Golden Isles of Georgia

A chain of barrier islands on the Georgia coast, with Jekyll Island's millionaires' club, Driftwood Beach and wild horses roaming Cumberland Island.

Georgia's Golden Isles lie in Glynn County on the southeastern Georgia coast, made up of the mainland port city of Brunswick and four barrier islands: St. Simons Island, Sea Island (a private resort island), Jekyll Island and Little St. Simons Island. Between the islands and the mainland stretch the vast Marshes of Glynn, immortalized in a poem by Sidney Lanier. The area is known for live oaks draped in Spanish moss, colonial and Gilded Age history, and quiet beaches. Highlights include Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach, its Gilded Age millionaires' club historic district and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, with bike paths across the island ideal for cycling; St. Simons Island's lighthouse, Pier Village, East Beach and the ruins of Fort Frederica; and the squares and shrimp boat docks of Brunswick's old town. Classic day trips include taking the ferry from St. Marys, about 60 km south, to Cumberland Island, where wild horses roam; heading north to Darien to see Fort King George and catch the ferry to Sapelo Island; or going west to the Okefenokee Swamp for a boat ride among alligators. The climate is humid subtropical: Mar–May and Oct–Nov are warm with few bugs and the best time to visit; Jun–Sep is hot and humid with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and Jun–Nov is hurricane season; winters are mild but the ocean is chilly. Getting there: The nearest major airport is Jacksonville International, about 1 hour's drive, with Savannah's airport about 1.2 hours away; Brunswick Golden Isles Airport has a handful of flights. There's virtually no public transit in the area, so you'll need a car. A daily parking fee is charged to enter Jekyll Island. Plan on 3–4 days.

Top sights

• Driftwood Beach – Coastal erosion has left white dead trees strewn across the sand, creating a surreal scene at sunrise. It is Jekyll Island's most famous si…
• Jekyll Island Club Historic District – A Gilded Age winter retreat for tycoons such as Rockefeller and Morgan, with a well-preserved Victorian clubhouse and 'cottages'.
• St. Simons Island Lighthouse – A white lighthouse built in 1872. Climb 129 steps for views over St. Simons Sound and Jekyll Island, with a keeper's house museum beside it.
• Cumberland Island National Seashore – Georgia's largest barrier island, where wild horses roam among mansion ruins and empty beaches. It is one of the most unspoiled islands on…
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center – A sea turtle hospital and education centre. You can watch veterinarians treat injured turtles through glass, and in summer there are night…
• Jekyll Island Bike Trails & Beaches – About 32 kilometres of flat bike paths encircle the island, linking the historic district, Driftwood Beach, oak groves and Atlantic beaches.
• Horton House Historic Site – The ruins of a two-storey house built in the 1740s from tabby, a mortar of oyster shell and lime. It is one of the oldest surviving buildin…
• St. Simons Pier Village & Neptune Park – The lively town centre beside the lighthouse. A long wooden pier is popular for fishing and watching sunsets, and restaurants, ice cream sh…
• East Beach, St. Simons – The widest beach on St. Simons Island. At low tide the sandbars stretch out flat, making it good for walking, cycling and watching seabirds.
• Fort Frederica National Monument – The ruins of an English colonial fort town founded by Oglethorpe in 1736. It bears witness to the Anglo-Spanish struggle over Georgia.
• Christ Church, Frederica – A small wooden church hidden among oaks draped with moss. The Wesley brothers once preached here, and the old graveyard is quiet and timele…
• Old Town Brunswick – A historic port town that keeps its colonial grid of squares, with Victorian mansions, antique shops and a shrimp boat dock.
• Lover's Oak – A southern live oak said to be about 900 years old, with thick branches spreading wide. It is a symbol of the city of Brunswick.
• Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation – A former rice plantation in the Altamaha River delta. Its house and salt-marsh rice fields tell the story of the coastal rice economy and e…
• Fort King George – The earliest fort built by the English in what is now Georgia, in 1721. Its reconstructed cedar blockhouse and barracks stand beside the sa…
• Sapelo Island – A wild island that can only be reached by a state ferry. It has the Reynolds Mansion, a lighthouse and the Geechee Hog Hammock community.
• Okefenokee Swamp – The largest blackwater swamp in North America. Boat trips through cypress and water-lily channels bring you close to alligators and wading…

Where to eat

• Southern Soul Barbeque – Barbecue landmark housed in an old gas station in the middle of a roundabout, featured on food TV and rated among Ameri…
• Iguanas Seafood – Affordable seafood spot in Harbour Village that serves only Georgia wild shrimp; its fried shrimp has been voted the is…
• Georgia Sea Grill – White-tablecloth seafood restaurant in Harbour Village, open since 1997, serving local catches and Lowcountry flavors…
• Halyards – Island flagship of chef Dave Snyder, opened in 2000; the seasonal menu highlights fish from the South Atlantic.

Itineraries

• Georgia Golden Isles & Cumberland Island – Head south from Savannah, stay on St. Simons and Jekyll Islands, and take a boat to Cumberland Island.