Laura

Hi,

I'm heading to the Georgia/Florida coast in May and have been reading about these islands. Would like to stay on one of the them but I'm not sure which one. At the moment I'm leaning towards Amelia island. Anyone stayed there and have some advice for me?
thanks,
Laura

SA

I think Amelia probably offers more diversity than the others you mentioned. You have the Old Town, Beaches, the Fort & the resort areas @ the other end of the island. It is certainly more laid back & quiet than the others & not as pretentious. Where's Bob the Navigator ?

Laura

Thanks SA - that's kind of what I figured, but I wanted confirmation!

Laura

nace

Laura,
I second the Amelia Island suggestion. Interesting town with some good restaurants. We always stay at the Hampton Inn in the Old Town part. You can walk to many shops and restaurants.

Chris

Laura, I have stayed down along the coast many times. If you want to really get away from it all, try the Greyfield Inn at Cumberland Island. If you want golf, pool, beach try either the King and Prince at Jekyll or for a little more money The Cloister at Sea Island. If you need to shop and site see a little more, go to Amelia. The Ritz-Carlton is very nice and on the beach. The Florida House Inn is located in Fernandina Beach (very close to Amelia) not on the beach, but near shops and restaurants. Try to stay in one of the new rooms with a fireplace and a jacuzzi; breakfast is great. On the beach, the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge is very nice and Summer Beach condos (the newer ones) are nice. Amelia Island Plantation is a little dated, but it is nice also. I have always had great meals at Beech Street Grille.

mar459

I love to visit Amelia Island. St Simons is mostly residential but does have a lot of Georgia History as well as Savannah.

hmmm

The King and Prince is on St. Simons Island (not Jekyll). No beach of which to speak. Amelia has more upscale places, such as the Ritz and the Plantation. Very little on Jekyll-better as a day-trip.

alise

My parents have a place at St Simon's. I enjoy visiting there. The Village is a fun place to hang out and shop and dine/bar hop. However the beach is not within walking distance. The set up of the island is a bit awkward.

Fernandina has a great little bar...I believe they claim to be the oldest in Florida. Can't remember the name but they had this great alcoholic punch!

I wasn't impressed with Jekyll and Sea Island/Cloisters seem tooo hoity toity for my taste.

If you want to be near Savannah which has a TON of activities and history...you can stay at Tybee.

TT

How do biking (available trails) and kayaking options compare between St. Simons and Amelia?

Thanks!

rubytwo

We have stayed at the Elizabeth Pointe Inn on Amelia Island. We were very pleased with the Inn. THe service was wonderful. THe rooms were very comfortable. The beach there is extremely nice and there is a huge porch with rockers so you can sit out and enjoy the view. There are many nice restaurants on the island and lots of small shops. I would go back again in a heartbeat.

palmettoprincess

Jekyll has FANTASTIC bike trails through the swamps, golf course, by the ocean. It is decidedly less developed, but that is good for peaceful ride.

padams421

Kayaking options for SS and Amelia are about the same. Biking trails on SS tend to be on the sides of roads. The trails are useful for getting from one side of the island to another but not really scenic. Of the 3 islands originally asked about, I'd recommend Amelia for its beaches (much better than SS) and its diversity of things to do- including restaurants (over Jekyll).

SAnParis

Headed back to Amelia next week for the 10th consecutive year. I was the SA 12/02, btw. I've stayed at most of the B & B's if your have questions as well as eaten at most of the restaurants (I still like the Beech Street Grill & Crab Shack).

TT

Thanks for the replies to my earlier question. We're leaning toward Amelia Island and looking at either an oceanfront condo rental (S. Fletcher Ave about a 1/2 mile from Fort Clinch) vs. a non ocean-front rental in Amelia Island Plantation (in mid March). Mostly we just want to relax with either walking on the beach or biking on trails.

Any preferences out there between just staying on Amelia Island vs. Amelia Island Plantation?

Thanks!

padams421

We have stayed at the AIP a couple of times and stayed elsewhere on Amelia several other times. I like AIP because of the convenience of pool, beach, golf, tennis, bike rental all together. It also has some nice trails. The food is good but not great. We prefer dining at restaurants elsewhere on the island but the resort restaurants are convenient for breakfast or a quick lunch.

64fordgal

Amelia Island is the way to go. We were there two years ago May and stayed at the Ash Street Inn. It's within walking distance of all the restaurants in Fernandina, which made it a great home base from which to explore. They also have the most PHENOMENAL breakfasts. We spent a good hour and a half out on the front porch everyday eating our three course breakfast. I cannot rave enough.

We loved having a casual lunch or dinner at Lulu's Bra (yes, Bra) and Grill down the street from the inn. Many of the nicer restaurants were, we felt, overpriced and stuffy, and that just wasn't for us.

In terms of beaches, pay the money and head to the beach at the state park. It's beautiful, there are great shells, and there aren't a lot of people.

Enjoy!