Best Places to Watch a Sunset on the Hammock Coast

There’s just something about a sunset. We love to celebrate the sunset, whether to relax at day’s end or, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, because “every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.”

The string of villages along the Hammock Coast offer plenty of choice places to view the sunset. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorites, whether welcoming twilight from the privacy of your South Carolina vacation rental or relaxing with a libation at a local eatery.

Sunsets are truly spectacular at the Marshwalk in the historic village of Murrells Inlet. The sky lights up in a beautiful array of colors just as the fishing boats make their way back in. The Marshwalk is a shopping and dining complex, so grab a table at one of the restaurants to enjoy a cold brew and a seafood platter while watching the sunset. Drunken Jack’s and Wahoo Fish House are two of our favorites. 

Cabana Cafe & Beach Bar in Pawleys Island provides a front-row seat to a vibrant sunset. Sip a cold, craft cocktail at this poolside bar that looks out over the ocean.

Feeling adventurous? View the sunset while out on the water. Take a Sunset Moonrise Tour by kayak with Surf the Earth to see the sun drop below the horizon over the Pawleys Island salt marsh while the moon rises over the Atlantic Ocean. Tours leave from the Shell Boat Ramp on the north end of Pawleys Island. 

If a motorboat is more your speed, book an excursion with Express Watersports at Murrells Inlet. Their one-hour Sunset Cruise includes complimentary pirate punch, wine, beer and a fruit and cheese platter. Boat leaves from a dock at the Marshwalk.

Of course, probably the absolute best place to kick back at sunset is on your own deck or balcony. Our oceanfront beach house rental, Hiller Villa on Pawleys Island, offers a spacious deck with unobstructed views of the ocean, along with six bedrooms to accommodate large families. The back deck at our Slowen Down property is an awesome place to watch the sunset over Pawleys Creek. There’s also a screened-in porch that looks out on the Atlantic Ocean and is furnished with a swing, wicker sofa, picnic table and a rocking chair. What better place to end a beach day?