Tell us something we don’t know: This Hilton Head beach is ranked among top 20 in the US

Coligny Beach, Hilton Head Island’s signature beach park, has been nationally recognized again, despite locals’ propensity to avoid it.

Trip Advisor has ranked it the No. 19 best beach in the United States in 2021. The ranking is based on the quality and quantity of reviews, ratings and the volume of “saves,” on the international travel website.

Coligny is one of the few beaches outside Florida, California and Hawaii to make the list, which the Trip Advisor news release said is a “true testament to how much travelers love it.”

And it doesn’t hurt that Coligny, where tourists flock, beat out Myrtle Beach, which ranked No. 23.

Coligny Beach and its surrounding area on Hilton Head have seen new investment and planning in recent years.

In December, the Lowcountry Celebration Park opened behind the Coligny parking lot. The 9-acre park features a massive ship-themed playground, lagoon system and boardwalk, as well as an amphitheater and green space for events.

Across the street, the island’s first rooftop pool and bar opened in summer 2020 at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel. The building is the tallest in the Coligny area, and pool swimmers can see the ocean peeking over the treetops.

Change may be coming to Coligny, though. The Town of Hilton Head Island has expressed interest in changing to paid parking at the island’s largest beach parking lot — currently 400 free spaces.

The paid parking program won’t be in place for summer 2021, but council members have said beachgoers should expect it by summer 2022.

In the other direction, Hilton Head’s only toll road, the Cross Island Parkway, will be officially converted to a free road on July 1. The Cross Island is a popular route for visitors heading to Sea Pines or Coligny Beach, and the S.C. Department of Transportation’s contract for toll collections ends in just five months.

Trip Advisor’s top U.S. beaches

Here’s the full list:

1. Saint Pete Beach - St. Pete Beach, Florida
2. Ka’anapali Beach - Lahaina, Hawaii
3. Moonstone Beach - Cambria, California
4. Wailea Beach - Wailea, Hawaii
5. Cannon Beach - Cannon Beach, Oregon
   
   
6. Napili Beach - Lahaina, Hawaii
7. Ogunquit Beach - Ogunquit, Maine
   
   
8. Wai’anapanapa State Park - Hana, Hawaii
   
   
9. Madeira Beach - Madeira Beach, Florida
   
   
10. Kailua Beach Park - Kailua, Hawaii
    
    

11. Driftwood Beach - Jekyll Island, Georgia

12. Ormond Beach - Ormond Beach, Florida

13. Henderson State Beach Park - Destin, Florida

14. La Jolla Cove - La Jolla, California

15. Pensacola Beach - Pensacola, Florida

16. Treasure Beach - Treasure Beach, Florida

17. Siesta Beach - Siesta Key, Beach

18. Clearwater Beach - Clearwater, Florida

19. Coligny Beach - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

20. Coronado Beach - Coronado, California

21. Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, Virginia

22. Poipu Beach Park - Poipu, Hawaii

23. Myrtle Beach - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

24. Waikiki Beach - Honolulu, Hawaii

25. Santa Monica State Beach - Santa Monica, California

The Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Beaches honor travelers’ favorite beaches based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from Tripadvisor travelers, as well as the volume of “saves,” between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020.

Travelers can “save” their travel ideas and plans on Tripadvisor by tapping the heart icon on places to stay, restaurants, things to do and places to go, such as beaches. Tripadvisor views saves as a great indicator of what travelers are interested in doing in the future, according to the news release.

The survey is based on data drawn from an online survey of 2,330 consumers conducted across six countries: The U.S., UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.