8 Georgia Beach Alternatives To Sea Island

Abstract

• Discover stunning Georgia seashores like Cumberland Island for $15/individual and luxuriate in 50 miles of climbing trails and 18 miles of seashores.
• Uncover St. Simons Island with free entry, historic museums, and seashores simply 5.6 miles away from Sea Island, good for a day journey.
• Go to Driftwood Seashore on Jekyll Island for $8 and see the haunting stays of an historic oak forest, a novel ecological marvel solely 25 miles from Sea Island.

The seashores of Sea Island, Georgia, are recognized all through the US for his or her magnificence, opulence, and their exclusivity. With two limited-access resorts and a small village of million-dollar houses, this island is not a spot most vacationers will get the chance to go to. Though costs on Sea Island may be astronomical for a lot of (a keep within the island’s most well-known resort, the Cloister At Sea Island, usually costs between $800-$1500 per night), individuals far and huge nonetheless dream of Georgia’s shoreline.

Fortunately for vacationers, the nice state of Georgia has loads of different seashore areas which can be simply as stunning as Sea Island, however are considerably inexpensive. Many of those coastal areas are preserved and protected as National Seashores and Wildlife Refuges, which means that vacationers who go to will have the ability to actually get a really feel for the genuine ecology of Georgia. Vacationers, vacationers, and retirees will discover eight nice seashore options to Sea Island on this final checklist.

8 Cumberland Island Nationwide Seashore

See 18 miles of undisturbed seashores on this distant island paradise

Cumberland Island National Seashore, which is about an hour and ten minutes away from Sea Island, is a superb various vacation spot for these in search of the Georgia solar alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

After taking a brief ferry to the island, vacationers will have the ability to take pleasure in all that this island park has to supply: biking, climbing, tenting, swimming, birdwatching, and extra! With 50 miles of trails on the island, vacationers could have no scarcity of Georgia’s pure setting to see. For beachgoers, this place is a paradise, with 18 miles of undisturbed shoreline.

There aren’t any trash cans on the island, so vacationers should perform their rubbish.

7 Tybee Island

Facilities galore, a historic lighthouse, an aquarium, and nice fishing await those that head to Tybee Island

The charming town of Tybee Island, not far from Savannah, is simply a two-hour drive north from Sea Island. With an lovable, walkable downtown space, nice facilities, white-sand seashores, a fishing pier, and a lighthouse, Tybee Island makes for an important various to Sea IsIand.

Standard locations right here embody the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, the place vacationers will be taught all concerning the marine setting of Georgia, the historic Cockspur Island Lighthouse at Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island Pier, the place vacationers can take pleasure in Atlantic fishing (supplied they’ve a Georgia fishing license).

Vacationers who’re thinking about beachgoing should not miss South Seashore, which homes the Tybee Island Pier. This seashore is located close to native eating places and retailers, and is the right place to chill off throughout muggy Georgia summers.

6 Sapelo Island

Go to the untouched seashores of Sapelo Island and discover historic landmarks and a Nationwide Marine Sanctuary

Sapelo Island, positioned two hours away from Sea Island, is a superb vacation spot for beachgoers who love the untouched wildlife of Georgia. A number of the greatest, most pristine seashores right here embody Cabretta Island Seashore and Nannygoat Seashore, each of that are well-known for his or her grey-white sands, inexperienced coastal grasses, and churning waves.

Vacationers thinking about historical past ought to head to 1820-constructed Sapelo Island Lighthouse, the second-oldest brick lighthouse in the US. For these with entry to a ship and dive certification, Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is a superb place for scuba diving and boating. Scuba divers right here will probably be met with an array of colourful marine organisms, from vibrant pink and crimson corals to distinctive fish, equivalent to gurnards.

5 St. Simons Island

Discover the various historic museums of St. Simons Island, together with seashores and golf programs

Historic and underrated St. Simons Island is the right place to go to seek out museums galore, Atlantic seashores, and native parks. At solely round 5 miles away from Sea Island, this seashore group is a superb various to its more-famous neighbor.

A number of the greatest issues to do listed below are the city’s many museums. From St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum to the World Warfare II Residence Entrance Museum to the Fort Frederica Nationwide Monument, this city has a lot for history-lovers to discover. The native, free-to-enter seashore, East Seashore, is thought for its swimming, shelling, and watersports. This city even has an important fishing pier, the St. Simons Island Pier, the place vacationers with a Georgia fishing liscence will have the ability to take pleasure in the perfect of Atlantic fishing.

