What to do on Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island | Best Things to Do

Copy/Text by: Paul Wolff Mungeon Creek Golf Cart Rental

Unlike most sea islands, Daufuskie remains unspoiled by over-development. Tybee Island, for example, which lies just across the Savannah River, is a fourth as big with eight times the population. During the summer season on Tybee a beach cruiser can move faster than a car, and is a lot easier to park.

Exploring Daufuskie in a Mungeon Creek golf cart is a day well spent.

On Daufuskie, two golf carts constitute rush hour and three carts arriving at the same intersection at the same time is as much of a traffic jam as you’ll ever see.

Maryfield School, where Pat Conroy taught in 1970, now houses two popular businesses.

Check out Indigo Blues where Lee Anne and Heather will show you how cloth was dyed before the revolution, when indigo was a primary money crop on Daufuskie. then swing around back to School Grounds coffee for some delicious hot or frozen beverages and yummy snacks.

Now run that Mungeon Creek cart up School Road to the Daufuskie Soap Company.

Frye’s Chicken at the corner of School and Beach Roads will satisfy your craving for fried chicken, French fries, and onion rings, open Thursday-Saturday.

When you’re ready for lunch, D’fuskie’s General Store and Eatery, located at the county dock has fresh sandwiches, pizza, and adult beverages, and don’t miss Taco Night every Thursday, a local favorite. There are also public restrooms (a rarity on Daufuskie) and a playground for the young and young at heart.

Old Daufuskie Crab Company, located at Freeport Marina, is a great place for sunset happy hour and dinner. Good food and live music at the tiki bar.

Get ready for happy hour by making a stop at the Daufuskie Distillery on Haig Point Road. They have a wide selection of custom spirits to get you in the spirit, but if you take your dogs along, be sure to keep your furry friends on a leash so the gator doesn’t get ’em.

History of Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island is a small, secluded island off South Carolina’s coast with a rich and unique history. The island was first inhabited by indigenous tribes, including the Yemassee and the Muscogee, who used the island for hunting and fishing. Spanish explorers arrived in the early 18th century and claimed the island for their own, naming it “Isla de las Palmas.” The island was eventually sold to English plantation owners, who brought enslaved Africans to work on the island’s rice and indigo plantations. Today, the island is home to a small community of Gullah people, descendants of the enslaved Africans who once lived and worked on Daufuskie.

One of Daufuskie Island’s most notable historical landmarks is the First Union African Baptist Church. Built by enslaved Africans in the early 19th century, the church served as a place of worship and a center of community life for the island’s African-American population. Another important landmark is the Bloody Point Cemetery, where many of the island’s early settlers and plantation owners are buried. The Mary Fields School, established in 1937 to educate the island’s African-American children, is also an important historical site on Daufuskie.

Despite its rich history and unique culture, Daufuskie Island has faced many challenges, including hurricanes, economic hardship, and isolation. Today, the island is a popular tourist destination and a beloved home for its small but vibrant community of Gullah people. The island’s historical landmarks serve as a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of the people who have called Daufuskie home over the centuries.

Where is Daufuskie Island located?

Several waterways surround Daufuskie Island, including the Calibogue Sound to the east, the Cooper River to the west, and the Intracoastal Waterway to the north, fed by the Atlantic Ocean. Latitude and Longitude 32.115871, -80.867683)