Special Attractions/Events
Pawleys Island has many special events to enjoy throughout the year.  In May the Loggerhead Turtle nesting season begins, where you can watch the young turtles at a nest "dig" after a hatching. In the same month, there is the Pawleys Pavilion Reunion, held at Pawleys Pavilion Park, and featuring great beach music, good food and beverages.

In July, the Canoe and Kayak Race is held at the creek entry at Pawleys Park. There are heats for the various age groups. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent for anyone who does not own their own.
 
The Fourth of July Parade is a festive annual event. And, to help keep the island pristine and beautiful, everyone participates in the Annual Island Trash Pickup.

In October, there are 10 kilometer and 5 kilometer races at the annual Turtle Strut.

Lastly, to round the year off, there is Christmas Caroling in the Park in December.

On the nearby mainland there are some excellent restaurants, fast food locations, and large super markets. Beach equipment is available on the mainland, and you can shop at The Pawleys Island Hammock Shops.

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
The earliest known inhabitants of Pawleys Island were Waccamaw and Winyah Indians, who called the area "Chicora," meaning "the land". George Pawley was the early European settler who gave his name to the community.

Pawleys Island claims to be the oldest resort area in America. The South Carolina Lowcountry was home to the most affluent planters on the continent, and rice and indigo were the crops they grew. In order to escape the heat and malaria of the mainland plantations, the rice royalty moved their families to cottages on Pawleys Island for the summer.

In the early 20th century, the Grand Strand began to develop into a major tourist area. During this time, Pawleys Island was one of the last areas to be developed. The town government was incorporated in 1986.

History abounds on Pawleys Island. There are 12 remaining residences in the historic district, dating from the late 1700’s to the mid 1800’s.

There is a local legend on the island about The Gray Man, a friendly ghost who warns of impending hurricanes. He was even the subject of an episode of the television program "Unsolved Mysteries". This legend dates back to the 1820's, when a wealthy planter, on his way to propose marriage, was thrown from his horse and killed. Two days later, his love was walking on the beach and saw a gray figure that she recognized as her lover, but he disappeared when she got close. That night she had a nightmare in which she was caught in a storm at sea. The next day she and her family left Pawleys Island for the mainland, just in time to escape a deadly hurricane. The ghost's appearance has come to be associated with impending hurricanes, and if you heeded his warning, you were spared from disaster. The Gray Man was sighted before Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Other serious hurricanes have struck the area in 1724, twice in 1752, 1822, 1911, 1954, and 1989.