertainment, food, arts and crafts, children’s activities and Tuesday night reworks going off at 9:30 p.m.
For beachgoers, there is ample room to sunbathe, swim, boogie board and collect shells along Palmetto Dunes’ three-mile stretch of beach. Rent bikes and explore Hilton Head’s 25 miles of paved bike paths. And if you’re a golfer, don’t miss a round (or several) on Palmetto Dunes’ three stand-out courses: the Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, the Arthur Hills Course and the George Fazio Course. The resort also has plenty of activities to keep the kids happy, including an on-site surf school.
When cruising north for the summer or heading south in the fall, be sure to stop at Shelter Cove Marina along the Intercoastal Waterway — it’s the perfect spot to unwind.
