Visiting Harbor Island

It’s not hard to find. If one gets to Beaufort, the destination is within reach. The most distinctive part about the island is the smell of the salt marsh. Perhaps that would be true anywhere along the coast, but the smell of Harbor Island is different to those who love it! The expanse of the Atlantic, the activity of the shrimp boats, the beauty of the dolphins arching their way down the shoreline, the Shrimp Shack just outside the gates—all bring one to the edge of paradise known as Harbor Island. Sun and sand and the smell of sun-tan lotion are a given. There’s no hustle and bustle. There’s no stress. There’s nothing that must be done. Just a screened-in porch facing the ocean, a rocker, and the sea breeze on an unbelievable October day - and one experiences the mode of relaxation seldom reached. There’s no commercialism, no noise, no loud parties, few cars, only bicycles and walking, people saying hello to each other even though they have never before seen each other.


Wildlife abounds: gulls, egrets, sandpipers, pelicans! Alligators live in the inland waterways and make an interesting excursion as long as adequate distance is practiced. Turtles nest along the water’s edge. Turtle watchers search for their nests and guard them with the diligence of a sentry. Turtles return every spring to the very beach where they were hatched decades ago and lay their eggs before returning to the sea. Survival of the species depends upon the care given to the hatchlings, and humans determine that survival to a large degree. The location of the nests is protected by wildlife legislation and guarded by the “turtle people”.

A local seafood company is just outside the gates. Shrimp boats are regularly arriving with fresh flounder and shrimp. The just-out-of-the-water taste is rare and satisfying. The Shrimp Shack provides a delicious shrimp burger if cooking dinner is just not an option. Eating-in is a choice: picnic tables and benches on a screened porch. Friendly people who get to know you quickly let you know that you are a part of the island family- even for just a short period of time.

Shopping is available, but not on the island. Grocery stores and sweet -grass baskets and fun shopping are all within reach. Even tea rooms and delis are near, but not on the island. Quiet and peace are the only amenities available without leaving the security of the sandy beach.