Three miles of Atlantic beach, an eleven-mile lagoon, and four very different neighborhoods behind one famous name. Which side of which gate you land on changes almost everything.
By Nicky Gleason, CLHMS™ · Luxury Homes of Hilton Head
Palmetto Dunes is the island's resort in the truest sense. Ocean on one side, Broad Creek on the other, and roughly 2,000 acres in between, laced with fairways, saltwater lagoon and bike paths. It is also one of the most misunderstood addresses on Hilton Head. An oceanfront villa that rents all summer, a lagoon-front property with its own dock, a quiet residential street where vacation rentals are not allowed, and a condo above the shops at Shelter Cove Harbour can all honestly say "Palmetto Dunes." They are not the same purchase. This guide sorts them out.
~2,000Acres
3Miles of Beach
11Miles of Lagoon
3Championship Courses
4Neighborhoods
The Lay of the Land
Two Sides, a Gate Within the Gates, and a Harbor
Palmetto Dunes sits mid-island, between Folly Field and Shipyard. Turn in from William Hilton Parkway and you are on Queens Folly Road, which splits the community into two gated sides. Inverness runs south. Mariners runs north. Inside the Inverness side, behind a second gate, is the residential section of Leamington. Across the parkway, on Broad Creek, Shelter Cove Harbour shares the Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove region in the MLS and, in most cases, access to the Palmetto Dunes amenities.
Those lines matter more here than almost anywhere on the island. Rental rules, summer traffic, the mix of villas and single-family properties, and what your POA and regime fees cover all shift depending on where you land. Get the neighborhood right first, and the property search gets much easier.
The Map
See It From Above
Inverness, Mariners, Leamington and Shelter Cove, with gates, beach access and the lagoon marked.
The Neighborhoods
Where to Look, and Why
South Gate
Inverness
Rentals PermittedOceanfront Villas
The southern side is the most resort-forward part of Palmetto Dunes. The oceanfront villa complexes cluster here, including Villamare and Captain's Walk, alongside the Omni and Hilton oceanfront resorts and the Dunes House on the beach. Inland, villa communities such as Inverness Village, Fazio Villas and Centre Court wrap the George Fazio course, close to the Tennis and Pickleball Center and the General Store.
Single-family properties range from golf and lagoon settings to oceanfront. Short-term rentals are permitted, which makes Inverness the natural starting point for a property meant to earn while you are away.
North of the main entrance, Mariners is the more residential side of Palmetto Dunes. It is primarily single-family, but it also holds a select group of condos, including oceanfront and ocean-oriented villas near the gate, a lock-and-leave way into the quieter side of the community. Streets follow the lagoon and the Robert Trent Jones course toward the ocean, and this is where you find lagoon-front properties with private docks, long fairway views and some of the community's oceanfront estates.
Short-term rentals are permitted, but the overall rhythm is calmer and more year-round than Inverness. Many of the owners who live in Palmetto Dunes full time are on this side.
Leamington covers roughly 450 acres at the southern end of Palmetto Dunes, and it is really two neighborhoods sharing one name. They sit side by side, but they live by different rules. Know which one you want before you start looking.
Leamington Residential
No Short-Term RentalsSecond Gate
Past the Palmetto Dunes South Gate is a second, residential gate, and behind it is the private side of Leamington. Roughly 300 single-family properties sit along the Arthur Hills course and the lagoon, alongside the Somerset, South Shore Commons and Townhomes at South Shore villa communities. Some of those villas are directly oceanfront, which makes them among the most private oceanfront condos in Palmetto Dunes, with no rentals next door.
Short-term rentals are not permitted, so the streets stay quiet even in July. Owners have their own beach pavilion with golf cart access to the sand, which is rare on this island, along with a residents' pool and a launch onto the lagoon. The historic Leamington Lighthouse stands on the Arthur Hills course.
Leamington Rental Villas
Rentals PermittedOceanfront and Second Row
Between the Omni and the residential gate, still inside the Palmetto Dunes South Gate, is a cluster of villa complexes that carry the Leamington name but sit outside its residential gate. Short-term rentals are permitted here, and this is the side most buyers picture when they hear "Leamington oceanfront."
Hampton Place, Windsor Court, Windsor Place, and Barrington Arms and Court sit directly on the ocean, with one, two and three bedroom floor plans and oceanfront pools. Barrington Park, Wendover Dunes, Huntington and Abbington sit just back from the beach, trading the panoramic view for more square footage and townhome-style layouts. The result is one of the quieter rental pockets on the island.
Both sides appear under Leamington in the MLS, so a Leamington search returns both, and both sides have oceanfront villas. "Oceanfront Leamington condo" alone does not tell you whether you can rent it. If rental income, or the absence of rentals next door, is part of your plan, confirm which side of the residential gate a property sits on before anything else.
On Broad Creek, Shelter Cove Harbour is the Palmetto Dunes address for buyers who would rather look at boats than fairways. Villa communities such as Harbourside, Main Sail, Newport, Yacht Club, Captain's Quarters and the Anchorage ring the marina, some set right above the harbor's shops and restaurants, with Shelter Cove Towne Centre close by for groceries and errands.
Most regimes include access to the Palmetto Dunes amenities, and the seasonal Dunes Buggy runs between the harbor and the beach. Shelter Cove villas tend to be the most accessible entry point into Palmetto Dunes ownership, and the harbor setting has a loyal following of its own.
