BBC TravelOct 2, 2026
The American coast that refused to let African culture die
Along the US's South-eastern coast, Gullah Geechee communities preserve a distinct culture and language rooted in West Africa that is spoken nowhere else on Earth.
25 things in this story
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadePlaceNew York City, United StatesThe Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the world's largest parade, is an annual parade in New York City presented by the…
- Fish Haul BeachParkHilton Head Island, United StatesMarshy stretch on Hilton Head Island's northern fringe.
- MitchelvilleNeighborhoodHilton Head Island, United StatesFirst self-governed town of free Black people in the US.
- Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage CorridorPlaceHilton Head Island, United States500-mile strip from NC to FL celebrating Gullah Geechee culture.
- Rice CoastNeighborhoodWest Africa, SenegalArea in West Africa known for rice cultivation.
- LowcountryAirportSouth Carolina, United StatesCoastal region where Gullah Geechee culture developed.
- Gullah Food FestivalFestivalHilton Head Island, United StatesFeatures food, storytelling, music, and history.
- Gullah Museum of Hilton Head IslandMuseumHilton Head Island, United StatesHosts the Gullah Food Festival.
- Gullah ConveningPlaceHilton Head Island, United StatesEvent celebrating the Gullah Geechee Corridor.
- Gullah CelebrationFestivalHilton Head Island, United StatesMonth-long event hosted by Hilton Head.
- Gullah Heritage Trail TourTrailHilton Head Island, United StatesBus tour led by Native Islanders.
- Coastal Discovery MuseumMuseumHilton Head Island, United StatesOffers sweetgrass basket workshops.
- Ma Daisy's Front PorchRestaurantBluffton, United StatesGullah cultural complex and restaurant in Bluffton.
- Da Gullah Geechee PavilionPlaceHilton Head Island, United StatesOffers rentals on ancestral land in historic Jonesville.
- JuneteenthFestivalHilton Head Island, United StatesIt is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
- Old Town BlufftonRestaurantBluffton, United StatesHistoric river town dating to 1825.
- Ruby Lee'sRestaurantHilton Head Island, United StatesCosy spot with Gullah Geechee art, serving Hoppin' John.
- Historic Mitchelville Freedom ParkParkHilton Head Island, United StatesPark with praise-house replica and abandoned homes.
- Fort HowellSightHilton Head Island, United StatesFort built by Black soldiers in 1864 to defend freedom.
- Mandarin Oriental, New YorkHotelNew York City, United StatesA luxury 5-star hotel in Manhattan with Central Park and skyline views, spacious rooms and suites at Mandarin Oriental,…
- Deutsche Bank CenterSightNew York City, United StatesThe building occupies the western side of Columbus Circle and straddles the border between Hell's Kitchen and the Upper…
- Warwick New YorkHotelNew York City, United StatesConstructed between 1925 and 1927, it is owned by Warwick Hotels and Resorts.
- Martin Family ParkParkBluffton, United States
- West Side YMCAHotelNew York City, United States
- Essex HouseHotelNew York City, United States
