The Most Instagram-Worthy Spots on Folly Beach

A beautiful sunset paints the sky with colors of fire as you walk towards the beautiful blue water of the Atlantic Ocean, glancing back at your friend with a candid laugh as she focuses the lens of her cellphone camera on this picture-perfect Instagram. Folly Beach is an Instagrammer’s Utopia with its miles of beaches, renowned fishing pier, colorful scenery, and historical roots. Whether you’re seeking the picture perfect candid or breath-taking view to share with your followers, here are the most Instagram-worthy photo opts in Folly Beach, South Carolina.

The Beaches of Folly Beach

The beautiful beaches of Folly Beach make a great backdrop for any photo. The majestic waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashing on the shore of the beach provide a serene backdrop for any photo. Whether you are snapping pictures during the day while the sun is shining on you or during a breath-taking sunset, the beaches in Folly are the best place for beautiful photos.

Folly Pier

If you’re fishing for a good picture, the Folly Pier is a place for that. As the second longest pier on the east coast, the Folly Beach Pier offers remarkable views as you stretch 1,045 feet over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Whether you are dining on the pier, strolling down the wooden planks, fishing, or all the above, the Pier is a beautiful stop to get a great picture that will rise above all the rest!

Morris Island Lighthouse

Standing over 100 years old, the Morris Island Lighthouse is the third lighthouse in its current location off the coast of Folly Beach. The peeping lighthouse is a great feature to add to any of your beach pictures when visiting Folly Beach. It is the quintessential beach accessory that will light up any photo-opt!

Sunset Cay Marina

The Folly Beach Marina is a must on the list of Folly Beach Instagram-worthy list! The beautiful marina is home to unbeatable views filled decorated with sailboats and palm trees met with a cool breeze. The Marina shines best during the golden hour when the skyline of Folly Beach matches the color of the brightest fires. Enjoy a drink while taking in the view and snapping pictures.

Chico Feo

This outdoor Taco joint has food that hits the spot and a location that super hot. The outdoor seating allows guests to enjoy the beautiful weather of Folly Beach while indulging in delicious food and refreshing drinks. The picnic tables sit under patio lights surrounded by trees with the bright blue and wooden building in the background. Chico Feo is a delicious stop for your taste buds and a tasty way to mix up the look of your Instagram feed!

Folly Beach is a memorable stop for visitors and a nice stay-cation for locals filled with endless opportunities for beautiful views and fabulous pictures. Make sure to include these stops during your next visit to Folly for the most Instagram-worthy pictures!

Five Ways to Celebrate Earth Day on Folly Beach

Get your green on for Earth Day 2019 on Monday, April 22! Going green means helping keep our world healthy for our children and our grandchildren. Every day, we can reduce-reuse-recycle, and these tips can help bring sustainability to the beach.

1 – #trashtag challenge

This Earth Day, rise to the #trashtag challenge. We are so lucky that our community treats the beach with kindness, but there is always room to make our sanctuary even nicer. Gather a couple friends to keep our beaches beautiful, and make sure to post a before and after photo on social media to inspire others! If you want to take the next step, use recycled trash bags or reusable bins for the cleanup.

2 – Bring a reusable water bottle!

You can make a difference when you reduce your carbon footprint by drinking from a reusable water bottle on Earth Day this year. Ocean Conservancy Inc. found that about eight million tons of new plastics pollute our oceans every year. Folly Beach reusable water bottles are available at our many beach souvenir shops!

3 – Save the earth and your gas bill

Get some sunshine this Earth Day and try biking to the beach instead of driving. Folly Beach is only 11 miles from the heart of Charleston which takes less than an hour by bike. You might even save yourself some time in traffic! Be good to your body and the earth, but don’t forget to wear your helmet!

4 – Respect the dunes

Sand dunes are important for the prevention of beach erosion, and we use sea oats and other native grasses to keep them in place. Dunes also prevent flooding on Folly Beach during king tides and hurricanes. Help us keep the sand and water where they need to be by leaving grasses alone, using walkovers, and only traveling on the flat area of the beaches. You can brush up on other Folly Beach guidelines here.

