Hilton Head Island Beachfront Rentals
Hilton Head Island oceanfront rentals, complex by complex: which villas and condos sit on the sand, which only partly do, and who rents them.
Hilton Head Oceanfront Condo Rentals and Villas
These complexes sit on the sand, with their own boardwalk or path to the beach. Most are in Palmetto Dunes, along its three miles of beach. Each villa is owned separately and rented by more than one company, so the same building turns up on several sites.
Two five-story oceanfront buildings just inside the Palmetto Dunes south gate, with an oceanfront pool and a private boardwalk.
Two- and three-bedroom villas between the Hilton and Captain’s Walk, with a private boardwalk and an outdoor shower.
Windsor Place I and II, two oceanfront buildings with two large pools, a kids’ pool and a boardwalk to the sand.
Most villas look at the ocean from the living room, the balcony and the main bedroom. Two pools and a cabana.
The oceanfront one of the three Barrington buildings: five stories, balconies facing the Atlantic, a boardwalk to the beach.
A gated complex on South Forest Beach with a zero-entry saltwater pool on the sand, a short stroll from Coligny Plaza.
A gated oceanfront condo building at 50 Starfish Drive in Folly Field, with a beachfront pool and a boardwalk.
Individually owned villas on the beach at Folly Field, rented through the front desk, owners or rental companies.
Where Only Some Villas Face the Ocean
In these complexes the beach access and the pool are the same for everyone, but the view changes from one villa to the next. A listing that says “oceanfront complex” may still be a lagoon or golf view, so check the unit before you book.
Next to the shared oceanfront pool. Its villas range from oceanfront to ocean view, so check the unit.
Two five-story buildings beside Hampton Place. Some units are oceanfront; others look over the resort, golf or lagoon.
Beside The Dunes House, with direct beach access. Some villas face the Atlantic and others have an ocean view.
On the beach at the south tip of Sea Pines, where the ocean meets Calibogue Sound. Most units look over the sound.
A Short Walk to the Sand
These are one row back, a short walk or a boardwalk from the beach, and some are closer to the water than that sounds. None of the Shipyard villa complexes sits on the beach: the oceanfront building there is the Sonesta Resort.
On the ocean side of South Forest Beach Drive, with its own gate and boardwalk, about 70 yards from the water.
Two-story villas just inside the north gate, steps from the beach and The Dunes House. No elevators.
Near-ocean and ocean-view villas with screened porches, about a three-minute walk to the beach.
Lagoon-side townhomes on South Forest Beach with a short walk to the complex’s private oceanfront cabana.
Shipyard’s closest villas to the sand: a five- to seven-minute walk to the Shipyard Beach Club.
Oceanfront, Ocean View or Near the Beach?
Rental listings on the island use four phrases for how close you are to the water, and they don’t mean the same thing. This is how our complex pages read them.
| In the listing | What it usually means | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanfront | The building faces the Atlantic, with its own boardwalk or path onto the sand | Hampton Place, Sea Cloisters |
| Ocean view | You can see the water from the unit, but the building is set back from the beach or faces another way | Wendover Dunes, part of Beach Villas |
| Near ocean or steps to the beach | A row or two back, usually a short walk on a path or boardwalk | The Moorings, Carolina Beach Club |
| Oceanside | On the ocean side of the road; it says nothing about the view | South Forest Beach Drive addresses |
Hilton Head Beachfront House Rentals
Oceanfront houses are spread along the island’s whole Atlantic side. Palmetto Dunes files its rental homes by what they look out on, oceanfront first. In Sea Pines, the homes nearest the beach and the Beach Club are called Oceanside. Outside the gates, houses on the beach roads of Forest Beach, Folly Field, Singleton and Burke’s Beach rent through the island companies below, and each area page covers the beach access and parking.
Palmetto Dunes house rentals on Hilton Head: oceanfront, golf-course, lagoon and marina-view homes, mostly three bedrooms and up, plus pet and pass rules.
Sea Pines vacation rentals by area: every villa complex, the homes, who rents them, and what a resort booking includes that other companies do not.
Choosing a rental on Forest Beach near Coligny? North and South Forest Beach, where to park for the beach, its complexes and the companies that list homes.
Choosing a rental at Folly Field on Hilton Head Island? The area, the beach park and its parking, nearby places to eat, and the companies that list homes.
Renting on Singleton Beach Road on Hilton Head Island? There is no lot at the beach, so here is where to park, what is nearby, and who lists homes here.
Renting on Burkes Beach Road on Hilton Head Island? Where the beach access is, where to park, what is nearby, and the companies that list homes here.
Rental Companies With Hilton Head Beachfront Rentals
Each of these island rental companies keeps an oceanfront or beachfront section on its own site. The button opens that section; the name opens the company’s profile here. Companies marked HHI.com partner are listed first.
Villas and houses in Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and Forest Beach.
Homes and villas across the island, renting since 1995.
Sea Pines specialist with oceanfront and beach-block homes.
Homes and villas in Forest Beach, Palmetto Dunes and Sea Pines.