Character:Oceanfront villas, golf villas, single-family golf, lagoon and oceanfront properties
Mariners
Rentals:Permitted
Character:Primarily single-family, lagoon-front with docks, golf and oceanfront, plus select oceanfront and ocean-oriented condos near the gate
Leamington Residential
Rentals:Not Permitted
Character:Single-family properties and villas, including oceanfront villas, behind a second gate along the Arthur Hills course
Leamington Rental Villas
Rentals:Permitted
Character:Oceanfront and second-row villa complexes between the Omni and the residential gate
Shelter Cove
Rentals:Common, by Regime
Character:Marina villas on Broad Creek, close to dining and shopping
Rental rules come from community covenants and individual regime documents, and the Town of Hilton Head Island requires a short-term rental permit. Confirm the rules for any specific property before you write an offer.
Inside the Gates
What Ownership Opens Up
The Beach
Three miles of Atlantic shoreline with gated beach access, owner beach parking and the Dunes House oceanfront bar and grill.
The Lagoon
An 11-mile saltwater lagoon owned by the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association, threading through the courses for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. Lagoon-front properties often come with private docks.
Three Courses
The Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, with one of the island's rare oceanfront holes, the par-70 George Fazio Course, and the Arthur Hills Course through Leamington. Each has been named South Carolina Golf Course of the Year.
Tennis and Pickleball
The Palmetto Dunes Tennis and Pickleball Center, with more than 20 courts and a reputation that draws players from well beyond the island.
Getting Around
Bike paths run the length of the community, and the complimentary Dunes Buggy shuttle serves Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove Harbour seasonally.
The Harbor
Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina on Broad Creek, with deepwater slips, waterfront restaurants and shops, and Shelter Cove Towne Centre nearby.
Before You Buy
Fees, Regimes and the Fine Print
Properties inside the Palmetto Dunes gates pay POA fees to the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association, which oversees community common areas including the lagoon. Villa owners also pay regime fees, and those vary widely with the building's age, amenities and proximity to the ocean. The residential section of Leamington can carry additional association fees of its own. Amounts change, so verify current figures directly with the POA and the relevant regime.
On oceanfront and harbor villas, the regime is where the real diligence happens. Ask about the building's age and recent improvements, any planned or pending assessments, insurance, and how the regime handles rentals and rental management. Two villas a few hundred feet apart can carry very different costs of ownership.
Live Market Data
Palmetto Dunes, Right Now
See what is active, under contract and recently sold across Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove.
Rental income, a quiet street, a dock on the lagoon, a view of the marina. Tell me what the property needs to do for you, and I will tell you exactly where in Palmetto Dunes to look.
Palmetto Dunes is mid-island, between Folly Field and Shipyard. It runs from three miles of Atlantic beach on one side to Shelter Cove Harbour on Broad Creek on the other, with the main entrance on William Hilton Parkway.
In most of Palmetto Dunes, yes. Short-term rentals are permitted on the Inverness and Mariners sides, in the Leamington villa complexes outside the residential gate, and are common in Shelter Cove. They are not permitted in the residential section of Leamington behind its second gate. Rules can vary by regime, and the Town of Hilton Head Island requires a short-term rental permit, so confirm the rules for any specific property before making an offer.
It depends on which side of the residential gate the property sits. The residential section of Leamington, behind a second gate past the Palmetto Dunes South Gate, does not permit short-term rentals, and that includes the oceanfront villas inside that gate. The Leamington oceanfront and second-row villas outside that gate, including Hampton Place, Windsor Court, Windsor Place, Barrington, Wendover Dunes, Huntington and Abbington, do permit short-term rentals. Both appear under Leamington in the MLS.
Leamington is a roughly 450-acre section within Palmetto Dunes, on the southern end of the community. Its residential side sits behind a second security gate, does not permit short-term rentals, and has its own owners' beach pavilion with golf cart access to the beach, a residents' pool and a lagoon launch. Leamington owners also have access to the broader Palmetto Dunes amenities.
Shelter Cove Harbour sits across William Hilton Parkway from the main Palmetto Dunes gates, on Broad Creek, and shares the Palmetto Dunes/Shelter Cove region in the Hilton Head MLS. Most Shelter Cove villa regimes include access to Palmetto Dunes amenities, and the seasonal Dunes Buggy shuttle runs between the harbor and the beach. Confirm amenity access with the specific regime.
Palmetto Dunes offers oceanfront and second-row villas, golf and lagoon villas, marina villas at Shelter Cove, single-family properties on the golf courses and the 11-mile lagoon, oceanfront estates, and occasional homesites.
Palmetto Dunes has three championship courses: the Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, the George Fazio Course and the Arthur Hills Course, which runs through Leamington. Each has been named South Carolina Golf Course of the Year.
Yes. Properties inside the Palmetto Dunes gates pay POA fees to the Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association. Villa owners also pay regime fees, which vary by building, and the residential section of Leamington can carry additional association fees. Verify current amounts directly with the POA and the relevant regime.
Information on this page is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All details, including POA fees, regime fees, rental rules, pricing, amenities and community information, should be independently verified with the appropriate association, regime and the Town of Hilton Head Island before making any real estate decision. Nicky Gleason Real Estate, Luxury Homes of Hilton Head. Equal Housing Opportunity.
