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Where to Eat, Drink, Sleep,
Beach, find Adventure, Nature & more on Amelia Island
Oceanfront Cocktails
An Amelia Island landmark,
Sliders Seaside Grill is well known to both locals and visitors, having a presence on Amelia Island for over 50 years (initially as an Inn). Sliders is a brick structure located on the beach at the corner of Sadler Rd. and South Fletcher Avenue (just across from the Amelia Hotel and Suites),
centrally located on Amelia Island next to the new Seaside Park (public beach
access).
Sliders has an "island
style" flair, offering a very pleasant atmosphere. The menu offers a wide
variety to please most diners, including a children's menu with the required
"staples" that kids can't live without: chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese,
grilled cheese, hot dogs and burgers.
Sliders Seaside Grill is open for lunch and dinner.
For further information, call Sliders at 904-277-6652.
An
extremely casual "surf-type" eatery and bar offering a large outdoor
deck for drinking and dining is "The Surf," located
across the street from the ocean at 3199 South Fletcher Avenue (904)
261-5711. The Surf draws large crowds during the
summertime, especially on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, the
so-called "Wing-It" nights featuring all-you-can-eat
chicken wings. The Surf also serves pizza, seafood,
steaks and more. Live entertainment on the outdoor deck (DJs,
acoustical guitar) helps to keep the crowd buzzing with
enthusiasm. Many families with children dine at The Surf for
its casual, open-air atmosphere where an exuberant or unhappy child,
generally, will not disturb other diners.
Cocktails in Historic
District, Fernandina Beach
If you're downtown, try a "Pirate's
Punch" at the Palace Saloon (113 Centre St.), the oldest
saloon in Florida, in Fernandina's historic district. Pirate's Punch
is the "famous" rum drink of Fernandina Beach.
Hundreds of years ago, Amelia Island was the stamping ground of
pirates, sea captains, and sailors. The Palace has
live entertainment most evenings, from rock-n-roll bands to
acoustical musicians.
Or enjoy a
drink while you sit in rocking chairs and witness a gorgeous sunset
over the Fernandina Harbor -- a view available from the rear porch
of Brett's Waterway Cafe, (end of Centre St. at the
marina). For a nibble with drinks, we suggest the spinach
& artichoke dip at Brett's.
Suggestions for Eating
Out
Go
to dining section for restaurant
suggestions.
Where to Sleep
If you desire the amenities
of a large, luxury resort, we recommend either Amelia
Island Plantation
or the
Ritz-Carlton on the southern
end of Amelia. (TIP: Get a discounted
deal on local lodging via NETRATE discounts...the Amelia
Island Plantation and Best Western are the two local
lodging properties that participate in this online discount program,
see LODGING GUIDE. If you'd rather stay in the downtown historic
district where you can walk to shops and restaurants,
try the
downtown harbor-front Hampton Inn , with great views of the Fernandina Harbor Marina, and a second floor
swimming pool (122 rooms and suites). This is not the "typical"
Hampton Inn -- great care was taken in designing this hotel to meld
with the historic downtown architecture -- both inside and out. This
is a convenient place to stay, especially if you plan to go charter
fishing or sailing. The
marina docks for these boating activities are just steps away from
the Historic Hampton Inn. Plus you can walk to several
excellent restaurants in the historic area, as well as being steps
away from lots of shopping in Fernandina's Centre Street shopping
district.
The historic district is also home to 10 bed & breakfast inns, all special in their own way
(go to B&B section for further details).
Where to Hit the
Beach
The
wider beachfront on the south-end of the island is especially nice. Peter's
Point, on South Fletcher Avenue, is a public park with very large
parking area, restrooms, outdoor showers, and picnic tables.
(Also check out listing of all public beach access points.)
But if you are looking for beachside concessions (like a waterslide and
food vendors), you'll prefer Main Beach
Park on the north end of the island. In summertime, try to hit the beach at
low tide, when tidal pools often collect (great if you have young children).
Low tide is also the best time to
ride
bikes right on the beach at water's edge -- an awe-inspiring
biking experience. (Check several months of tide
schedules here.) If you want to see the most natural area of
Amelia Island, check out Fort Clinch
State Park -- the park has beachfront on both the Atlantic and
Cumberland Sound. The Atlantic Ocean beachfront at Fort Clinch is
accessible by wooden walkways over what is probably the island's largest
remaining area of undisturbed natural dunes.
Yesteryear --
Fernandina Beach Historic District
It's easy to picture in your mind's eye images of late nineteenth century
days past, when you take a stroll down
historic Centre Street, the main corridor of quaint shops, called
"downtown" by many. In this enchanting
55-block
historic district of Amelia
Island's seaport village, Fernandina Beach, one feels somewhat suspended
in time -- there still remains the aura of simpler days past. Licking ice
cream cones, sipping gourmet coffee, nibbling homemade fudge and
chocolates, and browsing the quaint shops, visitors seem to enjoy the relaxation and simplicity of Fernandina's
historic downtown district. History buffs will certainly enjoy
guided tours of bed & breakfasts and historical buildings.
Guided tours are available through the
Amelia Island
Museum.
Adventures
by Land & Sea
If
you've ever had the urge to go kayaking, here's your opportunity to
get a unique view of marshland nature as you paddle local waterways with Kayak
Amelia.
A
camping adventure awaits you at Fort
Clinch State Park, with many campsites just steps away from the beach
and great fishing spots. Fort Clinch is a must-see attraction on
Amelia Island, with over 1,200 acres (about 12,000 feet of
beachfront), fishing dock, historic Fort tours, picnic area with
playground equipment, hiking and biking trails. (Tip: bring
bug spray if you plan to go to the picnic/playground area or hike/bike in
the wooded areas of the park.) As noted above in the
"beach" section, the beachfront at
Fort Clinch is one of the most natural areas on the island. You'll
walk over about 100 yards of dunes to reach the ocean.
For
those drawn to boating and the sea,
experience local waters by chartering a fishing boat (or try a sailing
yacht), by calling the Fernandina Charter Boat Association at Tiger Point
Marina (904)321-FISH, or the Amelia Island Charter Boat Association
(Fernandina Harbour Marina, 3 South Front Street) at (904)261-2870.
If
you are looking for a romantic adventure,
how about riding horses along the beach on the south end of the
island? Call Kelly Seahorse Ranch at (904)491-5166.
Nature's
Splendor
One
of the most enjoyable and least expensive ways to absorb coastal nature
here on Amelia Island is to simply take a walk on
Amelia's
beautiful beaches, especially early in the morning or later in the
day toward dusk.
Another
splendid way to explore the magnificence of island
nature is to do it by water. Amelia Island is surrounded by
the Atlantic Ocean, many tidal creeks, marshes, and the intracoastal
waterway, all which contain a wide array of wildlife. Birdwatchers
will especially take glee in the lively bird life within the marshes.
Frequently you will see dolphins and sometimes Manatees, and even an
occasional sighting of an alligator sunning itself along the marshland
banks. As noted above, Fort Clinch State Park is one of the most
natural areas of Amelia Island. See more about Amelia Island Nature.
Enjoy your visit to lovely Amelia Island! |
