Things to Do on Amelia Island: Why We Keep Coming Back

Amelia Island sits at the top of Florida’s Atlantic coast, close enough to the Georgia border that it doesn’t feel like Florida at all.

No palm trees. No theme park crazy.

Just thirteen miles of peaceful beach, a historic downtown with great restaurants and indie shops, and endless options for getting out on the water. It’s one of our most-returned-to weekend getaways, and the list of things to do on Amelia Island is a big reason why.

Old oaks dripping with moss, marshlands, a slow pace… that’s our kind of beach. A Lowcountry beach trip is quieter and more refined than anything you’ll find further down the Florida coast.

If you’ve been to Ocean Springs, Mississippi and understood immediately why people love it, you’ll get our love for Amelia Island

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Things to Do On Amelia Island

To help you plan your trip, here are 20 fantastic things to do on Amelia Island. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a longer stay, this list will fill your itinerary with fun and memorable experiences.

1. Stroll Through Fernandina Beach’s Historic Downtown

Downtown Fernandina Beach has a genuine small-town feel and you’ll want to spend at least one afternoon exploring the shops and restaurants down here. Centre Street is the main drag, but wander the side streets too. You’ll find more local shops and the streets are lined with beautiful Victorian homes.

The Book Loft is on my list every single visit. The floors are old wood, the books displayed on antique tables and shelves. It’s exactly what an independent bookstore should look like. I could spend an hour in there. I usually do.

The other place I spend a lot of time is Eight Flags Antique Market. The shop has almost 40 independent dealers and I always find something I can’t leave without.

Twisted Sisters carries a fun collection of clothing and gifts. And stop by Vintage Donuts or Fernandina Fantastic Fudge for something sweet. Both will usually have a line, but trust me, the wait is worth it.

2. Relax on the Beach

Thirteen miles of beach and more than 40 public access points means you don’t need a hotel on the water to get to it. If you’re staying downtown, Main Beach Park is your closest option and where most of the action is.

If you want fewer people, Amelia Island State Park is worth the short drive. The DEP caps it at 300 visitors, so it stays quiet. There’s a $2 entry fee on the honor system.

Jason’s happy anywhere he can get in the water. I’m more of a pool-and-cocktail situation. But the thing our kids never got tired of — and I mean never — was hunting ghost crabs on the beach at night. If you haven’t done it, put it on the list.

3. Tour Fort Clinch State Park

Fort Clinch State Park is worth the visit if history is your thing. The Civil War-era fort is one of the best-preserved 19th-century forts in the country, and the living history programs put you inside that story in a way a museum doesn’t. The park also has hiking trails and waterfront access if you want to make a half day of it.

4. Take a Sunset Cruise

If you’re on the island on a Friday or Saturday evening, the Amelia River Cruises Adults Only Twilight Cruise is worth booking in advance. You bring your own drinks, there’s live music on board, and the cruise runs two hours along the Amelia River past the shrimp boats, Fort Clinch, and the Cumberland Island shoreline where wild horses roam.

Dolphins and sea turtles are known to make regular appearances. This is not a history tour. It’s a sunset on the water with a good soundtrack. Bring a bottle of wine and book it early.

5. Explore the Amelia Island Museum of History

The Amelia Island Museum of History is worth an hour of your time, especially if you want to understand why this island has the history it does. It’s housed in the old Nassau County Jail, which is interesting on its own, and it’s Florida’s first spoken history museum, meaning the whole experience is built around docent storytelling rather than reading plaques.

Guided tours run at 11am and 2pm Monday through Saturday. Admission is $10, and if you time it right, Friday entry is free from 4 to 6pm. This is a good rainy day option too.

6. Ride Horses on the Beach

Amelia Island is one of the few places in Florida where horseback riding is allowed on the beach. Amelia Island Horseback Riding has been running guided beach rides for over 30 years out of Peters Point Beachfront Park.

