South Carolina

Myrtle Beach vacation rentals

Sixty miles of Grand Strand beach, oceanfront condos, boardwalk attractions, and 80-plus golf courses.

Best time to visit

April through May and September through October for warm water, thinner crowds, and lower rental rates.

Rental types

Oceanfront condos · Beach houses · Family resort suites · Golf villas · Channel and marsh homes

Getting there

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) sits minutes from the oceanfront with growing nonstop service. Charleston (CHS) is about two hours south and Wilmington (ILM) about 90 minutes north. Most visitors drive: US-17 runs the full length of the Grand Strand, and SC-31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) bypasses traffic between North Myrtle Beach and Surfside.

Myrtle Beach vacation rentals

Myrtle Beach has one of the largest concentrations of vacation rentals on the East Coast, most of it oceanfront condo inventory along Ocean Boulevard plus inland resort suites and golf villas. Condos here typically come with pools, lazy rivers, and hot tubs, and many buildings mix rental units with resort-style amenities.

Rates swing hard by season — a June oceanfront week can cost triple the same unit in October. Compare 'oceanfront' (facing the water), 'ocean view' (angled), and 'ocean side' (across the street) carefully, and check parking allowances, resort fees, and whether amenity access is included for renters.

North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals

North Myrtle Beach, about 15 miles up the Strand, is the quieter, more residential half of the market and where most large beach houses are. It''s made up of four old beach towns — Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill — each with its own character.

Cherry Grove has the channel-and-marsh houses with private docks and crabbing off the back deck; Ocean Drive is the home of shag dancing and Main Street''s beach-music clubs; Crescent Beach and Windy Hill hold a mix of houses and mid-rise condos. Families who want a private pool, a wide yard, and space for two or three households usually end up here.

Surfside Beach vacation rentals

Surfside Beach markets itself as The Family Beach and earns it: no high-rise wall, a pier at the center of town, quiet residential streets, and a strict low-key atmosphere just south of Myrtle Beach proper.

Rentals skew to single-family houses, duplexes, and small low-rise condos within a few blocks of the sand — a good fit if you want beach-town calm but still want the Myrtle Beach attractions 15 minutes away. Neighboring Garden City Beach offers similar houses with creek access on the back side.

Oceanfront rentals

Oceanfront is the premium category across the whole Grand Strand. In Myrtle Beach that mostly means condo towers with balconies over the sand; in North Myrtle Beach and Surfside it more often means a house with a deck and a direct dune walkover.

If sunrise over the Atlantic and no-shoes beach access matter, book oceanfront early for June through mid-August. If budget matters more, second-row and ocean-side properties a block back can cut costs substantially for a two-minute walk.

Family-friendly rentals

This is one of the country''s most family-oriented beach destinations. Look for units with a lazy river or kiddie pool, in-unit laundry, and bunk rooms; larger families often do better in a North Myrtle Beach or Surfside house with a private pool than in two hotel rooms.

Most rental companies here rent Saturday-to-Saturday in peak summer and allow shorter stays outside it. Beach gear — chairs, umbrellas, cribs, wagons — is easy to rent for the week and often delivered to the property.

Beaches

The Grand Strand is roughly 60 continuous miles of wide, gently sloping sand from Little River south to Georgetown, with warm summer water in the mid-80s. Public access points are frequent and generally free to walk on, with paid parking lots and metered street parking in the busier sections.

Piers punctuate the coast — Cherry Grove, 2nd Avenue, Apache, Springmaid, Surfside, and Garden City — and most allow fishing for a small fee. Watch the flag system for rip currents, and note that seasonal rules restrict tents, shade structures, and dog hours on most stretches in summer.

Golf

Myrtle Beach is one of the highest-density golf destinations in the world, with roughly 80 courses along the Strand and multi-course packages built into many rentals'' booking process. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Resort''s four courses, and the Dunes Golf & Beach Club are among the best known.

Spring and fall are prime golf seasons, when weather is mild and buddy-trip packages peak. Golf-community rentals at Barefoot Resort, Grande Dunes, and Legends give groups on-site practice facilities and easier tee times.

