Making a home in Kiawah and Seabrook Islands About 20 miles southwest of Charleston, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands offer some of the most lavish real estate in the region. With luxury resorts like Kiawah Island Golf Resort and The Sanctuary as well as oceanfront and marsh-view single-family homes, Kiawah and Seabrook communities are also careful to protect the natural environment that make island living so enjoyable. Covering 10,000 acres and 10 miles of beach, Kiawah Island is a gated community and resort town of 1,100 year-round residents. The island was named after the Kiawah Indians, who lived here when the area was first settled by Europeans. The town incorporated in 1988. Town officials, along with resident volunteers, consistently take steps to protect Kiawah’s range of wildlife, which includes deer, bobcats, foxes, otters and osprey. One of its most protected species is the rare loggerhead turtles, who dig nests and lay their eggs on Kiawah’s shores at night between May and August. A dedicated group of volunteers monitors and marks these nests so they are not disturbed. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island is a luxury hotel and spa that opened in 2004 with 255 rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space. The 12-room garden-themed spa includes a sauna, steam room and whirlpool. Kiawah Island Golf Resort features five championship golf courses: the Ocean Course, designed by Pete Dye, which hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 1997 World Cup; Osprey Point, designed by Tom Fazio; Turtle Point, designed by Jack Nicklaus; Cougar Point, designed by Gary Player; and Oak Point, designed by Clyde Johnston. Two world-class tennis clubs offer 23 clay courts, five hard courts and a practice court with an automated retrieval ball machine. Tennis magazine ranked it in the top tennis resort in the country. The resort also includes three swimming pool complexes, Kamp Kiawah children’s camp, a fitness center and 21-acre Heron Park, which offers bicycle rentals, basketball courts, soccer fields and a pavilion. You can learn about island wildlife at the native center, which also hosts walking tours around the island. Visitors can also explore the natural habitat of the island by canoe or kayak. Real estate on Kiawah is varied but pricey, with single-family homes, homesites, villas and several new neighborhoods: The Settlement, The Preserve and Cassique. The Villas at Kiawah Island includes 600 villas and private luxury homes for rent. Kiawah Island is the site of one of the region’s most popular road races: the Kiawah Island Marathon and Half-Marathon each December, which brings about 3,500 runners to the island for its scenic course. Located on the west side of the island just before the security gate, Beachwalker County Park offers a large designated swimming area, seasonal lifeguards, outdoor showers, restrooms, boardwalks, picnic areas with grills, a snack bar, and beach chair and umbrella rentals. Covering 2,200 acres, Seabrook Island was first settled by Europeans in 1666 and became known for its indigo, rice and cotton plantations. Seabrook’s unspoiled beach is one of the widest in the Carolinas, stretching 2.5 miles of oceanfront and along the tidal North Edisto River. The island is characterized by its tidal marshes and maritime forest including mature oak trees and wild palms. Real estate in Seabrook continues to boom, with villas and custom-designed homes averaging around 3,000 square feet with lots from one-third acre to over an acre. Seabrook Island boasts two world-class championship golf courses that are designated Audubon sanctuaries, where players can see dozens of rare birds in their natural environment. Seabrook Island Club also offers two swimming pools, a game room and a shop for visitors to rent bicycles, rollerblades, boogie boards, crab equipment and fishing rods. The community offers a full-service equestrian center, where residents and visitors can horseback ride along trails or on the beach, as well as a tennis facility that features 15 clay courts and offers lessons and clinics. You can dine at the elegant Island House or enjoy a more casual atmosphere at Seaview Restaurant and Half Shell Lounge or Bohicket’s Lounge, which overlooks the golf courses. Pelican’s Nest is an oceanfront, poolside bar. With 194 boat slips, Bohicket Marina can accommodate yachts up to 110 feet in length, and also offers shopping and dining. Eco-tours help visitors learn more about the natural environment and wildlife of Seabrook Island. You can go by foot, horse or kayak to tour the island’s marshes and beaches and may even get the chance to see loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Serving Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns Island, Freshfields Village is a mixed-use development that will eventually offer nearly a half-million square feet of commercial space, an amphitheater and residential units. With the first phase complete, Freshfields’ colorful architecture of wood, brick, stucco and shingle-style buildings are home to dozens of unique shops that sell clothing, outdoor gear and gifts, as well as restaurants, banks and a grocery store. PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAWAH ISLAND GOLF RESORT