The beaches of Georgia

Golden sand, fewer crowds, movie status and a new seaside destination for lovers of American holidays searching for a new spot to pitch sunbeds and towels need look no further than the state of Georgia. This southern state, renowned for Gone With the Wind memorabilia, the 1996 Olympic Games and its soulful music, offers close to one hundred miles of beaches stretching between St Mary’s River and the Port of Savannah. Tybee, St. Mary’s, Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island National Seashore are a number of the well-known beaches along the along this area of the east coast. Tybee Island is a beach resort barrier island recently featured in the film; The Last Song.   Live musical entertainment, concerts and great dining are featured while a touch of history lies with the lighthouse built when England was still in charge. A visit to Fort Screven and Fort Pulaski also confirms the significant history of the area. The gateway to Cumberland Island is St Mary’s, home to streets lined with Victorian era mansions and once the second oldest city in the United States. Beaches here are supplemented by marinas and famous rock shrimp. Jekyll Island has been a plantation, a resort, an affluent hunting club, the site of planning for the Federal Reserve System and the determination of Presidential politics in the 1912 presidential election. The Historic District is a 240 acre site which shows how life was lived in the days of the hunting resort while the remainder of the island is now a National Historical Landmark. This resort destination provides tours of the natural part of the island with its beautiful beaches while visitors can explore by carriage ride, bicycle, or hike along the trails and stay in first class accommodation. 65% of the island must remain in its natural state. Visitors can travel from St Mary’s by ferry to the Cumberland Island National Seashore. Cumberland Island is just over seventeen miles in length and contains over fifty miles of nature trails, many remote beaches and birding opportunities. This island houses the First African Baptist Church on the north end of the island and the Plum Orchard Mansion. The quiet beauty of the Island can be enjoyed while hunting, fishing and stargazing away from the city lights.