The Cottages on Charleston Harbor

"How did it strike you on arrival?These cottages are one of Charleston's better kept secrets, right across the harbor from downtown. You park, walk past a cozy, wood-paneled club house with an outdoor pool, past a hedge of blooming pittosporum, beneath rustling palm trees, and you've arrived. Nine of ten cottages line the harbor; the only thing separating you from saltwater is nature's maritime "front lawn" of marsh grass. Before I walked up the front steps to my 2-bedroom cottage, I paused at a freshwater pond to admire dozens of white egrets, wood storks, and herons settling onto live oak branches for the night, and took note of the sign "Do not feed the alligator." (Disclaimer: an alligator has not been seen here in years). What’s the crowd like?Friends and families (these are all multi-bedroom cottages, after all), sometimes wedding parties. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.These cottages are real homes-away-from-home but they feel brand new. A full kitchen opens onto a vaulted living room with gas fireplace. My master bedroom boasted an iron four-poster bed, large jacuzzi soaking tub, walk-in glass shower with a smooth stone floor, and Molton Brown products. The second bedroom had windows facing east for sunrises over the harbor, plus a choice of not one but two additional bathrooms, each with showers. All rooms opened onto a screened porch fronting the harbor with couches, table, and hammock. Just past the marsh, I could see Fort Sumter and Castle Pinckney. How about the little details, any of that worth a mention?I grew very attached to my hammock! A little blue heron hung out by the pool all morning. You really feel close to nature here. Room service: What's the story here?The Cottages function more like vacation rentals than a full-service hotel, so to an extent, you’re on your own, with your own kitchen and lots of breakfast joints on Coleman Boulevard, plus snacks and fresh fruit in the nearby clubhouse. Mt. Pleasant offers up some truly excellent restaurants, like The Post House in the Old Village, NICO’s Oysters + Seafood, Grace & Grit, Page’s Okra Grill, and Community Table, to name a few. The Wreck is a no-frills seafood shack on Shem Creek where you can watch shrimp boats tie up and sort their catch. Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms are also a short drive away, for beach walks and many more dining options. And remember: you’ve got a fridge for leftovers, so don’t hold back. Anything we missed?Technically there's no "beach" here on the harbor, but you can arrange for kayaks from Coastal Expeditions who will paddle them directly to your cottage. Bottom line: Why would we love it here?This place is dreamy. All cottages sit right on the harbor, so you can watch pelicans dive-bombing for dinner, and cargo ships moving slow-motion with dolphins surfing bow waves. Relax in utter quiet, or drive the 10-15 minutes downtown. For the adventurous, grab a loaner beach cruiser, pedal it over to the nearby Charleston Water Taxi at Patriots Point, cross the harbor by boat, spend the day biking around historic downtown Charleston, and catch the evening water taxi home. (Or for the seriously ambitious, bike over the bridge!)" - Allston McCrady