When Charleston is mentioned many people think of the colorful Rainbow Row, the scenic walkway along The Battery or shopping at the market downtown. However, we want to show some love to a (often overlooked) gem that’s around Charleston: Johns Island. It’s the largest island in the entire state of South Carolina + the fourth largest on the East Coast.

The name of the area comes from Saint John Parish in Barbados, the first English colonial settlers on the island. The list below shows how easily you can spend a day exploring Johns Island.

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🏞️ Stono River County park | 3580 McLeod Mill Rd. | This hidden gem offers a marsh boardwalk leading to an island on the Stono River, over a quarter-mile of island trails with views of the Limehouse Bridge and Stono River, a picnic area + more.

🌳 Angel Oak | 3688 Angel Oak Rd. | This southern live oak is estimated to be 400-500 years old, but some people believe this tall beauty could be much older. It’s truly a sight to see one of the oldest living things in America in person.

🌽 Sea Island Farmers market | 2024 Academy Rd. | Stock up on local + freshly grown fruits and vegetables at this farmers market. Unique vendors that offer everything from sweet treats to herbs and spices set up shop at this Saturday market from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. + various food trucks are on site to serve up amazing dishes.

Eat

🐟 Royal Tern | 3005 Maybank Hwy. | The Royal Tern is a family restaurant that offers seafood + steak. The yeast rolls are a must order. | Full menu

🍗 Fat Hen | 3140 Maybank Hwy. | Fat Hen is a spot that offers French Lowcountry cuisine made from local ingredients from friends + neighbors in the farming community. | Full menu

🍝 Wild Olive | 2867 Maybank Hwy. | Taste Lowcountry in Italian classic dishes like Wild Olive’s house-made pasta + house-cured salumi. This restaurant is farm to table + table to farm. They compost 1,000 pounds of raw material every week. | Full menu

Drink

🍺 Low Tide Brewing | 2863 Maybank Hwy. | Low Tide is the only brewery on the island + it’s a popular spot for islanders. You can sip + taste custom craft beer while seeing how it’s made.

🍷 The Woodruff Wine Bar | 1802 Crowne Commons Way c3 | This wine bar is nestled in between some other island shops and offers various wines + creative cocktails and light bites.