About 13 miles south of Myrtle Beach is Murrells Inlet, a community that was once primarily a fishing village and has since developed into a tourist and retirement location. Probably best known for its MarshWalk, a half-mile-long boardwalk overlooking a salt marsh, it’s a nature lover’s paradise. Just a few steps down and across Highway 17 sits one of the best gift shops in South Carolina that is so massive, you will want to have plenty of time to explore everything inside. It's just one of many fun things to do in Murrells Inlet.

Established in 2006 to offer Grand Strand residents and visitors a truly unique shopping experience, the Lazy Gator has over 12,000 square feet of space full of high-quality merchandise of all kinds, which you may see reflected in slightly higher pricing than the average gift shop. As you’ll soon see, this one is far from average.

In fact, it was recognized as the best gift shop in the Grand Strand in 2015:

Along with all the knickknacks you would expect to find here, there are many other delightful surprises you’ll discover, including treasures for the nature lovers the area attracts. This line of jewelry includes pieces that are handmade in the United States using sand from local beaches, and some also have gorgeous power stones.

These ocean-inspired jewelry and jewelry dish pieces come from a Charleston-based company, Grit & Grace. It also creates fun items for your home.

The Lazy Gator also carries sea-inspired beauty products, a great choice for all of those who just cannot get enough of the ocean. They will especially enjoy using these during winter months that are too cold to be at the beach.

There’s a large selection of T-shirts and other types of clothing, including cute women’s tops, button-up collared shirts for men, and children’s pieces.

Need a new bag? You will be thrilled with all the options, including the coveted Vera Bradley brand.

There’s a nice variety of Christmas wares, with all types of fun ornaments. These make a great stocking stuffer, hostess or Secret Santa gift, or souvenir.

If Christmas shopping is one of the things you like to do while exploring a gift shop, you could take care of several of the people on your gift list while at the Lazy Gator in Murrells Inlet! Pick up this fun "Santa's Crew" bag from Etsy for those gift items you find.

Foodies are going to love browsing through the section of Lazy Gator’s very own brand of jellies, jams, butters, dressings, and sauces, as well as bulk candy perfect for filling stockings, and the gourmet popcorn by Poppy, hand-crafted popcorn made in Asheville, North Carolina, popped and packaged in the United States.

And then there’s the homemade, one-of-a-kind fudge, with seasonal flavors available. After all of this shopping in Murrells Inlet, you will certainly work up an appetite. Grab some fudge …

… and settle into a rocker out on the three-sided porch for some fresh air and rest for your feet. The Lazy Gator graciously provides a small bottle of water to help you stay hydrated while on this Murrells Inlet shopping adventure as well.

These rockers are the perfect place for the men to sit down while the ladies browse inside.

Before you leave, be sure to stop by the faux gator outside for a photo!

Visit the Lazy Gator’s website and the Lazy Gator’s Facebook page for more information. And for a delicious lunch or dinner after shopping, head over to Lee’s Inlet Kitchen, a restaurant loaded with local history and delicious seafood. It would be a shame to be in the seafood capital of South Carolina and not have any seafood while there!

Have you ever been to the Lazy Gator? Did you buy anything or sample the homemade fudge? What flavor? Share all about it with us in the comments section below!