Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island needs 2 days: cycling the over 100 km of paved paths crossing the island among Spanish moss-draped oak trees, and climbing Harbour Town Lighthouse, the red-and-white-striped symbol of the Sea Pines resort, the same afternoon. April-June and September-October bring the mildest weather. It's expensive, with a heavy concentration of upscale golf resorts. The island is shaped like a shoe sole -hence its original Gullah Creole name-, and its urban development has been subject to strict environmental rules since the 1950s that limit building height and protect its marsh and coastal forest ecosystem.