Oceanfront homes and villas in Sea Pines, Forest Beach and Palmetto Dunes.
One- to seven-bedroom rentals with free bikes and beach chairs.
Homes, condos and villas in Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and Forest Beach.
Vacation homes across the island, booked on its own site.
Houses and condos across the island, from an office on New Orleans Road.
Houses, villas and condos from Sea Pines to Shelter Cove, since 1985.
More than 100 homes and villas, with a three-night minimum.
Family-owned since 2006, renting in Palmetto Dunes and Forest Beach.
Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
The resort’s own rentals, with its golf, tennis and beach amenities.
Family-vacation homes and villas, from Sea Pines to Palmetto Dunes.
Condos and homes on the south end: Forest Beach, Sea Pines, Shipyard.
Local company renting in Shipyard, Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and more.
Nearly 400 rentals, from oceanfront villas to private-pool homes.
Oceanfront and near-ocean homes, most with private pools.
Nearly 150 villas and homes, renting since 1976.
Every company that rents on the island is in the rental company directory. A rental company with oceanfront homes that isn’t listed here can get in touch through HHI.com.
Before You Book an Oceanfront Rental
Ask about the unit, not the building
In a mixed complex the pool and boardwalk are shared but the view is not. Ask whether the unit itself is oceanfront or ocean view.
Check the floor and the elevator
The five-story buildings in Palmetto Dunes have elevators. Beachwalk and The Moorings have none, so upper villas mean stairs.
Lights out from May to October
From May 1 to October 31, outside lights seen from the beach go off at 10 p.m. and blinds close, for nesting sea turtles.
Leave the beach bare at night
Don’t leave chairs, umbrellas or toys on the sand overnight, and fill in any holes before you go: the Town’s sea turtle rules.
Ask when the pool is heated
Oceanfront pools are seasonal. Shorewood heats its pool in spring and fall, and the Sea Pines Resort’s complex pools close from October to April.
Ask how the gate pass works
Palmetto Dunes resort guests get one car pass at check-in. With another company, or in Sea Pines, ask how your pass is issued.
The sea turtles guide has the Town’s full lighting rule and how to report a nest, and the beach guide covers parking and lifeguards for every beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between oceanfront and ocean view on Hilton Head?
An oceanfront rental is in a building that faces the Atlantic, with its own path or boardwalk onto the sand. Ocean view means you can see the water from the unit, but the building is set back from the beach or faces another way. Some complexes, such as Barrington Arms, Windsor Court and the Beach Villas at Palmetto Dunes, have both.
Which Hilton Head condo complexes are on the beach?
In Palmetto Dunes: Hampton Place, Villamare, Windsor Place, Captain’s Walk and Barrington Court. On Forest Beach, Shorewood Villas, and in Folly Field, the Sea Cloisters and Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort. Beachside Tennis Villas in Sea Pines is on the beach where the ocean meets Calibogue Sound.
Are there oceanfront rentals in Shipyard?
Not among its villa complexes: Beachwalk, the closest, is a five- to seven-minute walk from the Shipyard Beach Club. The Sonesta Resort is Shipyard’s oceanfront hotel.
Which rental companies list oceanfront rentals on Hilton Head?
More than 20 island rental companies keep an oceanfront or beachfront section on their own sites, including HHI.com partners Island Rentals of Hilton Head and Coastal Vacation Rentals. The Palmetto Dunes resort rents its own beachfront villas and homes.
Do I have to turn off the lights in an oceanfront rental?
From May 1 to October 31, yes. The Town’s sea turtle rule has outside lights that can be seen from the beach switched off at 10 p.m., and blinds closed or inside lights off where they shine onto the sand.
More Places to Stay on the Beach
Hilton Head vacation rentals: beach houses, condos and villas by beach area and complex, who manages them, dog-friendly homes, and how renting works.
Hotels and resorts with their own frontage on the Hilton Head beach, from Coligny to Port Royal, with the ones a few blocks back left off.
Hilton Head rental companies grouped by what each rents, from resort programs to Sea Pines specialists, with phone numbers and links to each one.
Palmetto Dunes rentals on Hilton Head: oceanfront, golf and lagoon villas, condos and homes, with pet rules, minimum stays, gate passes and how to book.
Every named beach on Hilton Head Island — Coligny, Driessen, Folly Field, Burke's, and more — with parking, amenities, and which one is right for your trip.
When do sea turtles hatch on Hilton Head? Nesting and hatching months, nests by year, Sea Turtle Patrol HHI and the lights-out rule for beach homes.
Keep exploring
Barrington Court at Palmetto Dunes: the oceanfront Barrington building, five stories with balconies facing the Atlantic and a boardwalk to the beach.
Barrington Park at Palmetto Dunes: one- to three-bedroom villas with pond and resort views, sharing the Barrington oceanfront pool and beach access.
Places to stay on Hilton Head Island: how resorts, hotels, rentals, timeshares and RV sites compare, plus Sea Pines vs Palmetto Dunes.
Hilton Head vacation rentals: beach houses, condos and villas by beach area and complex, who manages them, dog-friendly homes, and how renting works.
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