Amelia Island-Not Just Another Florida Island

One summer while staying on Jacksonville Beach, we decided to take a drive up the coastline along Florida A1A. At one point of our journey, we had to board a ferry called Saint Johns River Ferry to continue our trek. The scenery was beautiful and the beaches great. There was a stretch of beach in Little Talbot Island State Park onto which we drove our four wheel drive vehicle. Driving along the surf was an exilerating experience. From there, we continued northward on Florida A1A and crossed a bridge that took us to Amelia Island. Up till then, I didn't know Amelia Island existed.

Amelia Island is the southernmost of the barrier islands stretching along the coast from South Carolina to Florida called the Sea Islands. It is south of Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is considered the only community in the United States to have experienced life under eight different flags. The island has a long and illustrious history that goes back 4,000 years. Amelia Island has a natural deep harbor on the north end of the island, which provided easy access for smugglers, pirates, and assorted sea captains.

Today, Amelia Island attracts a wide variety of recreational and commercial activity. For the vacationer, it features activities from golf and tennis at world-class resorts to kayaking, sunset sails and horseback riding on the beach. It has river cruises and charters, fishing, a museum, a community theatre, and walking tours of Historic Fernandina Beach. Or maybe you just want to take a quiet walk to enjoy the unique variety of birds and wildlife. To top it off, there are the 13 miles of beautiful, sandy beaches for taking in the warm Florida sun either to lay out on, walk on, or collect seashells.

Amelia Island offers a 1350 acre beach resort called Amelia Island Plantation. The resort offers four Audubon International certified sanctuary golf courses, 23 Har-Tru tennis courts, holistic spa, shopping village, year around youth programs, Nature Center, and Segway tours. Plenty of other resorts and hotels to choose from.