04/16/2026
Amelia Island, Florida 🏖️☀️
Beautiful island on the Northeast Coast of Florida with the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Amelia River on the west. 13 miles long and 4 miles wide at its widest point .
Where we stayed : Seaside Amelia Inn
Located on the beach on the North end of the island . It’s a boutique hotel with 46 rooms. They offer rooms with beachfront balcony , ocean view, street view with balcony and pool view. Comes with breakfast and make sure to grab some fresh baked cookies in the lobby daily . We chose ocean view room .
Things we did:
*Fort Clinch State Park- $6.00 per vehicle to enter the park. $2.50 to enter the fort on a self guided tour . Very nice drive to the fort with beautiful oak trees covered with moss. Beautiful campground located in the state park.
*Amelia Island Trolley Tour- Fun way to tour the island and learn all about the history of the island. Runs at 11:00 and 1:30 and is $30 per person. It lasts about hour and half. They also offer a ghost tour.
*Amelia Island Lighthouse- partial view from the road. Open to the public on Saturdays from 11-2 or a private tour. Florida’s oldest lighthouse built in 1938.
*Fernandina Plaza Historic Park- Florida’s smallest state park . It once was the site of Fort San Carlos . Now it’s just a grassy area overlooking the Amelia River.
*Amelia River Cruises- Cumberland island tour gives an overview of the history and ecological features of Amelia and Cumberland Islands. It’s 2.5 hours long and $35 per person.
Also offer sunset tours and Adult BYOB twilight cruises.
*Visit Historic Downtown Fernandina beach for lots of restaurants , bars and shops.
Restaurants and Bars we visited:
Historic Downtown District-
*Salty Pelican Bar and grill- overlooks the Amelia River and sits right beside the train tracks. Sit at the bar and you get a free shot every time a train passes by. Recommend the shrimp tacos, empanadas and fried plantains.
*The Decantery- Upscale lounge with wines, craft beer and cocktails. Great espresso martinis . Offer charcuterie boards and small bites.
*Green Turtle Tavern- Hole in the wall where the locals hang out . Offers live music .
*PJD’s ( Pajama Dave’s)- gets its name because the owner Dave wears pajama pants. Most likely will be greeted by his enormous dog. Fun hangout spot.
*The Principals Office- Upscale bar located in the lobby of the Amelia Schoolhouse Inn. Happy hour from 4-6. $10 espresso martinis .
*The Boathouse- offers indoor and outdoor seating. Live music outside. Great food , recommend chicken sandwich.
*Scully’s Irish Pub- fun atmosphere with trivia nights. Recommend the fish and chips and Guiness pie .
*The Patio at 5th and Ash- large outside patio area with great happy hour at 3:00 offering half off beer and wines.
*Tigre Island room- fun bar with a large selection of craft beers and live music.
*First Love Brewing- large selection of beers. Locals said their pizzas are delish .
*The Palace- Florida’s oldest bar. Has original mahogany bar and brass cash register. Beautiful tile floors and ceilings with 6 murals on the wall.
North Island-
*The Sandbar Restaurant- Direct beachfront restaurant with indoor seating, covered outdoor seating and open air seating in the sand. Offers burgers, pizza and seafood.
*Salt life Foodshack- indoor and outdoor seating with views of the ocean. My favorite meal of the week was Shrimp Brochette ( shrimp wrapped in bacon skewered with pineapples with glazed Hawaiian teriyaki sauce with a side of tropical fried rice.)
Central Island-
*Hammerhead Beach Bar - hole in the wall but voted one of the Top 10 Dive bars in America.
*Sliders Seaside Grill- great oceanfront views serving seafood. Has a tiki bar with swings at the bar.
*The Surf Restaurant and Bar- huge outside sitting area. serves burgers, wings and seafood. Great service and happy hour .
*Mocama Beer Company- brewery with trivia nights .
Shopping downtown district-
*The Lavender store- All things infused with lavender. I purchased soap, bug repellent, chapstick and honey. The entire store smells amazing !
*Christmas Shop on the River- where you can purchase your Amelia island ornament.
island # Fernandina beach
