Travel to Kiawah: Popular Activities

As a vacation rental reservation agent and all around Kiawah and travel enthusiast for going on 11 years now, one of the questions I get asked the most is, “what is the best thing to do on Kiawah?”  Largely, the answer to this question depends on who you ask of course!  Golfers love Kiawah for obvious reasons, tennis players, beach goers, etc, what’s not to love?  But in this post I will hit on two of the universally-favorite activities, biking and kayaking.  I will give you insider tips on where to rent these items and some great tours available!  And of course, stick with ESPM for your vacation rental needs so we can guide you in the right direction for your Kiawah getaway!

Kiawah Island is a fantastic place to ride a bike.  You can ride bikes on the beach or on over 20 miles of paved bike trails.  In addition, there is also a trail that links Kiawah to Freshfields Village, a great little shopping and dining area.  Furthermore, the beach Itself is made up of lovely, hard packed sand that’s great for riding on.  As a result, even if you are like me and not exactly a Tour de France-level cyclist, you can easily get around on the flat terrain here without breaking too much of a sweat!   A lot more of the island can be seen by bike than by car or even boat, the trails meander around forested areas, beside beaches and homes, and there are even some hidden spots the locals love to visit.  You can only find these if you explore the trails!

Many of the properties on Kiawah do not come with bikes.  Due to our environment (sand, salty, humid) the bikes don’t hold up well and need a lot of extra maintenance.  That’s where our friends at Alligator Bike come in!  Alligator Bike has been renting bikes on the island to guests for over 30 years!  They have a selection of high quality beach cruisers that are perfect for the beach and trails.  Are you bringing little ones?  Beach gear?  The kitchen sink (I’m really only halfway kidding)?  They have tow-behind smaller bikes and trailers too that can haul kids and gear with ease.  Just be sure to rinse your bikes off after riding in the sand and DO NOT ride them into the surf or they will rust and lock up.

A leisurely trail ride on a bike not quite up to your speed?  Every September the Kiawah Island Golf Resort hosts the Kiawah Island Triathlon and it is quite a popular event for our athletic guests.

There are some amazing waterways on Kiawah Island!  Whether you are on the ocean or one of the freshwater creeks or river, being on the water is one of the best ways to enjoy your Kiawah vacation. Contact our friends at Tidal Trails, they offer surf lessons, kayak rentals and tours, boat excursions, paddle boarding too!  Some of our amazing rental homes have dock access where the guide can pick you up!  Please contact us about 12 Summer Islands (has a private dock), 17, 18, and 2 Inlet Cove (the Inlet Cove neighborhood has a great dock!) for easy pick up within walking distance of the home or the guide can pick you up from another Kiawah location!

In conclusion, travel to Kiawah, these are only the first two in many, many popular activities here on our beautiful barrier sea island!  Let ESPM Vacation Rentals be your travel guide to spectacular getaway!