Beaches

The Myrtle Beach sand is mostly hard-packed and the color of brown sugar, to which it's often compared. The main action is around the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park at Ocean Boulevard and Ninth Avenue North. If you'd like more seclusion, head north of 79th Avenue for several miles.

The beach has lifeguards and plenty of fast-food joints. Amazingly, there are no public toilets. South Carolina law, however, obligates hotels to allow beach buffs to use their facilities. (Many male beachgoers don't bother to go inside the hotels but use walls instead -- a habit that has provoked endless local-newspaper comment.)

At the southern tier of the beach, Myrtle Beach State Park (tel. 843/238-5325) offers 312 acres of pinewoods and a sandy beach. Admission to the park is $4 adults, $2.50 seniors, $1.50 for ages 6 to 15, free for ages 5 and younger. It has toilets, along with pavilions, picnic tables, and a swimming pool. It's possible to fish from the pier for $4.50. The park is full of nature trails and offers 302 campsites. You can either reserve a campsite with electricity and water for $24 or opt for 10 sites for $17 to $19. The park is open daily from 6am to 10pm.

Fishing

Because of the warming temperature of the Gulf Stream, fishing is good from early spring until around Christmas. You can pursue king mackerel, spadefish, amberjack, barracuda, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel, along with grouper and red snapper. Great fishing is available aboard any boat of Captain Dick's, Business Highway 17, at Myrtle Beach South Strand and Murrells Inlet (tel. 866/557-FISH or 843/651-3676). Captain Dick offers three charters that go as far as 60 miles offshore. The Sea Bass Fishing Adventure is a half-day trip priced at $41 for adults and $25 per child (12 and under). The rates include rod and reel, bait, tackle, and license.

The Continental Shelf Fishing trip is an 8-hour trip that goes slightly farther out than the Sea Bass Adventure, in search of bigger fish. Rates are $58 for adults and $32 for children (12 and under), including rod and reel, bait, tackle, and license. Electric reels are available for $9. The All Day Gulf Stream trip is an 11-hour jaunt that departs at 7am in search of red snapper, grouper, triggerfish, and amberjack. The rate of $79 for adults and $54 for children (12 and under) includes rod and reel, bait, tackle, and license. Electric reels are also available for this trip for an additional $12.

Once a month, between March and November, Captain Dick's hosts the Overnight Gulf Stream fishing expedition for the true fishing enthusiast. The cost of the 25-hour trip, which departs at 1:30pm on Saturday and returns at 2:30pm on Sunday, is $158. Rates include rod and reel, bait, tackle, and license; an electric reel is an additional $12. On this trip, the price of the electric reel may well be worth it.

Sailing & Windsurfing

Captain Dick's, Business Highway 17, at Myrtle Beach South Strand and Murrells Inlet (tel. 866/557-FISH or 843/651-3676), has cruises that offer stunning views of the Grand Strand. The Saltwater Marsh Explorer Adventure is a 2 1/2-hour ecology trip that allows you to see marine life in its true element. Rates are $19 for adults and $11 for children 12 and under. The "Cruising the Beach" Ocean Sightseeing Cruise along the coast of Myrtle Beach wraps up the trip with a sunset at sea. Rates are $17 for adults and $7 for children ages 6 to 12 (free for children under 6).

You can rent windsurfers at Sail and Ski, 515 Hwy. 501, Myrtle Beach (tel. 843/626-7245), from April to September.

Scuba Diving

Several wrecks off the coast and a wide variety of tropical fish make scuba diving a popular pastime. One of the best outfitters is Coastal Scuba, at 1626 Hwy. 17 S., North Myrtle Beach (tel. 800/249-9388 or 843/361-3323), which has full PADI certification. Charters range from $68 to $110 per person, and boats go anywhere from 6 to 55 miles offshore.

Tennis

The Myrtle Beach Public Courts, 3200 Oak St., on Myrtle Beach (no phone), offer a trio of outdoor and asphalt courts next to the Myrtle Beach Recreation Center. A more elegant place to play is the Kingston Plantation Sport & Health Club, 9760 Kings Rd., Myrtle Beach (tel. 843/497-1610), home of the annual GTE Tennis Festival. Such greats as Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors have played these five Har-Tru courts. There are also four outdoor clay courts. Courts cost $20 to $30 per hour.

Grand Dunes Tennis Club, U.S. 17 Business, across from Dixie Stampede, at Myrtle Beach (tel. 843/315-0218), has 10 composition courts, 5 of which are lighted for night play. Courts cost $30 for two people for 2 hours and $50 for four people for 2 hours. There's also an on-site pro shop and fitness room.

Watersports

To rent jet skis and other water sporting vehicles, contact Myrtle Beach Watersports (tel. 843/497-8848). They are located at the Dunes Beach and Golf Resort.