Things to Do

NEED TO KNOW BEACH FACTS

Beach accesses are located along Fletcher Avenue at Main Beach, Seaside Park and Peters Point.
Handicap accessible beach accesses are located at North Beach Park, Main Beach, Seaside Park, Peters Point, and Burney Park. A beach accessible wheelchair is available by calling the Fernandina Beach Parks and Recreation Department at (904) 277-7350.
Vehicles can access the beach at Seaside Park and Peters Point. However, all non-county residents are required to have a driving permit. Permits are available at the historic Nassau County Courthouse located on Centre Street in Fernandina Beach.
Public restrooms are located at Main Beach (Atlantic and Fletcher), Burney Beach, Peters Point and Central Park.
Alcoholic beverages or glass bottles are not permitted on the beach.
Please do not pick sea oats, walk, or drive on the dunes. This is a Florida State law.
Pets are permitted but must be on a leash. Pet owners are responsible for immediate clean up.
No grills or open fires.
Surfers must have their surfboards tethered to one leg while in the water.
Protect endangered sea turtles, leave nest eggs and hatchlings undisturbed. Turn off lights that shine on the beach from May 1-October 31.

MARINE AND ANIMAL LIFE
The numerous creeks and rivers that feed the Intracoastal Waterway provide wide-eyed onlookers the opportunity to viewing dolphins, manatees, otters, and alligators. Each winter, endangered Northern Right Whales travel from Canada's Atlantic Coast to give birth off Amelia Island's shores.

Stroll our beaches from May to October and you will discover sea turtle nests marked with stakes and yellow tape. Loggerhead, Green and occasionally Leatherback female turtles deposit a clutch of about 100 ping-pong ball-sized eggs that hatch 55-60 days later. The hatchlings are instinctively drawn to the lightest horizon, which should be the moon and starlight reflecting on the surf. If lights from beachside homes are brighter, the young turtles will head inland and die in the sand dunes. Residents and visitors to Amelia Island are asked to observe the light ordinance from sundown to sunrise during sea turtle nesting season.
For more information on nature and wildlife, stop by the Chamber of Commerce' Welcome Center for a free Nature Guide.

BIRD WATCHING

Amelia Island includes four stops on the Great Florida Birding Trail.

Fort Clinch State Park is the gateway to the trail's East Region. Check the entrance road's hammock and marsh for warblers, waders, wrens and sparrows. Watch for painted buntings in spring/summer. Check the park's pier for seabirds, and purple sandpipers and gannets in winter. Egans Creek Greenway in Fernandina Beach is a good place to see egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, and osprey, among dozens of other bird species. The Nature Center at Amelia Island provides great educational programs, including birdwatching classes and nature adventures. Call ahead for a schedule or reservations. Night-herons, shorebirds, painted buntings, and terns
and gulls are possible sightings. From the catwalk on the bridge over Nassau Sound at Amelia Island State Park, you can view sand bars and islands in the sound and look for cormorants, pelicans and migratory shorebirds at low tide.

Nearby stops on the Great Florida Birding Trail include Big and Little Talbot Island State Parks and Fort George Island Cultural State Park, just south of Amelia Island, and Ralph Simmons State Forest near Hilliard.

Visit The Great Florida Birding Trail web site for trail guides and maps

FERNANDINA BEACH CITY PARKS
Children's playgrounds are available at all city parks: Main Beach next to the Cabana, Central Park, Atlantic Recreation Center and Egans Creek Park are all on Atlantic Avenue. Martin Luther King Jr. Park is located at 1200 Elm Street. For more information, contact the Fernandina Beach Parks and Recreation Department at (904) 277-7350.

PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS
Atlantic Recreation Center
2500 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 | (904) 277-7350

Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center
1200 Elm Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 | (904) 277-7350

FISHING

Nassau County is the place for anglers to come and cast a line. Its abundance of rivers, inlets, and ocean offer more than 100 species of fish. Red bass, trout and flounder can be found in oyster beds along the riverbeds and run year round. Tarpon, kingfish, barracuda and amberjack are just a few of the many sport fish found in the waters off Amelia Island.

