We continue exploring radiant Charleston, a coastal city surrounded by beaches, islands, and rivers that invite you to embrace the rhythm of the sea.
One morning, the Four Fabulous ladies, accompanied by two gallant companions, set off for Folly Beach. We crossed the Ashley River, went through James Island, and arrived at the sand kissed by the Atlantic, just 20 minutes by Uber from the city center.
There we strolled along its long pier, where many people try their hand at fishing. That said, a sign humorously warned: no sharks. And to myself, I thought: what if we just let all the fish be happy in the sea?
The beach is immense, we couldn’t see the end of it. It has become a very popular spot for surfers with many business dedicated to that, as well as bars & restaurants to spend a nice day.
The girls wanted to relax and take a swim, but I had in mind to visit a lighthouse that Derek had told us about. So he and I went to find a bike to set off on our little adventure. Honestly, it was the best $10 I spent all week.
The guy in charge of the bikes was a real character, he provided us with bicycles with no breaks, we had to use the pedal to stop. As my friend Emilio knows, I still get confused when it comes to changing gears, so I was really happy with this cycling novelty.
In the middle of the day & the heat we headed for the Morris Island Lighthouse. I was expecting a lighthouse at the end of the beach, but no, for our surprise it wasn’t.
Upon arriving, my expectations were exceeded: blue sea, sandbanks, mangroves, and no one else around—just us, pure nature. We locked up our bikes and set off.
The lighthouse rises in the middle of the water. When the tide is low, it’s possible to walk all the way to it—though it’s worth remembering that if the tide comes in, the return can get tricky. Another option is to reach it by kayak or small boat
As we wandered around the area, we came across a family fishing for the typical Carolina blue crab. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them; I would have set them free. They were so beautiful, with that brilliant, intense blue that left me amazed.
We carried on & bumped into a fisherman who’d caught a local fish, he showed it to us setting it free afterwards, due to its small size. We thought it was a blowfish that didn’t have time to blow to protect itself, with us there was no danger, although it bit the fisherman, fish are so clever!
Then, suddenly, we witnessed something extraordinary—one of those scenes you normally only see in a National Geographic documentary: dolphins herding fish against a sandbank, and then, all at once… boom! They leapt out of the water to snatch them, dove back into the sea, and kept circling again and again until the fish were trapped once more. Absolutely breathtaking.
After a couple of hours enjoying the place, we started heading back. The heat had already drained my water bottle, but luckily, just before entering the trail that leads to the lighthouse, I found a sign—and beneath it, a faucet where I was able to refill my reusable bottle, avoiding single-use plastics.
We came back cycling. Half way there met the owner of the bikes who told us to leave them with the others, so we did, just like a friendly village type of place. We went to get our friends to have something to eat in a restaurant on top of the pier.
Literary Note
After a couple of hours enjoying the place, we started heading back. The heat had already drained my water bottle, but luckily, just before entering the trail that leads to the lighthouse, I found a sign—and beneath it, a faucet where I was able to refill my reusable bottle, avoiding single-use plastics.
After such a wonderful day by the sea and its landscapes, I can only end with a book recommendation. And what better choice than The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, perhaps his most famous work. This book is special to me: I once lent it to a fisherman who couldn’t put it down until he finished it.
Like the old fisherman Santiago, who decides to head back out to sea after nearly three months without catching anything, we face the lesson of perseverance and constant struggle. Alone in his boat, he battles to reel in a giant fish that refuses to give up, all while confronting the elements and the predators trying to steal his hard-won marlin. Over the three days of struggle, he recalls his life, his luckier days at sea, and he thinks of the young boy Manolín, whom he taught the art of fishing and who has always stood by him.
At last, Santiago returns to shore exhausted. He leaves his boat and goes home to rest. By morning, the village witnesses the magnitude of the fish—of which only the skeletal remains are left, tied to the old fisherman’s boat. The story leaves us with a question: will Santiago return to the sea? Was this his final great feat?
Dedicated to P. a fisherman who now navigates in celestial waters.
