South Haven is one of Michigan’s many beautiful beach towns. It is perfect for a weekend trip away or longer if you love beaches, wine, and good food. This ultimate travel guide has everything you need to know when traveling to South Haven, Michigan.
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Where is South Haven?
South Haven is a small beach town located on Lake Michigan. It is on the east side of Michigan’s lower peninsula, about two hours from Chicago and three hours from Detroit. It is easy to access by highway, but not by public transportation.
The best time to visit South Haven is in the summer months between late May and early September. This is when the weather is best, the beaches are hot, and everything is open.
If you visit in the off-season or the shoulder months, you will be able to find places to eat and drink, but some of the seasonal shops and restaurants will be closed. Additionally, the weather may be cold and wet, especially since the town is on a river right next to the lake, making it colder than usual.
Where to Stay in South Haven
In South Haven, where you stay should depend on what you are looking to do. If you plan to explore downtown South Haven where there are shops, restaurants, wineries, and breweries, you should stay south of the river. There are two hotels downtown that you can stay at for a convenient location. These are not the most upscale hotels, but they are nice enough, and the location is great.
Old Harbor Inn
This is my favorite place to stay in South Haven. The harbor views are beautiful, and the location is conveniently located downtown near all the wineries, restaurants, and shopping.
Historic Hotel Nichols
The second hotel in downtown South Haven is Hotel Nichols. This hotel is not on the harbor, so you cannot get views similar to the Old Harbor Inn, but it is right across the street from the harbor.
If you are looking to relax away from the action, there are many inns and bed & breakfasts north of the river. You can easily walk to the beach from these inns, a beautiful park, a small bakery, and the North Beach. You will be further from the noisier downtown area but can still walk five to ten minutes over the river to get to restaurants.
Last Resort Inn
The Last Resort Inn is a hotel-like Inn near North Beach. There are plenty of other places to stay in this area as well, such as vacation rentals and bed & breakfasts.
If you do not mind driving into town or the beach, or if you want to be closer to some vineyards outside of the town, you can stay outside of South Haven. Search for a hotel here:
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Where to Eat in South Haven
There are so many places to eat in downtown South Haven alone. The restaurants have a huge variety of food, so everyone can find something they love! Here are some of my favorite places:
Black River Tavern
The Black River Tavern, or BTR as the locals call it, seems like your typical bar and restaurant, but the workers are so friendly, the food is amazing, and they have many live shows. The best food on the menu by far is the Ultimate Grilled Cheese. If you are looking for something simple but delicious, it is perfect!
I also tried the Strawberry Orange Mimosa, and it is the perfect summer drink. If there is a live show, plan ahead because they get busy. You can check their website for all their upcoming live music and comedy.
| Address: 403 Phoenix St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: Black River Tavern |
Admiral Jack’s Bar & Grill
Admiral Jack’s is a cool little bar located on the harbor. It has amazing views from the outside and a big tiki bar. The food was excellent, and my favorite is the Loaded Tater Tots that we had before dinner. The white cheese on top was delicious. As for drinks, they have delicious signature drinks, and I could drink their Rum Runners all day long.
It can get cool outside since you are on the river, and the inside is pretty small, so arrive outside of peak times for a table, even in the off-season. This seemed to be a trendy spot with locals as well.
| Address: 515 Williams St, South Haven, MI 49090 |
Clementines
Clementines is the most popular place to eat in South Haven. I personally did not eat here, but everyone we talked to raved about it. It is a classier place, and you will need to make a reservation if you want to eat here. If you don’t have a reservation, you will likely have to wait at least an hour for a table during the peak season.
| Address: 500 Phoenix St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: Clementines |
There are tons of other places to eat in South Haven, but these are the best and most popular, in my opinion! If you are there for more than a few days, you can still eat somewhere new every night or have time to go back to your favorite places.
Wineries in South Haven
I love trying new wineries when I travel, and South Haven, Michigan is the perfect place to do that. In downtown South Haven, there are three wine tasting rooms: Warner, Gravity, and 12 Corners.
Warner Winery
Warner Winery is right next to the harbor, and it was my personal favorite when I visited. There was a large variety of wine here, and I would have bought all of it if I could have. In addition to the wine, they have frozen wine smoothies and a few ciders.
When you come here for a tasting, you get five tastings for $8. There is also a cute porch outside where you can enjoy a glass of wine.
| Address: 515 Williams St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: Warner Winery |
Gravity Wine
Gravity Wine is the most classy wine tasting room in South Haven. The wines here are drier and more expensive, but they have recently added some sweeter options. At Gravity, you will get your tasting fee back if you buy four or more bottles, which is $13 for six tastings. You also get to keep the cute tasting glass.
When you do a tasting, they use a reusable list of the wine, saving a lot of paper compared to many other wineries. Any little steps to save the environment helps!
| Address: 512 Phoenix St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: Gravity Wine |
12 Corners
12 Corners is right across the street from Gravity. The wine here is pretty unique, and they split their tasting menu by dryness instead of color. When you visit, you can try five wines for $10, and you get to keep the tasting glass! They also sell yummy dark chocolate almond squares here that you can taste with your wine.
| Address: 511 Phoenix St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: 12 Corners |
These are the three wine tasting rooms in downtown South Haven, but there are a lot more that you can drive to from South Haven. These include more tasting rooms as well as vineyards.
Breweries in South Haven
South Haven is a great place for beer-lovers too. The beer in South Haven is excellent, and you can take it all home with you in cans and growlers if you love it as much as I do. The two breweries below are the two main ones in town, and all the restaurants and bars serve local beers.
Harbor Light Brewery
This is one of my favorite places to visit in South Haven. The beer is really good, and I can’t wait to go back soon. There are many options here, so the bartender asked us what we liked to drink, and she brought us a few each that she thought we would like. We liked all of them!
My favorite is the Tart Cherry Cider, and I wish I could find it near me because it’s so good! The brewery doesn’t serve its own food, but they partnered with a local pizza place for delivery if you get hungry.
| Address: 516 Phoenix St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: Harbor Light Brewing |
South Haven Brewpub
The South Haven Brewpub is hidden next to the harbor in the Old Harbor Village. I tried beers here that I normally wouldn’t, and I’m glad I did since I ended up liking them. My favorite beer was Shandi’s Lemon, but I also enjoyed Not Your Grandma’s Cookie.
The brewpub has seating inside and outside. They have a nice patio on the outside, and in the colder months, they have heated pods to sit in, so you don’t even feel like you are outside! They have a food menu as well, and the appetizers go great with beer.
| Address: 515 Williams St, South Haven, MI 49090 Website: South Haven Brewpub |
South Haven’s Beaches
The beaches are a great reason to travel to South Haven, Michigan in the summer.
South Haven has two main beaches: North Beach and South Beach. They are just across the river from each other, but you will need to go downtown to cross the river. On foot, the walk is about thirty minutes.
The South Beach has access to the pier that many people go to the beach to see. The sand is nicer on the North Beach, but the South Beach has a playground and some shops with food and beach items. The North Beach is nicer for relaxing, swimming, and enjoying a day at the beach. If you want to bring a picnic and chill all day, North Beach is the better option.
Both beaches have paid parking. You can find free public parking in town and walk, but this may be difficult in the warmer months unless you arrive early.
Enjoy your trip to South Haven!
South Haven is the perfect place to visit for a summer getaway. There is something for everyone, including beaches, wine, beer, good food, and relaxing inns. Use this ultimate travel guide to plan your perfect trip to South Haven, Michigan!
For more Midwestern United States travel, check out some of my other guides:
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