Beaufort is one of the loveliest small towns in the American South, sitting on Port Royal Island among the Sea Islands of South Carolina's Lowcountry. Discovered by the Spanish in 1514 and chartered by the British in 1711, it grew wealthy on indigo, rice, and Sea Island cotton, and the antebellum mansions from that era still line the streets — making the historic district one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in the state.
The town has a quiet, unhurried quality. Horse-drawn carriages make their way through narrow streets shaded by live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and shrimp boats glide past Waterfront Park with the day's catch. Gullah culture — the distinctive heritage of the descendants of enslaved West Africans who settled the Sea Islands — is a living presence here in the food, the language, and the sweetgrass baskets sold at local markets.
Beaufort is also home to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, which offers a small but interesting museum and hosts graduation ceremonies that are open to the public.