Vacationers with children or grandchildren will love stopping at Neptune Park Fun Zone, a golfcourse, swimming pool, water health club, and playground.

4 Wassaw Nationwide Wildlife Refuge

This rugged island is the right place for intrepid vacationers who need to {photograph} Georgia wildlife

Though this Georgia island may be tough to get to, the lengthy trek is value it. Situated 52 miles away from Sea Island, Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge is the right place for rugged, outdoorsy vacationers.

Solely accessible by personal boat, this wildlife refuge is really off the crushed path. Right here, vacationers will have the ability to swim, search for shells, fish, and hunt white-tailed deer. Probably the most widespread actions right here is wildlife pictures. A number of the greatest animals to {photograph} right here embody plovers, deer, foxes, and dolphins.

With 20 miles of climbing trails, vacationers could have a lot to discover right here as they hunt for probably the most good nature {photograph}!

3 St. Catherine’s Island

One among Georgia’s most pristine areas is St. Catherine’s Island, the place vacationers can take pleasure in 11 miles of seashores

Simply over 31 miles away from the posh resorts at Sea Island is the rugged, pristine St. Catherine’s Island. St. Catherine’s Island has 11 miles of seashores to discover. Right here, vacationers will have the ability to take pleasure in shelling, climbing, and swimming throughout sunlight hours. Whereas this island’s seashores are open to the general public, the island’s inside shouldn’t be, and is reserved for researchers and pure wildlife. Entry to the island is simply potential by way of personal boat, which may be rented close by.

Whereas entry to the seashores is permissable, visiting the island’s inside is off limits to take care of the island’s pure setting and indigenous archaeological websites.

This island has been inhabited by people for 4,000 years; proof of that is present in two shell rings on the island courting to 2,000 BCE. Whereas vacationers are sitting on the seashore right here, they will maintain this lengthy historical past in thoughts.

Probably the most distinctive issues about Saint Catherine’s Island is the island’s many ring-tailed lemurs. Launched to the island in 1985, this endangered species has since multiplied. Now, there are dozens of lemurs on the island.

2 Driftwood Seashore

Discover the ghostly stays of an historic oak forest on one among Georgia’s most haunting seashores

On the north finish of the unique Jekyll Island is one among Georgia’s most fascinating ecological wonders: Driftwood Beach. Sitting within the comfortable grey sands of this seashore are the gnarled stays of an historic oak forest.

Resulting from coastal erosion, this once-vibrant forest was poisoned and uprooted by the turbulent, salty waters of the Atlantic. Whereas estimates of the oak remnants on Driftwood Beach range from 200 years old to up to 500 years old, one factor is for certain: these bushes are a spectacular sight to behold as we speak.

This seashore is simply positioned 25 miles away from Sea Island. Paired with its distinctive pure marvel of historic oak remnants, this seashore is a superb various to its extra widespread neighbor.

1 Nice Dunes Seashore Park

This family-friendly seashore is the right place to spend a day within the Georgia solar, with a number of nice close by facilities like mini golf and native eating places

On the south facet of Jekyll Island is Great Dunes Beach Park. Situated 34 minutes from Sea Island, this seashore is a superb various to the costlier Sea Island. This wheelchair-and-stroller-accessible beach is nice for households, with picnic pavilions, play areas, public eating places, and volleyball courts.

Frequent beachgoing actions equivalent to sunbathing, swimming, and shelling are choices right here, however the close by facilities equivalent to playgrounds, a mini-golf course, and close by eating places make this seashore even higher. The Jekyll Island Path System, which runs close by, gives 20 miles of motorcycle trails.

Additionally positioned close by is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the place vacationers can find out about Georgia’s native ecology. This rehabilitation center for sea turtles is a great place for Georgia tourists to visit.

Whether or not vacationers head north to Tybee Island and Sapelo Island or south to Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island, there are such a lot of wonderful, inexpensive, and lesser-known seashores and islands to discover on Georgia’s shoreline.

Vacationers can overlook the expense and opulence of Sea Island in favor of those unbelievable seashores, islands, and coastal cities, the place they’re positive to get a extra genuine style of life, ecology, and tradition in Georgia.