Murrells Inlet, SC

Murrells Inlet is an unincorporated coastal community and census-designated place in Georgetown County, South Carolina, situated along a natural saltmarsh estuary that opens onto the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of roughly 7,500 to 8,000 residents, it carries the unofficial title of the "Seafood Capital of South Carolina" and has long drawn visitors for its working waterfront, marshside dining, and access to the broader Grand Strand coastline. Located about twelve miles south of Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet offers a noticeably quieter, more laid-back alternative to the busier resort hubs to the north, while still functioning as a convenient base for exploring the Lowcountry's beaches, gardens, and historic sites.

The community's signature attraction is the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, a wooden boardwalk that winds along the inlet's edge and connects a string of waterfront restaurants, bars, and fishing docks. Visitors can stroll past shrimping boats, watch dolphins working the creeks at sunset, and dine on the local catch just steps from the water. The MarshWalk is the social heart of the inlet and an easy walk from most of the area's accommodations.

Just a few miles south of town lies Huntington Beach State Park, one of the most beloved parks on the South Carolina coast. The park combines three miles of unspoiled beach with a freshwater lagoon, maritime forest, and the haunting ruins of Atalaya, the winter home of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. Roughly a ten-minute drive from the inlet, it is a popular spot for surf fishing, birding, and swimming, and it pairs naturally with a visit to the adjoining gardens.

A short drive further south brings guests to Brookgreen Gardens, a sprawling 9,100-acre property that blends a major American sculpture garden with a lowcountry wildlife preserve and zoo. Visitors can wander among works by leading twentieth-century sculptors, ride through the historic rice fields on a guided tour, and observe alligators, red wolves, and native waterfowl. It is consistently ranked among the top attractions in the region and tends to draw guests across multiple days.

Murrells Inlet makes a compelling base for short-term rentals precisely because it threads the needle between the high-energy resorts of Myrtle Beach to the north and the slower, more historic communities of Pawleys Island and Georgetown to the south. Visitors get genuine waterfront character, easy beach access, a celebrated food scene, and proximity to major cultural and natural attractions, all without the crowds of the larger resort strips. That balance of convenience, scenery, and variety is exactly the combination that tends to perform well in a vacation-rental market.