5 – Use sustainable beach products

We all know that sunscreen is a must for beach trips, and there are many sustainable options available. Look for products that are waste free, cruelty free, and safe for the environment. Instead of jumping for new plastic toys, re-purpose old containers for building sandcastles. You can also make the choice to purchase cloth beach bags and leather sandals instead of plastic.

There are so many options to get going as a sustainable beach-goer, and we hope that these tips help you take action on Earth Day this year!

April Fishing Report

Wonderful sunny weather has continued day after day making for awesome fishing conditions. With all this warm weather, it’s no surprise that our fishery is 4-6 weeks ahead of schedule. The water is teeming with bait and anglers can expect April to be a fantastic month of fishing.

The large schools of redfish found throughout the winter are breaking up as these fish become more active. Anglers should think about using artificial plastic lures that mimic baitfish. One good choice would be “jerk shad” lures that have become very popular and come in a variety of colors. I’ve been finding that hues of silver and blue have been working best and produce even when water clarity is poor. These lures work best rigged on a size 3/0 flutter hook.

The trout bite should really begin in earnest this April. With water temperatures so warm, it’s hard to believe they won’t become aggressive feeders before too long. The preferred rig of live bait under a popping cork is hard to beat. Live shrimp is now available and will give you another option than mud minnows. It’s a good idea to start carrying your cast net and see if you can find some finger mullet. Finger mullet under a cork is just deadly.

Flounder, perhaps our tastiest fish, are now present and eating. We’ve been catching them mostly when fishing with mud minnows on the bottom or mud minnows under popping corks. You’ll need to focus on structure when targeting flounder. Docks and pilings are good places to prospect. Flounder will hug the bottom in hopes of ambushing their prey, so you’ll need to keep that bait down and in their strike zone.

See you on the water!

For a decade, Capt. Geoff Bennett has operated Charleston Charter Fishing providing light tackle charters. Clients choose from a full menu of artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at [email protected].

March Fishing Report

One of the warmest Winters on record has our fishery set to get going early this year. You could even say it never fully turned off as days in the 70s have kept water temperatures far higher than normal. Bait fish that are usually nonexistent have been present and kept the redfish active. Trout should be ramped up and ready to go in March. It’s time to break out your rods and reels and get ready for a great season!

Having spent the last few months laying low and avoiding dolphins, redfish are no longer just focused on simply surviving but now on feeding as well. Low tide will be the best time to focus on big schools of redfish that can number in the hundreds. These fish are still pretty wary, so a quiet approach is very important. On many days, it pays to settle in one spot when you find a school and wait for them to return to you instead of pushing them away.

When these reds are being spooky, I’ll try to disturb them as little as possible by keeping my casting to a minimum. This is a time to fish with bait on the bottom. I’ll put a chunk of blue crab or frozen mullet on a size 3/0 circle hook and just let it sit until the redfish swim over it. Make sure the barb of your hook is fully through the bait and exposed. Place your rod in the rod holder and wait for it to whip over once the circle hook sets itself!

As trout begin to appear, popping corks cast along grass banks and over oyster beds will be a good bet paired with mud minnows. I usually pair a size 1 circle hook with an 18”-24” fluorocarbon leader. While there is no shortage of options, I use oval shaped corks that are heavier and can be cast further. When using a popping cork, do your best to keep slack out of your line and when that cork goes under just reel to set the hook. You’ll find that the circle hook seldom misses as long as your line is tight.

See you on the water!

For a decade, Capt. Geoff Bennett has operated Charleston Charter Fishing providing light tackle charters. Clients choose from a full menu of artificial and live bait fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at [email protected].

Folly Gras 2019

Over the past 11 years, Folly Gras has been one of the most loved festivals on Folly Beach. Guests from all over come to Folly Beach dressed in festive costumes and beads to spread Mardi Gras cheer. This year the Folly Gras Parade & Block Party is set to take place on Saturday, February 23!

