Amelia Island: A Historical Coastal Gem in Northern Florida
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Ever since moving to the Tampa metro, Mike and I have been taking roadtrips to various Florida beach towns. We figure we might as well explore as much as we can while living in such close proximity. One of the top destinations on our bucket list was Amelia Island, which we heard is a bit more low-key than congested suburban Tampa where we currently reside.
Amelia is a quiet barrier island, located in the Northernmost portion of Florida, not too far from the Georgia border. The island is one of the Sea Islands, a chain of coastal barrier islands stretching from Northeast Florida to South Carolina. Although the island is conveniently located just a half hour away from Jacksonville, it offers a drastically different setting.
The prime advantage here is 13 miles of quiet, secluded beaches. Although we have easy access to many fantastic beaches on the Gulf, we are always up for exploring something new. We found the beaches here to be a bit more laid-back, retaining that “Old Florida” vibe with an attractive lack of commercialization. We also loved the historic tree-lined downtown which is lined with beautiful old inns, charming seaside homes, and plenty of local businesses.
Numerous parks, beaches, and recreational activities make up a large portion of the area. The weather is mild year-round with average winter temperature in the 60’s, so a bit of a cool escape from south Florida. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and would recommend it as a great quiet getaway from either Tampa or Orlando.
The laid-back charm of the island, combined with a historic downtown and little commercialization, makes it a great vacation alternative over more congested coastal cities. The island is a wonderful low-key beach vacation; here you will find quiet inns and seaside hotels, spas, historical attractions, and peaceful parks.
There are 2 towns on the island: Amelia City and Fernandina Beach. Fernandina Beach is a great little community on the island. There are plenty of activities to enjoy, without all the added congestion that typically comes along with a tourist area.
Where to stay
Fernandina Beach is home to many quaint inns and bed and breakfasts. The historic downtown is home to several great inns including The Florida House Inn (reportedly the oldest hotel in Florida). Another beautiful inn choice is The Hoyt House, located on Centre Street. Staying at a downtown inn is a convenient choice as you can easily walk to all the shops and restaurants.
Beachfront hotel options include a mixed variety of private inns/bed and breakfasts and luxury chain hotels. The Omni Amelia Island Plantation and Ritz Carlton are 2 great choices for those who prefer a lot of extra luxuries like a full service spa, rooms with waterfront views, a luxury pool area, and on site restaurants. We stay at Omni properties often and love the cleanliness, amenities, and gorgeous modern design. For this trip, we were seeking something a bit simpler.
We booked a room at the Seaside Amelia Inn, an affordable property that is located within walking distance of the beach and just a short drive (or bike ride) from both Fort Clinch State Park and downtown Fernandina Beach. The inn is situated right on the beach which is really nice so you can take a quick stroll and catch the sun setting or rising. We loved conveniently walking right over to the beach each morning and evening.
In my guide, I will cover some of the best activities we enjoyed during our trip. This is by no means an all inclusive guide, but rather a few fun things to do on your first trip to the area.
Fernandina Beach: Historic Centre Street
Fernandina Beach’s historic Main Street district is home to local restaurants, shops, and picturesque buildings. The tree-lined streets make visiting tolerable during the hot summer months. I love the gorgeous historic architecture combined with the beautiful palm landscaping. You will find a lot of old brick buildings, southern charm, and nice al fresco dining patios. It’s a great place to stroll around, explore history, or grab a bite to eat.
We stopped at Le Clos for dinner, a charming little French restaurant which is perfect for a date or celebratory occasion. Also be sure to pick up a freshly brewed local coffee at Amelia Island Coffee.
There are many beautiful historic buildings in this downtown district. Take a look below at some examples of the beautiful architecture in the area. All the inns are so gorgeous, and even the courthouse and post office are located in big beautiful old buildings.
If you would prefer a guided tour of the city’s architecture, be sure to reserve a carriage ride. Jeffers offers narrated rides. Both 30 minute, extended hour tours, and private romantic rides are available. For anyone who doesn’t want to rack up a lot of miles walking, a relaxing horse drawn carriage ride is a great alternative. For anyone who doesn’t mind getting in a decent workout, just take a stroll around and explore the beautiful sights at your own pace.
