Start Your Lowcountry Adventure

Explore Port Royal Sound | Infographic

Start your Lowcountry adventure at the Maritime Center

The waters of the Port Royal Sound surround the South Carolina Sea Islands, extending from Hilton Head to Beaufort. While visiting the Lowcountry, start your journey at the Maritime Center to learn about the Sound’s unique influence on the region’s diverse wildlife, rich history, and vibrant culture.

Explore marine wildlife and ecology

When you cross over the bridges of the Lowcountry, you’re transported into an extraordinary environment. The salt marshes and beaches of Port Royal Sound are home to diverse wildlife including dolphins, sea turtles, shorebirds, and more.

At the Maritime Center:

  • Get up-close and personal with alligators, snakes, turtles, and saltwater fish.

  • Travel back in time with megalodon teeth and historic fossils.

  • Take in the natural beauty from our docks on the banks of the Port Royal Sound.

Experience local culture and art

Relax into the Lowcountry lifestyle with beautiful salt marsh landscapes, delicious seafood, and the local Gullah Geechee culture.

At the Maritime Center:

  • Gullah Geechee history and culture

  • Local seafood traditions

  • Art inspired by the Port Royal Sound

Learn about Lowcountry history

The Port Royal Sound has attracted people and prosperity to the region for centuries, from Indigenous settlements to European colonization, through Reconstruction to today.

At the Maritime Center:

  • Stories and events showcasing the Lowcountry’s rich heritage

  • Influential figures who shaped history

  • Antique crabbing, shrimping, and oystering artifacts

Enjoy outdoor activities and recreation

Outdoors is the place to be in the Lowcountry. Whether you prefer lounging on the beach, boating with your family, or reeling in impressive red fish, the recreation opportunities are endless.

At the Maritime Center:

  • Guided hikes through nature trails and mud flats

  • Naturalist-led kayak excursions through the salt marsh

  • Educational tours and interactive activities

Dive into the Lowcountry at the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Maritime Center

Start your adventure