Folly’s Mardi Gras celebration will feature dozens of arts, crafts and fashion vendors, and, of course, lots of delicious food and drinks. There will be live music across three stages, with performances by Dangermuffin, Sunny Ledfurd, and more. Plus, a dedicated children’s area will feature the Good Clean Fun crew, caricatures, face painting, inflatables, and crafts. In addition, participating restaurants and bars will be whipping up New Orleans inspired dishes and serving $5 Deep Eddy cocktails all day.

For more information about the 11th Annual Folly Gras Parade & Street Festival and to purchase tickets today, please click here.

Monthly Spotlight: Jeannie Hefti Fanjoy

Owner of 3 Mouse Pals

Jeannie is an independent contractor with “Ears of Experience” and specializes in booking and planning your Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney and Universal Studios vacation with no cost to you! Let Jeannie take the hassle out of your planning, sit back, relax, and enjoy making memories. For more information, contact [email protected]

Folly Beach to commemorate Independence Day with a Grand Fireworks Display

Celebrate the nation’s holiday the best way we know how..on FOLLY BEACH! Grab your best friends, hang out in the sun and soak away the day. Then, at 9:30pm, watch a spectacular firework display from 3rd block west on Folly Beach. Stare in awe as we celebrate the holiday with a stunning display of fireworks in array of colors and bursts. “We are excited to be able to host one of our favorite summer traditions on July 4th this year,” said Lewis Dodson, President of the Folly Association of Business. “There’s nothing better than celebrating the 4th on Folly Beach and watching the fireworks surrounded by friends and family.”

Living on the beach, one especially like Folly Beach is a tremendous blessing. We know, we love our island. For those visiting, aren’t you lucky to live in a country where freedom lets you take those trips, lets you sit on the beach and relax and lets you live your life the way you want to live?

In the case of inclement weather, these details may change. Keep an eye on Folly Beach’s visitor facebook page for weather related updates.

As we enter May, few can remember a Spring with so many windy days combined with lots of rain. Our fishery is a few weeks behind but is now poised to come alive! Water temperatures have been jumping higher and summer seasonal species have begun to appear. Put a line in the water and you won’t be disappointed!

As redfish begin to feed in earnest, popping corks cast along grass banks and over oyster beds will be a good bet paired with mud minnows and live shrimp. From the popping cork, I attach a 18”-24” fluorocarbon leader to a size 1 circle hook. Should smaller fish make short work of your live bait, try using D.O.A.’s 2.75” shrimp in their Glow colors.

Trout have been slowly coming around after a challenging and chilly few months. Artificials have been producing the most consistent trout action. When worked slowly in the water column, smaller plastic artificials that mimic baitfish have been getting crushed. Z-Man’s Finesse TRD lures are a go-to choice in their Mud Minnow color. Tie these lures with a loop knot to give the lure extra action in the water.

Spanish mackerel are already slashing around the harbor and can be best found at first light. When you find schools of fish knifing across the surface, throw reflective casting jigs (1/2oz. or smaller) and reel them as fast as you can through the school. Spanish are toothy critters so no matter how fast the action remember to pause and check your leader frequently for cuts and nicks.

With warmer waters, sharks have begun to arrive. Of all the different species of shark we see, bonnetheads are not only among the most common but also the most accessible. These sharks can be caught in a foot of water or in the middle of the harbor. Live menhaden, chunks of blue crab or cut mullet can all be used as baits. These great fighters are good fun for young and old anglers alike.

See you on the water!

For a decade, Capt. Geoff Bennett has operated Charleston Charter Fishing providing light tackle charters. Clients choose from a full menu of fishing options with charters tailored to their desires. USCG licensed and insured, Capt. Bennett is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable charter to anglers of all skill levels and ages. For more information, call Capt. Bennett at 843-324-3332, visit his website at www.charlestoncharterfishing.com or email him at [email protected].

Folly Beach Named One of the Top 20 Most Charming Summer Beach Vacation Rentals

Folly Beach has recently been named one of the top 20 most charming summer beach vacation rentals on the East Coast!  Check out the full article here!