Where it is
Get directionsMainsail Villas at Shelter Cove Harbour, Hilton Head Island
The newest of the harbour’s villa buildings: 56 large two- and three-bedroom condos behind a gate, beside the marina store.
- Villas: 56, in two five-story buildings
- Bedrooms: two and three, with two primary suites
- Built: 2003
- On site: heated pool, oversized spa, playground
- Parking: covered, plus a storage room per villa
Mainsail is a gated condominium of 56 villas at 9 Shelter Cove Lane, on the marina side of Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina near the marina store. Its two five-story buildings went up in 2003, which makes it the newest of the harbour’s villa buildings, and every villa has a screened porch looking out over the boats.
It is one of the Shelter Cove rentals we cover, and the roomiest: the villas run to two or three bedrooms, and most have two primary suites, which suits two couples sharing.
The Villas
Mainsail villas are large for Shelter Cove, from about 1,600 to more than 2,000 square feet, with open living areas and walls of windows toward the harbour. Each comes with a ground-floor storage room, handy for bikes and beach gear, and parking is under cover.
Pool, Spa and Playground
Behind the gate there is a heated pool, an oversized spa, a grilling area and a children’s playground. From the porches you look straight onto the marina, which puts the summer Tuesday-night fireworks and the HarbourFest stage in view.
Getting to the Beach
The ocean is across William Hilton Parkway in Palmetto Dunes, a little over a mile and a half away. The Palmetto Dunes Buggy, the free seasonal shuttle that also serves Shelter Cove, runs guests across William Hilton Parkway to the Palmetto Dunes beach, golf and tennis. Owners here share the Palmetto Dunes amenities; renters should ask whoever they book with how beach access works for guests.
Booking Mainsail
Villas are owned one by one. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort rents Mainsail villas through its vacation-rental program, and owners also rent privately. Minimum stays are set by the association and the owner, and our sources disagree on the association’s rule, so confirm the minimum before you book a short stay.
More Shelter Cove Rentals
Captains Quarters, Hilton Head: 64 gated villas at the western end of Shelter Cove Harbour, facing Broad Creek and the marsh, with a waterside pool.
Yacht Club Villas, Hilton Head: a gated condominium of 43 villas on the Shelter Cove yacht basin, with views over the marina to Broad Creek.
Harbourside III Hilton Head: 39 villas above the shops at Shelter Cove Harbour, sold in quarter shares, with a pool and its own rental office.
Shelter Cove Hilton Head rentals: the villa buildings around the harbour, which ones take vacation rentals, how booking works and the shuttle to the beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many villas are at Mainsail?
56, in two five-story buildings finished in 2003.
How big are Mainsail villas?
Two or three bedrooms, roughly 1,600 to more than 2,000 square feet, most with two primary suites and a screened porch.
What amenities does Mainsail have?
A heated pool, an oversized spa, a grilling area, a playground, covered parking and a storage room for each villa, all behind a gate.
Is Mainsail part of Palmetto Dunes?
It is at Shelter Cove Harbour, across William Hilton Parkway from Palmetto Dunes. Owners share the Palmetto Dunes amenities, and the Palmetto Dunes rental program rents villas here.
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