Rides run about an hour, guides match horses to your experience level, and you can choose between sunrise, daytime, and sunset options. I recommend booking the sunrise or sunset ride if you can. T

7. Indulge in Local Seafood & Craft Cocktails

Seafood and craft cocktails are my two favorite things to do on Amelia Island, so this one was never getting left off the list. Timoti’s Seafood Shack is our absolute favorite casual spot on the island. Order the shrimp tacos.

For a more formal dinner, Salt at the Ritz-Carlton is worth the splurge. And if seafood isn’t your thing, downtown Fernandina has enough good restaurants that you’ll figure it out. The full list is in our [guide to the best restaurants on Amelia Island].

For cocktails, The Decantery has a creative drink menu worth exploring. The Palace Saloon is Florida’s oldest continuously operating bar, which earns it at least one visit on principle.

And if you’re staying at or near the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, don’t skip the Lobby Bar. They do something called First Call every evening, the day’s unique bourbon blend presented at the bar. I order a Smoked Old Fashioned every single time.

8. Go Kayaking or Paddleboarding

Kayaking the salt marshes and waterways around Amelia Island is a fun way to spend an afternoon, and several outfitters make it easy.

Amelia Island Kayak Excursions runs guided tours through the blackwater creeks and along the Amelia River, with wildlife sightings that can include manatees, dolphins, eagles, and osprey depending on the season.

Tours run about 1.5 to 2 hours and are beginner friendly. If you’d rather explore on your own, self-guided rentals are available too.

9. Visit Egan’s Creek Greenway

If you want to see what Amelia Island looks like away from the beach, Egan’s Creek Greenway is worth the detour. The protected area covers 300 acres of salt marsh and freshwater wetlands right in the middle of the island, with five miles of trails open to walkers and cyclists.

Nearly 200 bird species have been recorded, and alligators and turtles are regular sightings from the two bridges that cross the creek. It’s free, dogs are welcome on a leash, and the best time to go is close to low tide. Check the tide chart before you head out.

10. Stay in a Historic Bed & Breakfast

Amelia Island has some genuinely lovely bed and breakfasts, and if that’s your travel style, this is a great place for it. The Addison on Amelia and The Amelia Island Williams House are both well-regarded and put you right in the middle of the historic district. The personal touches and homemade breakfast are a big part of the appeal.

I’m more of a check-in-and-disappear kind of traveler myself, so we tend to land at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island or the Omni Amelia Island. But I know plenty of people who wouldn’t have it any other way. For the full picture on where to stay on Amelia Island, including hotels, resorts, and B&Bs, our where to stay guide has you covered.

11. Attend a Festival

The festival calendar on Amelia Island is worth checking before you book. Amelia Island Restaurant Week kicks off the year in January. The Fernandina Beach Songwriters Festival runs in April.

The biggest event of the year is the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in May, which has been running for over 50 years and takes over the whole downtown.

If you’re visiting in December, Dickens on Centre turns Fernandina Beach into a Victorian Christmas celebration that the locals look forward to all year.

12. Play a Round of Golf

Amelia Island has two courses worth knowing about. Jason has played both. The Omni Amelia Island Resort course is solid, but his vote goes to the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island course. It has a lot of water, it’s well laid out, and it’s genuinely challenging without being exclusive to serious golfers. If golf is part of your trip, that’s the one to book.

13. See Wild Horses on Cumberland Island

Wild horses still roam freely on Cumberland Island, and that alone makes it worth the trip. The island is a National Seashore off the Georgia coast, technically not Florida, but a short ferry ride from the mainland and an easy day trip from Amelia Island.

The daily visitor limit is 300 people, so you’re not going to run into crowds here. The biggest crowds are going to be the horses.

It’s also where JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were secretly married in September 1996. About 40 guests, a tiny rustic chapel, a ferry from St. Marys, late night bonfires on the beach. Nobody knew they were there until it was over.

Cumberland Island is on my list. I haven’t made it yet, but it’s not a question of if.

14. Take a Ghost Tour

Fernandina Beach has more than 400 historic structures, a former jail, pirates in its past, and Florida’s oldest bar. A ghost tour was inevitable.

