Section I · The Ranked Eleven
From best to eleventh.
Sorted by what each villa does well at its price point. The number-one villa is the one we would book first given a free pick from all eleven.
No. I
The Sea Pines six-bedroom, South Beach oceanfront.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Sea Pines (South Beach). Peak rate: $22,000 to $48,000 / week. Included: Sea Pines gate passes, oceanfront pool, beach boardwalk, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, golf-club access.
Why it ranks here: the South Beach corner of Sea Pines holds the widest beach and the calmest swimming on the island, walking distance to the South Beach Marina and the Salty Dog. This six-bedroom sits true oceanfront with a private boardwalk to the sand, a pool that takes the afternoon sun, and a layout that sleeps 12 without anyone on a sofa bed. The Sea Pines gate is the structural premium; the security and the bike-trail network are the reason the plantation prices above the open-island stock. We have stayed here twice, most recently in June 2025.
What we would change: the RBC Heritage week (mid-April) brings the tournament traffic and the gate queue to all of Sea Pines. Book this week only if golf is the trip.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. II
The Palmetto Dunes six-bedroom, oceanfront.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Palmetto Dunes. Peak rate: $20,000 to $42,000 / week. Included: gate passes, oceanfront pool and spa, lagoon kayak access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, tennis-center fees.
Why it ranks here: Palmetto Dunes is the family workhorse plantation, with an 11-mile lagoon system you can kayak from the back of the house and a flat, hard-packed beach for cycling. This six-bedroom is true oceanfront with a pool and spa and direct boardwalk access. The lagoon-and-ocean combination is the draw for a family that wants both water options without a car. The Dunes is less exclusive than Sea Pines and prices a touch below it for comparable oceanfront.
What we would change: the lagoon holds alligators, as all the Lowcountry lagoons do. The back-lawn rule with young children is non-negotiable; confirm the fencing line with the manager.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. III
The Sea Pines five-bedroom, Harbour Town side.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Sea Pines (Harbour Town). Peak rate: $16,000 to $40,000 / week. Included: gate passes, pool, harbour and marina walking access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, golf-club access.
Why it ranks here: the Harbour Town side puts you a walk from the lighthouse, the marina, and the Harbour Town Golf Links, the heart of the RBC Heritage. Five bedrooms, a pool, and a position built for a golf-and-marina week rather than a beach-first one (the beach is a bike ride away). Right for a group whose week revolves around the course and the harbour restaurants. The bike-trail access reaches the South Beach sand in 15 minutes.
What we would change: the beach is not walkable from here. A beach-first family should rank the South Beach or Palmetto Dunes oceanfront options higher.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. IV
The Forest Beach five-bedroom, North Forest oceanfront.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Forest Beach (North). Peak rate: $14,000 to $34,000 / week. Included: oceanfront pool, beach access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, gate (Forest Beach is ungated).
Why it ranks here: Forest Beach is the ungated beach pocket next to Coligny Plaza, the one walkable hub on the island with shops, restaurants, and the public beach park. This North Forest five-bedroom is true oceanfront with a pool and the shortest walk to the Coligny dining and shopping on this list. The trade-off is the lack of a gate and the Coligny crowd in peak summer. Right for a group that wants to walk to dinner and the beach without a plantation pass.
What we would change: the Coligny foot traffic and the beach-park crowd peak in July. The early-morning beach is the quiet one here.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. V
The Palmetto Dunes five-bedroom, lagoon-front.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Palmetto Dunes. Peak rate: $12,000 to $28,000 / week. Included: gate passes, pool, lagoon dock and kayaks, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, oceanfront position.
Why it ranks here: the lagoon-front band of Palmetto Dunes trades the oceanfront premium for a private dock, kayak access from the back lawn, and a price well below the beach row. Five bedrooms, a pool, and a six-minute bike ride to the sand. Right for a family that wants the water-sports angle and the plantation amenities without paying the oceanfront rate. The lagoon catches the morning light off the back deck.
What we would change: the lagoon-front position means the same alligator caution as the oceanfront houses, and the bugs are heavier near the water at dusk. Screen the porch and run the fan.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. VI
The Port Royal six-bedroom, oceanfront.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Pocket: Port Royal. Peak rate: $16,000 to $36,000 / week. Included: gate passes, oceanfront pool, beach access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, racquet-club fees.
