Charleston

Here you'll find a small-town, local feel — the businesses and restaurants are owned and operated by people in the community, and it’s easy to see the network of relationships that make this place tick. The harbor is the heart of Charleston and serves as a home port to a large commercial fishing fleet. You’ll find a bustling marina serving charter boat operators, sports fishermen, crabbers, and recreational boaters. Fresh seafood is always served at a wide selection of local restaurants and pubs.

Leaving town along Cape Arago Highway begins one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the state, with multiple worthwhile stops on the way to the panoramic viewpoint of Cape Arago itself. The journey passes popular Bastendorff Beach, the sheltered Sunset Bay, and historical Shore Acres — once a timber baron’s estate and now a formal garden with spectacular cliff side views of the ocean. Off shore, the Cape Arago Lighthouse can be seen from afar on an island near Sunset Bay.