Boardwalk and attractions

The 1.2-mile Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade links the oceanfront hotels to arcades, restaurants, and the 187-foot SkyWheel. Broadway at the Beach adds Ripley''s Aquarium, mini-golf, and nightlife; Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach pairs waterfront shopping with Alabama Theatre and the House of Blues.

Water parks, go-kart tracks, dinner shows like Pirates Voyage, and the Myrtle Beach State Park pier give rainy days and non-beach afternoons plenty of options.

Restaurants

Seafood is the anchor: Calabash-style fried platters near the North Carolina line, shrimp and grits, oyster roasts in cooler months, and Murrells Inlet''s MarshWalk south of town, where a dozen restaurants line the creek with live music and boat traffic.

Beyond seafood, the Strand has a large buffet culture, a growing Market Common restaurant scene, and low-country classics inland. Reservations are worth making in July; most places outside the peak weeks are walk-in friendly.

Best areas to stay

Stay along Myrtle Beach''s Ocean Boulevard if you want the Boardwalk, SkyWheel, and attractions within walking distance. Choose North Myrtle Beach — Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, or Windy Hill — for larger beach houses and a quieter, more residential week.

Choose Surfside Beach or Garden City Beach for the calmest, most family-focused stretch with house rentals near a pier. Market Common suits visitors who want walkable dining and parks inland, and Barefoot Resort or Grande Dunes suit golf groups.

Things to do

Beyond the beach and golf: deep-sea fishing charters and dolphin cruises from Murrells Inlet and Little River, kayaking the Waccamaw River and salt marsh, Brookgreen Gardens'' sculpture collection and low-country zoo, and Huntington Beach State Park for birding and the Atalaya castle.

Evenings run to live beach music and shag dancing on Ocean Drive, the MarshWalk, minor-league baseball with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and the boardwalk fireworks in summer.

Best time to visit

June through mid-August is peak: warmest water, every attraction open, highest rates, and the busiest beaches. April, May, September, and October are the value sweet spots — 70s to 80s, swimmable ocean in September, and much lower rental prices.

Spring and fall are also prime golf season, so weekends can be busy even when the beach isn''t. Winter is mild and very quiet, with monthly snowbird rentals and reduced hours at some attractions; hurricane season runs June through November.

Where to stay in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach oceanfront (Ocean Blvd)

The core resort strip: high-rise condos, the Boardwalk, SkyWheel, and walkable restaurants and amusements.

North Myrtle Beach

Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill — beach houses, shag dancing, and a calmer family feel 15 miles north.

Surfside Beach

The self-styled Family Beach: low-rise, quiet, pier-centered, and popular for houses and duplexes just south of Myrtle Beach.

Market Common

An inland walkable district of shops, restaurants, and parks built on the old air force base, a few minutes from the sand.

Garden City Beach

A narrow peninsula south of Surfside with creek-and-ocean houses and its own pier and arcade.

Barefoot Resort & Grande Dunes

Golf-community condos and villas with marina access, popular with golf groups and couples.

Myrtle Beach FAQs

What is the difference between Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Surfside Beach?

Myrtle Beach is the central resort area with the Boardwalk, SkyWheel, and most high-rise oceanfront condos. North Myrtle Beach, 15 miles north, is quieter and house-heavy across Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill. Surfside Beach, just south, is a low-rise family town centered on its pier. All three sit on the same continuous Grand Strand beach.

Which area is best for families in Myrtle Beach?

Surfside Beach and North Myrtle Beach are the calmest family choices, with houses, private pools, and quieter streets. Central Myrtle Beach works well for families who want the Boardwalk and attractions within walking distance.

When is the best time to visit Myrtle Beach?

Late April through May and September through October offer warm weather, swimmable water, and rental rates far below the June-to-August peak.

Are Myrtle Beach oceanfront rentals worth the premium?

If direct beach access and balcony ocean views matter to your trip, yes. Otherwise second-row or ocean-side units a block back are typically a short walk and noticeably cheaper, especially in summer.

How many golf courses are in the Myrtle Beach area?

Roughly 80 courses along the Grand Strand, including Caledonia, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Resort, and the Dunes Club — one of the highest concentrations anywhere.