Fort Clinch State Park
Both history buffs and exercise enthusiasts will appreciate the beauty of this diverse park. There are many activities to enjoy here including: 3 miles of beaches, a scenic bike loop, hiking trails, and historic Fort Clinch. Reenactment events take place year-round. Check the Fort’s website for more details.
The beaches here are gorgeous – quiet, secluded, and loaded with sea shells! We had a great time enjoying the white sand beaches in a quiet setting. In Tampa, we are used to rowdy crowds at tourist havens like Clearwater and St. Pete so this was a nice surprise. There is a lot of room to stretch out and take a nice long walk. We saw several people biking so we decided to join in – the sand here is super hard, not fluffy so this is another option for active types.
I love collecting colorful beach shells – I have so many glass vases all around my house. We found a nice variety here after just a short walk. If you get lucky, you may find a coveted shark tooth. While Venice (near Sarasota) is “The Shark Tooth Capital” for finding these prehistoric teeth, this island is also great for rare collecting. A lot of the gift shops sell these teeth, but it just isn’t as fun as finding one yourself.
Ft. Clinch hiking trails
If you are up for some exercise, this park is a really beautiful place to hike or bike. The main 3 mile loop around the park is an excellent option for year-round biking. Beautiful Spanish moss trees drape the entire loop giving it that typical southern ambiance.
These trees provide ample shade coverage during the summer which is a must as temps often exceed 90 with high humidity. You will also find a few off-road bicycle trails for more experienced cyclists and anyone else seeking an extra challenge.
A few miles of hiking trails provide great opportunities for wildlife watching. Alligators, bobcats, deer, armadillos, and gopher tortoises can be, especially during the early morning and evening hours. Surprisingly, we did not see anything even though we see tons of gators, armadillos, and tortoises pretty much everyone on the trails around Tampa Bay. Regardless we enjoyed the scenery and it was a great way to squeeze in a light workout while on vacation.
I recommend starting with either a 25 or 45 min loop on the Willow Pond nature trail. This is a lovely trail with lots of Spanish moss and live oak trees to enjoy along the way.
Self guided history tours
The highlight here is taking a self-guided tour of Ft. Clinch where you will be able to take a step back in time to 1864. As you explore the grounds, you will be able to see how soldiers lived during the Civil War.
Not surprisingly, the 19th century fort is haunted. Various tales of ghost sightings and legends have been passed down throughout the years. This entire region is supposedly haunted. On summer weekends, you have the opportunity to book tickets for a candlelight ghost tour.
Here is a quick gallery of some of the photos I took during my visit.
Things to Know:
- The park is located at: 2601 Atlantic Ave. Fernandina Beach FL
- Hours are 8am-sunset, 365 days a year.
- Admission is $6 per vehicle to the state park and $2.50 per person to enter the fort.
- Leashed dogs are allowed except for the beach, boardwalk, and fort.
- Wheelchairs are available for enjoying the beach. Boardwalks, viewing platforms, and buildings are accessible. All terrain wheelchairs and ramps available (with prior notice) to explore the lower level of Ft. Clinch.
Gorgeous beaches & sunrises
Amelia Island is home to miles and miles of pristine Atlantic coast beaches. There are many clean, white sand beaches to explore and plenty of seashells to take home as souvenirs. We spent most of our time at Main Beach as it was directly accessible from our hotel. Amelia Island State Park is another beach to look into. You can learn more about the different options on the Florida State Park website.
The sunrises on the island are simply breathtaking, probably the best I’ve seen in the state thus far. If you get up early enough, you are more than likely to see groups of dolphins traveling together. As you can see in my photo, you can see 2 dolphin fins in the distance.
A great place for those seeking to relax!
Overall, I would say this island is a perfect vacation destination for those looking to relax, enjoy beautiful sunrises, and get back to nature. I know we got a break from all the tourists and congestion around Tampa Bay. I imagine anyone coming from touristy big cities like Tampa, Orlando, and Miami should find some relaxation here.
If you are looking for theme parks, lots of bars, and pricey tourist attractions, then this is not the place for you. However, if you are seeking a quiet vacation where you are surrounded by simple beauty, then you are in store for a treat. Beautiful natural attractions, a wonderful old-fashioned downtown, and gorgeous beaches would likely bring me back for another trip.