Saltwater/ Freshwater Fishing Licenses may be obtained from:

The Nassau County Tax Collectors Office, 416 Centre Street, Fernandina Beach, FL (904) 491-7415.

Wal-Mart, 1757 S. 14th Street, Fernandina Beach, FL (904) 261-5306.

Instant licenses may be ordered via a toll-free number: 1-888-FISH-Florida (347-4356). A temporary license number will be issued for immediate use. Your permanent license will be mailed within 48 hours.

BOATING
Amelia Island is a boater's paradise. With endless opportunities to enjoy a day on the water, there are plenty of places to fish, watch wildlife and see great sites.

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office has teamed up with Boat U.S., Boat Owners Association of the United States, to offer life preservers for children. Kids can borrow a life jacket, at no cost, for up to three days. If your children need one, call the Nassau County Sheriff's Office at (904) 225-0331 or (904) 879-1563.

Public Boat Ramps:

Talbot Island State Park - Just over the Nassau Sound Bridge on the right: good surface, access to Nassau Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway, public restrooms.

Ribault Club - On Fort George Island behind the Ribault Club House: unimproved, limited parking. Cushing Creek - Off Fla. A1A, 5 miles west of Yulee: unimproved.

Holly Point Park - On Christopher Creek near Nassauville community off Fla. 200, Nassau County SR 107: restrooms, picnic area, floating dock.

Intracoastal Waterway - At the foot of Ash St., downtown Fernandina Beach: shallow water, shoaling, heavily used by commercial fishermen.

Melton Nelson Park - On Lofton Creek on A1A east of Yulee: good surface, floating dock, limited parking.

Nassau Landing - On Christopher Creek, 4 mi. west of I-95 on A1A, Edwards Road: recently renovated.

North Amelia Island Park/Ramp - On Intracoastal at N. 14th St., Fernandina Beach, adjacent to Fort Clinch State Park property: park, with three-lane ramp, other amenities, good access to St. Mary's River entrance.

Wilson Neck - South of Yulee off U.S. 17.

Click Here for more Boating & Fishing information.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Amelia Island's size is deceiving in relation to the host of outdoor activities offered to visitors. From golf and tennis at world-class resorts, to kayaking and canoeing, Segway tours, camping, sunset sails and horseback riding on the beach, you are sure to find an activity to keep you busy.

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HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES

Amelia Island offers visitors 4,000 years of history in a setting as charming as the day it was founded. From ancient maritime forests to a Victorian Seaside Village, Amelia Island's deep southern roots and stories past have been well preserved. Amelia Island is the home of several different historical places to visit including the first spoken history museum in Florida, it is also home to a historical military fort that was built in 1847 on a site that had been continuously occupied by military troops since 1736.

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FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Life is hectic, your vacation shouldn't be. Locals will be the first to tell you setting foot on Amelia Island is like stepping back in time. Although we offer many modern amenities our specialty is timeless, family-friendly atmosphere of a small town. We offer many family-friendly activities and fun for all ages.

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SHOPPING
Once a viewpoint Victorian seaport village, historic downtown Fernandina Beach is still one of Amelia's greatest charms, with rows of shops on Centre Street, housing an eclectic assortment of curios, island apparel, boutiques and antiques. Clusters of specialty stores are also located throughout the island, offering convenient shopping to visitors no matter where they stay.

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DINING
Elegant, casual, common, or quick; on Amelia Island we're always cooking up something good, no matter what type of dining you're looking for. Choose from a number of island specialties, including fresh seafood, continental cuisine, classic southern Provencal dishes or American. Visitors can dine in an abundance of delightful settings, from initimate dining rooms, authentic waterfront terraces and unique cafes to rustic retreats, brick courtyards or quaint coffee houses.

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