Why it ranks here: Port Royal sits at the quiet north end of the island with a wide, often near-empty beach and the lowest foot traffic of the oceanfront plantations. This six-bedroom is true oceanfront with a pool and a layout for 12. The draw is the calm: Port Royal is residential and the beach rarely crowds even in July. The trade-off is the distance from the Coligny and Harbour Town hubs (a 15-to-20-minute drive).
What we would change: the north-end beach loses sand to erosion in stretches; confirm the current beach width in front of the house with the manager before a beach-first booking.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. VII
The Sea Pines five-bedroom, Calibogue Cay.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Sea Pines (Calibogue Cay). Peak rate: $14,000 to $32,000 / week. Included: gate passes, pool, private dock on Calibogue Sound, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, boat.
Why it ranks here: the Calibogue Cay corner of Sea Pines is the boating pick, with private docks on the Sound and sunset views toward Daufuskie Island. This five-bedroom holds a dock for a day boat, a pool, and the Sea Pines gate and trail network. The beach is a bike ride; the water here is the Sound, not the ocean. Right for a group whose week is built around a boat and the Daufuskie crossing.
What we would change: the Sound is tidal and the dock goes to mudflat at low tide. Check the tide chart against your boating plans; the launch window is tide-dependent.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. VIII
The Shipyard five-bedroom, oceanfront.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Shipyard. Peak rate: $12,000 to $28,000 / week. Included: gate passes, oceanfront pool, beach club access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, golf fees.
Why it ranks here: Shipyard is the central oceanfront plantation, a short drive from Coligny and well-placed for a group that wants the gate and the beach club without the Sea Pines rate. Five bedrooms, an oceanfront pool, and beach-club access on the rate. A solid mid-range oceanfront base. The plantation is smaller and quieter than its neighbours.
What we would change: the beach in front of Shipyard narrows at high tide more than the South Beach or Palmetto Dunes stretches. The wide-beach window is the low-to-mid tide.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. IX
The Hilton Head Plantation five-bedroom, Skull Creek.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Pocket: Hilton Head Plantation. Peak rate: $11,000 to $24,000 / week. Included: gate passes, pool, Skull Creek marsh and marina access, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, ocean access (drive to the beach).
Why it ranks here: the Skull Creek side of Hilton Head Plantation holds the marsh-and-sunset position at the lowest entry on this list, with the Skull Creek marina and its restaurants a walk away. Five bedrooms, a pool, and the Lowcountry marsh view from the back deck. The beach is a 12-minute drive. Right for a group that wants the gated calm, the marina dining, and the sunset over the marsh, and treats the ocean as a day trip.
What we would change: no ocean walk from here is the constraint. A beach-first family should book one of the oceanfront pockets instead.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. X
The Forest Beach four-bedroom, second-row.
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Forest Beach (South). Peak rate: $10,000 to $22,000 / week. Included: pool, two-minute beach-path walk, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, gate (ungated).
Why it ranks here: the small-group Forest Beach answer. Second-row position (one street back from the dunes) holds the price below the oceanfront block while keeping a two-minute walk to the sand and a short walk to Coligny. Four bedrooms, a pool, and the easiest walk-everywhere logistics on this list for a family of eight. Right for a group that wants Coligny and the beach without the oceanfront premium or a gate.
What we would change: the second-row position means no ocean view from the house. The beach is close; the view is not.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide
No. XI
The Palmetto Dunes four-bedroom, fairway side.
Bedrooms: 4. Sleeps: 8. Pocket: Palmetto Dunes. Peak rate: $10,000 to $20,000 / week. Included: gate passes, pool, golf-course frontage, weekly housekeeping. Not included: chef, daily housekeeping, oceanfront position.
Why it ranks here: the value pick in Palmetto Dunes. A four-bedroom on the fairway side with the gate, the pool, and the plantation amenities at the bottom of the range. The beach is a six-minute bike ride and the lagoon is a short walk. Right for a golf-leaning group of eight that wants the Dunes for the course and the trail network rather than an oceanfront address.
What we would change: the fairway frontage means stray golf balls on the back lawn during play. Keep the children off the lawn during morning tee times.
Get the free villa buyer’s guide