Ghost Tours of Amelia Island runs walking tours, cemetery tours, and the option I personally want to do, the Haunted Bar Crawl.

The Amelia Island Museum of History also runs their own ghost tour every Friday evening starting at the cemetery behind St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Both sell out, so book ahead.

15. Enjoy a Spa Day

I’ll be upfront on this one. I’m a pool and cocktail person, not a spa person. But if a spa day is your idea of a perfect afternoon, Amelia Island has two excellent options.

The Ritz-Carlton Spa just completed a full renovation and now runs 25,000 square feet with treatments organized around mind, body, and skin. The Omni Spa is nature-inspired with a serene courtyard, water features, and a full treatment menu.

Both are open to resort guests and outside visitors. Book ahead.

16. Go Fishing

Fishing on Amelia Island runs the full range from casting off the beach to booking a full charter. Our boys spent plenty of time wading into the surf to cast from the waterline. It costs nothing, needs no equipment beyond a rod, and is a great option for families with kids.

If you want to get out on the water, Amelia Island Inshore Fishing Charter is family friendly, includes all the gear, and targets redfish, flounder, and tarpon in the backwaters of the Amelia River. For serious anglers, offshore charters are available too.

17. Rent a Bike

Amelia Island is genuinely bike friendly, and it’s one of the best ways to see the island at your own pace. Several rental companies will deliver bikes directly to your hotel or vacation rental.

The Amelia Island Trail is a 7-mile paved path running from Peters Point Beachfront Park down to Amelia Island State Park, flat and easy enough for casual riders.

If you’d rather have someone show you around, Riptide Watersports runs guided bike tours through the historic downtown. And if your legs need a little help, Pedego Electric Bikes on the south end of the island rents e-bikes that make the longer routes a lot more manageable.

18. Watch the Sunrise

This one is non-negotiable for me on every trip. I’m usually the only one willing to get up for it. No one else in the family is getting out of bed at that hour, but I’m just as happy to do this one solo.

Grab a coffee, walk down to the beach, and find a spot near the dunes before the sun comes up. The colors are hard to describe. There are always a few runners and joggers on the beach, but it’s never crowded. It’s just quiet and peaceful in a way that the rest of the day rarely is. Set your alarm. You won’t regret it.

19. Shop at the Farmers Market

If you’re on the island on a Saturday morning, the Fernandina Beach Market Place is worth a walk-through. It’s a true farmers market with local produce, fresh baked goods, wild-caught shrimp, honey, jams, and prepared foods, and it runs every Saturday from 9am to 1pm rain or shine on N. 7th Street in the historic district.

On the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, the Fernandina Beach Arts Market runs right alongside it on Centre Street with local pottery, woodworking, jewelry, and handmade goods. Good excuse to grab a coffee and spend a slow morning downtown before the day gets going.

20. Explore Amelia Island on Wheels

If you want to see the island in a way that requires a little explanation when you get home, there are two good options. The [Arcimoto FUV] is a fully electric open-air vehicle you can rent for a self-guided tour or book with a guide. Both options cover the historic district, the lighthouse, and some of the island’s less obvious spots.

For something more nature-focused, Amelia’s Wheels at the Omni runs Segway tours through the marshlands, along the beach, and under the oak canopy on the resort property. Tours run about 1.5 hours and are open to the public. Kids 8 and up can ride.

Start Planning Your Trip to Amelia Island

If this post got you excited about planning a trip to Amelia Island, here’s where to go next.

Our guide to the best restaurants on Amelia Island covers everything from the best casual seafood to the spots worth a special occasion splurge.

And if you haven’t figured out where to stay yet, our where to stay on Amelia Island guide walks through every option from the Ritz to the best B&Bs in the historic district. Between those three posts, you have everything you need to plan a trip worth taking.

Ready to explore more of Florida? Head to our Florida travel guide for more ideas.

More Things to Do on Amelia Island