HHI: Palmetto Dunes Resort Recap

Two weeks ago, we headed to Hilton head Island to celebrate my Father in Law’s 65th birthday. We stayed in the resort neighborhood of Palmetto Dunes and it was just gorgeous. Those houses, wow. #housegoals During our stay, I was lucky to have the honor to work with Palmetto Dunes Resort  and experience a number of their activities. Palmetto Dunes has tennis, pickleball, shops, etc. and other things to do for guests whether you’re single, coupled or a family. There were 8 of us on vacation together (we had rented a house in Palmetto Dunes) and we each got to partake in some of the activities which was great! Although I love the beach and wish we lived closer to one (we are about 2 hours away), I get a little antsy (and not to mentioned sunburned) sitting by it each and everyday. It’s nice to have an activity or two lined up to break up the monotony. 


Upon arriving to the house, Hilton Head Outfitters had delivered bikes for my family to use. We rode these all over the resort and some days even on the beach since it was just a short ride. It was so adorable to see my nephew Henry on a bike with his dad. I am so sad I didn’t think to snap a photo, but the look on his face was just precious! 


One of the first things we did in the week was Kayak. Again, these can be rented through Hilton Head Outfitters and Alan, who we worked with was accommodating and very friendly. We had the option to use one person or double person kayaks and you can pick your path in the lagoon. There are one hour, two hour and even three hour trips you can take. We opted for the path that’s 1.5 hours. Basically, all of the trips are circular, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost, but you still feel like you’re truly on your own on the canal. And the houses, wow. Honestly along the Kayak trip were some of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen. If you follow me on snapchat (welchie24) you saw some of these amazing beauties! Since we were so close to water, I didn’t take my nice camera on the trip, but I did take a bunch of mobile snapshots (I’ll be sharing those Friday). 

On Wednesday night of the trip, we took the Dolphin Eco Cruise.This was located in the Shelter Cove Marina (in Palmetto Dunes) and honestly was such a highlight to the trip. The boat is small and intimate, only fitting six other than you and the captain. Our captain was very knowledgeable about the area and the dolphins in the area. When we first got on the boat, Aaron told me he had a feeling we wouldn’t see any dolphins, I was so sad he thought that! Luckily, my mother in law spotted some swimming not far from our boat, so we got closer and it was honestly just amazing to see four of them so close. We didn’t bother them, just slowly idled along as they played and swam. I am so glad we were in one of the smaller boats. At the time, there was a bigger boat for dolphin tours nearby and it was loud and distracting, not to mention, guest were so far up on the deck. After the bigger boat scared the dolphins away, we just started cruising around the area and were able to catch the most amazing sunset on the water. I would definitely recommend this as an activity if you’re heading to HHI. 

One of the last days we were there, we went golfing in Palmetto Dunes on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. There are three courses in Palmetto Dunes, but we opted to golf on the “easier” of the three simply because we are still learning. The club house and the course was absolutely amazing. The service, the greens, all perfection. The course is set through some neighborhoods, so again, you get to see some amazing homes along your 18 holes as well as a beach hole. The only downfall was it was SO HOT. But, that’s what you get for playing in the sun, by the beach when it’s 85+ degrees out. We wouldn’t trade it for anything. It was by far the nicest course we’ve golfed on and Aaron, myself and his brother and wife all had a great time. 

If you haven’t been to HHI, I suggest you go. It’s such a beautiful place on and off the resorts and while the ocean isn’t crystal blute like Mexico’s beaches, it’s such a little escape from home. Palmetto Dunes was also amazing, the houses there are just gorgeous and if you’re looking for activities, they have everything you need. We were so impressed by all the opportunities we were provided and the customer service was seriously just amazing. Make sure if you’re in the area, you check out their website and all they have to offer and if you have any questions about visiting, please feel free to reach out!


Thank you Palmetto Dunes for helping to make our vacation a serious success!