Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina has once again captured second-place in the prestigious “Best Large Marina” in the U.S. award in Marinalife Magazine’s 2023 Best Marina Contest. This is the fourth consecutive time Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina has received the award.
In the heart of Hilton Head Island, S.C., Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort serves as a spectacular waterside shopping, dining and entertainment destination. Designed in a Mediterranean village style and offering a picturesque, 178-slip setting — where yachts, power boats and sailboats come to dock year-round — the recently dredged port is Hilton Head’s largest deep-water cove.
Marinalife described Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina as a “secluded paradise in the heart of South Carolina’s Lowcountry.” This was the magazine’s 13th annual Best Marina Contest. Thousands of votes were cast for marinas that provide exceptional customer service and hospitality to boaters. The winners are determined by a six-month survey of boaters in the United States and abroad. Votes were cast for a favorite marina in two categories: Best Small Marina (under 100 slips) and Best Large Marina (100+ slips).
Marinalife Magazine is published four times a year and is focused on the cruising lifestyle. The magazine includes articles on where to cruise, new marina destinations, upcoming events, boating stories and a directory of many great discounts available to Cruising Club members.
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina and the other Best Small Marina and Best Large Marina contest winners are featured in Best Marina Winner article in the 2024 winter issue.
“We are excited to receive this recognition from Marinalife in 2023,” said Brad Marra, chief operating officer of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. “Shelter Cove Marina on Hilton Head Island has stood proudly as an ideal location for the boating community due to exceptional customer service and high-quality amenities including recently renovated restrooms and showers, complimentary laundry, Wi-Fi and cable, a seasonal resort shuttle and more.”
A popular port of call (Latitude 32* 10’ 92” N Longitude 80* 43’ 56” W) along the Intracoastal Waterway — between northern destinations, and the warm waters of Florida and the Caribbean — Shelter Cove H&M is enhanced by a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and service boutiques. The Harbour comes alive during the season, with outdoor activities and entertainment. Charter boats depart daily for inshore or offshore fishing, while ships set out for dolphin encounters and nature experiences off the South Carolina coast. Kayakers on guided nature tours silently paddle out to the salt marshes, where birds, crabs and other island creatures make their home.
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina features premium waterfront shopping and dining with everything from upscale clothing boutiques to gifts and art galleries. There are also elegant restaurants and casual pubs overlooking the marina and waterfront, ranging from a local ice cream shop to fine dining at ELA'S On The Water.
“Shelter Cove Marina is widely considered one of the most attractive destinations for all types of yachts, powerboats and sailboats from up and down the East Coast,” said Marra. “The wide array of charters, nature cruises, dolphin tours, sport crabbing and fishing offers something for everyone, as does the marina’s eclectic selection of unique shops, boutiques and restaurants.”
Across Highway 278, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort has been a favorite of island visitors for decades. On more than 2,000-acres along 3 miles of beautiful Atlantic Ocean beach, Palmetto Dunes has been named by Condé Nast as one of the “Top Resorts in the South” in its Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for the past three years in a row. The resort features three world-class golf courses, an 11-mile inland salt-water lagoon system for kayaking and fishing, an award-winning tennis and pickleball center, an outdoor adventure center for bike rentals, canoes, kayaks, fishing and more.